Calirer and Runula were tense, using all their scarce skills to manipulate the demon diagram. The first and largest fire explosion was successfully blocked by them, but soon after, numerous beasts from this place emerged in all directions.
Time was short, and the aura of these beasts was frenzied and almost insane. It was as if they had all been awakened at the same time to fight in desperation. But everyone remained calm; they were very close to the exit.
Then, a group of half-wyverns, led by the eldest one who convinced the whale to accept them, commanded and attacked a quadrupedal beast that approached very quickly. This beast was something common, which they had defeated several times recently.
BOOM!!
In the first exchange between them, all members of both clans saw the giant body of the old wyvern fall to the ground with a loud sound. It was dead.
This happened in front of everyone; this fire creature attacked with its life at stake, without thinking of defending itself. Meanwhile, the half-wyvern refused to take the risk, and his fate was the worst possible.
"Something is wrong, we have to retreat. We can’t risk losing everything."
Calirer spoke tensely and turned around, preparing to give the command. She didn’t reason perfectly, but her line of thought was very similar to the old one who had just died.
However, in that second, she noticed Runula standing still, staring intently at the rest of her clan group still fighting. Through her eyes, she seemed to be furious, sending messages, or perhaps curses, to that group.
Calirer threatened to say something, but Runula spoke first. "Mr. Goku said we should face danger; our gains have only happened because we’ve been doing that so far. We still have time to train, and if he didn’t order a retreat, we shouldn’t go, Master."
Calirer sighed. She had lived a long time and seen a lot of misery in her clan, the brutal difference between them and the large clans. Now, with everything they had gained, it could change the history of their clan. It would take a generation for the diagram to lose all its energy, and that would give time to create powerful cultivators and change everything. If they lost this...
As soon as she thought about it, she lowered her head a bit, ashamed. She was being a coward, and it would disappoint everyone if she kept that thought. It was almost a betrayal to the one who brought her to this high place.
She looked at Runula and smiled internally; she had grown very quickly. Then, the message from the whale reached her mind, making her jump in fright. But then, she clenched her fists.
"We’re not leaving. Those are his orders. We’ll fight to defeat the whole realm or die here," Calirer said to Runula, and also to confirm her own determination; it was an indescribable madness.
A little distance away, hundreds of beasts surrounded the trio. Almin was completely physically exhausted after clearing a path while Langrum recovered. She was the one killing the beasts; Almin could also use the Manifestation of Will to kill them, but he would fall without energy, and if both of them fell, it would be the end.
It was when Langrum stopped, exhausted and breathing heavily, that the whale’s message arrived through the array. Almin almost knelt in despair, but they were over magma. It was already almost impossible to escape in a straight line and leave the realm of flames; now they were going to stay?
It was in that second that Lyra’s image came to Almin’s mind. Goku, even without admitting it, always did everything to make him stronger, even when it hindered him. Now, he was being a coward... how would he save her like this? Almin thought, taking a deep breath and feeling his lungs completely burned.
"Don’t advance. We won’t run away. Loeus, you protect her. I’ll buy time, or die trying," Almin said to the two.
Despite all the burns and internal injuries, Almin’s core Qi was still at half. However, the despair of an endless and impossible-to-win fight seemed to take over his mind. Almin then belatedly realized, with an ancient hatred burning in his chest, that it was the primitive instinct of survival clouding his mind.
’If I want to go beyond the possible and the ordinary, I have to transcend this by force, even if the cost is nefarious,’ Almin thought these words and sarcastically scoffed. ’It was he who told me this in the past, and now I’m agreeing and following... what irony.’
Almin attacked fiercely, and at a close distance, the whale felt every movement, waving in satisfaction. They had to make Almin learn this practically since they knew he would react abnormally if the words came out of his mouth. They had already told him this before, in the other universe, just before leaving the planet; and then in the future, coming back for its end.
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The primitive mind and its instincts were a barrier. In the next realm, the Heaven Stage Realm, Almin would have to face a celestial tribulation. The heavens would awaken all the fears and terrors of the mind and instinct of any living being. Once he overcame this, he will be able to face the heavens head-on, which will bring endless benefits.
Shortly after, the three days came to an end.
Outside the realm of flames, the five demonic clans were waiting, staring intently at the barrier. One minute passed, and soon everyone sighed and turned away. In the history of the abyss, no one had survived more than a minute after the time ran out. The abnormality that these two clans created should have died forever in this world.
Half a day passed, and it was somewhere in that moment that Almin and Langrum’s wild roar sounded simultaneously. Following that, an explosion of power occurred, sweeping a dozen beasts at once. But almost instantly, another dozen took their place and advanced, closing in. They fought alone, surrounded by hundreds or more.
Loeus supported Langrum and Almin. The three were completely exhausted and had nothing left to do but face death. However, their trembling eyes, focused on the approaching beasts, refused to give up.
At that moment, the three felt strong winds coming from above and looked at the horizon. Everything was covered with black wyverns.
’They’re flying? And the volcanoes?’ Almin thought, realizing, only at that moment, that the whole environment was completely different from when they entered.
There was no more that infinite firepower, and it seemed that all the energies of this realm had been exhausted. No large volcano was erupting, and soon, none below the lava should emerge.
In a second, the sky was covered with wyverns, and they released a massive dragon’s breath.
Deafening destruction began. Almin and Langrum felt a firm hand on their backs and turned around.
"This entire realm is our training and collection field. I’m restoring your Qi. Join the clans outside the lava and keep fighting," the whale said gently, making a cold sweat run down their backs.
***
A month and a half passed quietly. During this time, an investigation took place, and the three fifth-level clans invaded the lands of the Soul Eater and Serpent Wing clans.
From the numbers of those who entered the realm of flames, it was clear that everyone from the clan had entered. Among them, even very young cultivators at the end of the Foundation Establishment Realm were present. It all indicated that it was a suicidal attempt to change the fate of the clans, even if it cost the lives of practically everyone.
With the confirmation of the disastrous and ridiculous death of all, the clans’ objective became clear: to collect the demon diagrams, which, by order of the demon emperor, were supposed to be kept within the clan. The secondary objective was to find any clues about the abnormalities presented by them.
But, to everyone’s shock, there was nothing to be found or taken. Only a giant round statue remained in the center of the clan as if mocking them.
Near the entrance to the realm of flames, not a single demon approached that place. The laws of fire were deadly for the younger ones and required the assistance of the elders and the diagram to endure. The older ones gained nothing by going there. Therefore, no demon clan cared to approach.
However, if any advisor approached a little, they would see that the entire surface of that realm, once powerful and radiating lethal energy, was now calm, and almost no fire could be felt emanating from it.
Inside, everything on the ground was now black, and all the lava and fire had extinguished. On that day, the last remnant of fire that permeated the underground was consumed, along with the last treasure that was excavated.
The whale approached slowly the two clans that awaited him with penetrating eyes of adoration. The whale felt their bodies and gains calmly. Meanwhile, Ruri fell from the sky, and they caught her, placing her gently on their shoulder. She had previously been riding and flying cheerfully on Deryu, who was now larger than Runula in its true form.
Almost all the treasures of this realm were used by the whale with tattoos to increase everyone’s cultivation as they fought tirelessly day and night. They all went through hellish training and fought at the limit nonstop. Their bodies and minds were now dense and resistant to the extreme.
During all the days within this place, the skies were intertwined with celestial lightning descending to the earth, blending with the fire; the cause of this was that practically all the half-demons were now at the end of the Heaven Stage Realm, very close to breaking through.
The demon diagram drastically helped everyone, along with the whale. But, of course, everyone only praised the divine being. A small fraction of the half-demons who were very young and still entered the realm of flames were now at the end of the Core Formation Realm.
As for the half-wyverns, they naturally had low birth rates, and there were no young ones among them; the reason for this was the unrestrained killing of the eggs by the ancient leaders. Therefore, all survivors were now between the third and fifth levels of the Elemental Condensation Realm.
The cost of all this was clear to everyone. More than half of the cultivators from both clans were buried within the realm of flames forever. And the vast majority of deaths occurred after the three days they were supposed to stay. The training they underwent was a brutal and ruthless selection.
Those who survived now had an aura that a warrior should possess; all possessed a frightening ability to fight, able to act in groups perfectly and, individually, rivaling pure demons from more powerful clans.
The whale looked into the eyes of Calirer and sensed her cultivation at the sixth level of the Elemental Condensation Realm. She was the one who rose the most, becoming the strongest cultivator among them.
By her side, Runula displayed a calm and composed demeanor. Her cultivation reached the third level of the Core Formation Realm, and she did not stand out for her speed. But the whale now had complete confidence in her leadership ability. Runula was the one who learned the most, and now everyone could trust her decisions in battle. Furthermore, her steadfast gaze toward the whale showed unwavering loyalty and faith.
The whale’s group approached with confident looks. They didn’t have demon blood, so the diagram didn’t help much.
Loeus stood upright and radiated a unique presence. His cultivation rose to the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, stopping only because his understanding was still lacking.
Meanwhile, Langrum was at the third level of the Core Formation Realm, and Almin at the fifth level. The reason? He was a lucky guy. The whale, who was at the second level of this realm, felt the bitterness of having used 90% of the QI from the treasures, and almost everything was dispersed by the array and his physical cultivation, benefiting Almin.
Ruri smiled falsely at everyone, but inside, she was equally bitter. She only ascended a single level and was at the ninth level of Qi Gathering.
The whale approached everyone and spoke, puffing, "Let’s go, we have to conquer our new home. And then prepare ourselves properly."