Ruri and the whale’s vision darkened as if they had both plunged into a river of black waters. Only the sensation of space around pushing them in one direction remained. This lasted only a few minutes until light suddenly entered their eyes, and their vision was filled with intense colors.
They were floating in a vast emptiness, and ahead of them was a colossal golden sphere. Given the distance they were at, that sphere should have been the size of a small planet. However, it didn’t emit a physical presence; instead, multiple layers of laws and Qi circulated around it, bringing a suffocating feeling.
"It’s a gigantic unique formation..." the whale murmured softly, and Ruri on its back sighed in shock.
They glanced around to check where they were. Everything seemed to be like the common spatial void of universes. However, there was no sign of Yang coming from stars or galaxies; it was the purest natural Yin, bringing extremely indecipherable laws to Alm and Bruno. But, something seemed to repel these laws, preventing them from contaminating them.
’We’re definitely in the underworld.’ Alm confirmed. Then, he noticed countless small spatial ripples everywhere and looked back.
Just behind them, he saw something cylindrical that resembled a black door, almost imperceptible to senses and eyes. When sensing that door, he recognized a faint feeling of laws coming from it.
’That is a passage to the universe we were in,’ Bruno confidently conveyed mentally. ’But it’s closed for those on the inside.’
Alm felt everything more broadly thanks to the natural Yin of the environment and spoke, ’There are infinite doors like that everywhere, all of them are passages to other universes. All of this is something unnatural, just like this formation in front of us.’
[Main mission initiated]
[Overcome the Realm of the Heavens and retrieve the three roots of universal life.]
[Main reward: Cultivation at the Heaven Stage Unlocked.]
[Extra Reward 01: 40 upgrade points.]
[Extra Reward 02: One or more ’completely random’ bonus chests, depending on performance.]
Alm and Bruno quickly read the green screen in front of them. Then, without delay, both pondered over the summary of the quest. The screen then appeared, asking for confirmation, which was immediately accepted.
[This place is known as the ’Realm of the Heavens.’ It was built by the queen with her own hands millions of years ago. Her intentions were to make this place her training academy for her future heroes. The level of challenge is immensely proportional to the benefits, but only a small amount comes out alive to enjoy it.]
[Since the underworld is a place connected to all universes, all locations under the queen’s dominion have been connected. And every year, about a million future heroes are forcibly summoned to this place.]
[Thousands of life roots stolen from other universes were used to sustain this place, and in the final test, a life tree formed with these roots blesses the hero. Win the test, destroy the tree, and return all life to the glory of the Heaven’s Will!]
’Hero academy... great, this must be an important place for her. And it’s filled with heroes to kill,’ Alm muttered sinisterly.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
Bruno sighed, sharing the same dark sentiments. He had no intention of letting any hero leave alive, and this was the perfect opportunity to destroy everything. Soon, they both felt Ruri descend from their backs and grab their arms with an apprehensive look.
Then Bruno spoke calmly. "This entire place is a training formation. Everyone inside possesses the same power you and Almin gained."
"The divine power..." Ruri murmured thoughtfully. "So the master’s enemy, the one who tried to dominate me and Almin, built this?"
Bruno nodded in agreement, and Ruri quickly understood, picking up on their feelings. Shortly after she acquired the hero’s power when they returned from prison, they vaguely discussed the ’divine power’ granted to her by another person seeking to dominate her completely. However, they removed its influence while retaining some of the benefits for her.
"Everyone inside is our enemy, and we have to finish this place in one day. We can’t waste time, and we can’t show mercy to anyone, or Calirer will die."
The whale spoke sternly, and Ruri nodded without hesitation. Quickly, they floated forward towards that golden place.
With only their will to enter, the formation of the place seemed to respond, and a gravitational force began pulling them towards that place, sucking them in at an ever-increasing speed. Despite the considerable distance, in less than five minutes, they were almost touching the golden aura of the place.
Then the formation seemed to halt them there, and soon a robotic voice echoed for both of them.
"Two chosen identified... The entire Realm of the Heavens..." The voice began a welcoming explanation that was completely irrelevant until the end. "One of the chosen has cultivation below the parameters. Do you wish to form a hero and companion group and initiate the test?"
Alm and Bruno narrowed their eyes; very little relevant information was given to those about to take the test. And it seemed heroes and their companions were trained together? Things were different from what the system told them. But it didn’t matter much. They just needed to gather information from the people inside; they didn’t have time to waste.
So, they simply answered positively, and a golden light covered the whale and Ruri. Soon, they felt a subtle connection forming between them, and the whale that responded to the question seemed to be the center of this connection, making Ruri the companion of the hero when it should have been exactly the opposite.
In the next second, an opening appeared in front of them, and they were quickly pulled inside.
The scenery before them abruptly transformed, as if they had crossed a portal to another universe. They found themselves in a blue-toned environment, bathed in a celestial natural light, as if hovering in the skies of a distant planet. Gravity began to act, guiding them gently in a slow descent.
This new location had a familiar atmosphere, resembling the skies of Earth, but there was no solid ground. As they descended, they glimpsed in the distance three imposing mounds of land, like floating islands. Each of them was elevated relative to the others, emanating different and unique sensations. Thus, they continued their descent until they noticed a fourth island below them.
Although it was the lowest and starting point of the place, its expanse was equivalent to the size of a medium-sized country on Earth. The entire journey took half an hour, and finally, they descended gently onto a floating island surrounded by a lush tropical forest.
The energy there was pure, and the nature of the island dazzled with its beauty. As they descended, they spotted in the center of the island a majestic golden palace, radiating an indescribable power. It was evident that this was the path to overcoming the challenge of this place, and everything indicated that there were three other challenges on the other islands to be faced.
While the whale and Ruri took deep breaths in the midst of the lush vegetation, Alm and Bruno immediately felt their bodies being invaded. It was as if a tide of energy was filling every space within them. Turning to Ruri, they noticed her expression softening, full of vitality. Confirming their own condition, they understood what was happening.
"This entire place is immersed with the three powers of life: Mental, spiritual, and vital energy." They explained gently to Ruri, who felt her body being renewed, and her soul was instantly restored.
"The formation of this place is directing the three powers directly into our bodies. This means our life force will never diminish here... This test was designed for heroes never to age while staying here."
’Not only that.’ Alm communicated mentally. ’The Qi inside seems to refuse to settle in the body for cultivation, just like when we tried to cultivate without completing the system’s quest. In this place, you can’t break through levels, forcing everyone to develop their skills instead of their cultivation. Enemies must always be of a higher level, making challengers step out of their comfort zone to rise.’
Ruri nodded in understanding, admiring the place. Then, Alm and Bruno used their souls to check the maximum distance from this place. Soon, they felt a significant fluctuation a few kilometers away. It seemed to be a fight.
"Let’s go. We need to gather more information and advance quickly. We now have 23 hours to complete everything." The whale spoke, and Ruri quickly jumped on its back. Soon, they ran in that direction at full speed.