The teleportation array in the Larimar market glowed brightly as the whale and Mistie hurriedly appeared, quickly being led by Nebai to a private room. Along the way, all the dwarves working there had somber expressions, as if struggling to suppress intense anger.
Inside the room, Mistie wasted no time and began to speak: "The sect received a message from the heroes. The Convention of Absolute Beginning will be reopened. But this time, it will start the competition among heroic disciples to become heroes."
The whale promptly asked, "Does that mean the current heroes will leave?"
Mistie confirmed with a nod. Alm and Bruno sighed; it was about time. The heroes had promised to give all Empyreans born less than two hundred years ago a chance to advance in the ranks and then compete to become heroes. At that time, they also mentioned that all of them would depart. (Chapter 557)
"First, what is this Convention of Absolute Beginning?" the whale asked calmly.
Mistie began to explain. There’s a place in the universe known as the World of Absolute Beginning, where the first galaxy and the universe itself originated. From that point, the entire universe expanded, located at the exact center of the cosmos.
Additionally, for unknown reasons, there is a connection between the spatial laws of that place and all corners of the universe. With enough resources, a simple formation can connect any place to the World of Absolute Beginning.
The origins of this place are a mystery. The most accepted theory is that after the death of the first galaxy, the spatial laws collapsed, creating a cosmic distortion that, after millions of years, stabilized into a small world.
Life began to flourish there, and this world had the highest density of Laws in the universe, including the Law of Chaos. In the past, it was the destination of the greatest powers, seeking the most valuable treasures.
But today, none of that exists anymore. Countless eras ago, a war against an unknown enemy took place. It was during this time that the heroes first appeared, led by the Sacred Goddess, and won the war.
One of the numerous apocalyptic battles occurred in the World of Absolute Beginning, completely destroying that sacred place for cultivators.
Now, it’s a territory of absolute death, where no form of life can survive. Despite that, the destruction left countless treasures behind, most abandoned by the warriors of that battle.
Nowadays, the entry of ordinary cultivators isn’t forbidden, but no one who enters ever returns. Only the heroes have enough power to enter and leave alive, exploring the World of Absolute Beginning in search of ancient treasures.
In each generation, the heroes gift the new generation with these treasures. Then, they activate the formation of the place to create the Convention of Absolute Beginning.
"My grandparents participated in the last Convention, and our sect has records of several others. In short, it’s a testing arena for the new generation. All sects in the universe participate, and usually, dozens or even a hundred winners are awarded a supreme treasure, whether it’s a weapon, an inheritance, or something equally valuable," Mistie calmly concluded.
The whale nodded, understanding. It was a form of charity offered by the heroes, to lessen the fear that the people of the universe felt towards them. There must be other similar events scattered throughout the universe, created over time. The people of the universe couldn’t rebel because of the mental control; even though it wasn’t a direct act, it still existed. But because of this great benevolence, some gratitude would be born, making it easier for them to be manipulated.
Mistie continued, revealing the heroes’ message: two important pieces of information. First, that the Convention of Absolute Beginning would be reopened, now with disputes for karmic blessings capable of raising the rank of Empyreans. This event would be the start, and then the real competition for blessings would begin.
The second was the announcement that all the heroes of the past generation would leave. Neither Mistie nor anyone else knew the exact reason, but in every generation, the old heroes simply disappeared, and new ones emerged after that.
There are always twelve heroes per generation, but currently, there are only eleven; the last one was an arrogant young man who was killed while still having a very low cultivation. No one knew how or where it happened, and the whale’s innocent and pure face was something to envy.
A generation is equivalent to the maximum lifespan of a cultivator. In the Divine Sovereign Realm, the last divine realm, 50,000 years is the average among common races like humans. Dragons, or other races focused on vital energy, can live twice as long. But the number of years for a generation is accepted by all as 50,000 years.
In the current count of this universe, they are halfway through that time. But these eleven heroes will end the generation and leave without giving reasons.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
The future was also explained: After the Convention, all the black sealed worlds, whenever they open annually, will release pearls with karmic blessings. Other extra events across the universe will also offer this reward. Empyreans at the Ancestral level or higher will sense in advance when and where these events will occur. This will last for five thousand years until the final competition and the crowning of the new heroes.
"When will this convention take place? And what are the restrictions?" the whale asked.
Mistie quickly responded: "Only those up to the Divine Origin Realm can participate. It all starts in three months. We need to prepare the disciples quickly…"
"No need," the whale cut her off lightly. "The sect isn’t prepared to participate. Practically, the only Empyreans of the sect are in my group. You all need more time; it doesn’t make sense to send talents to die."
"But if we start behind everyone, it will snowball, and we’ll never catch up," Mistie responded, stunned.
The whale snorted. "Cultivation isn’t about who reaches the top the fastest, but who is the most stable and has the firmest heart in the Dao. Don’t worry about it. I’ll go."
"What? You’re going with your group alone?" she retorted.
The whale shook his head, saying, "No, my group will stay behind, but I won’t go alone." He turned to Nebai, who had been silent the whole time. "The dwarves are definitely going to participate, right? Something’s up."
Nebai nodded. "Some of the bigger sects got more detailed info and sold it to the followers of the God of Merchants."
Mistie sighed, fully aware that the Yinblood Sect was just one of the twenty biggest sects in the universe. The truly colossal sects enjoyed many privileges, which helped them stay at the top. She started to prepare to pay for the information, pulling out a spatial ring, but Nebai waved her off.
"Lord Denil is a disciple of the God of the Forge. This hits close to home for him, and all the dwarves," Nebai said, sighing, before giving the whale a deep look. "The rewards are meant for the hundred most outstanding youths in the universe. All of them will receive karmic blessings, but the first place gets something even more terrifying."
She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes reflecting an anger even fiercer than that of the dwarves outside. "The ultimate reward is the Earth Dragon Heavy Sword, along with a Soul Jade. These... these are the relics of the God of the Forge…"
Alm and Bruno knew all about the Soul Jade. It was similar to a Jade Slip, used to store knowledge, but in this case, it was made with the person’s soul. A Soul Jade was crafted by powerful cultivators to pass on something of immense value, accessible only to those approved by the soul’s power within. Any attempt to force it open would result in its immediate destruction.
"The informant confirmed it’s the Soul Jade of the God of the Forge; the heroes themselves said so. With his personal weapon, the Earth Dragon Heavy Sword, as part of the prize… there’s no doubt." Nebai’s voice was laced with hatred. "He didn’t leave any Soul Jade with the royal family, and he made it clear he never would. Something like this shouldn’t exist. There’s something off about this. The heroes found it in that place and are desecrating it by giving it away to others."
Shocked, Mistie quickly asked, "The God of the Forge, did he die in that battle?"
"Yes. He only had a few years left, and no one demanded or expected him to fight. But he decided he wanted to die in battle, and so he did," Nebai responded bluntly.
Alm and Bruno got the underlying message. If the dwarves hadn’t faced retaliation, it meant the God of the Forge fought alongside the heroes. But they knew the God of the Forge and that he wanted to thwart the Queen’s plans. If he fought on her side, he was planning to die for some greater purpose.
"It’s impossible to know for sure, but in that Soul Jade, we’ll likely find the answers," Bruno thought to himself.
"Sir!" Nebai spoke firmly, looking at the whale. "We have to reclaim his… the relics of the God of the Forge. Most dwarves are followers of the God of Merchants. But the God of the Forge is our greatest pride and honor. Every dwarf in the royal family will fight and die to get those items back, no matter the cost."
Alm and Bruno sighed. For the dwarves, forging and creating were their highest aspirations and joy. A dwarf who became the God of the Forge was the ultimate dream for all dwarves. The God of Merchants never had a problem with followers worshiping other deities; if he didn’t allow it, no dwarf would worship him. The God of the Forge would always be number one, no matter what another god might offer.
"You guys are crazy! Most of the dwarves are followers of the God of Merchants. You don’t even have Empyreans. This is suicide," Mistie responded, stunned.
The whale spoke calmly, "Don’t worry. I said I wouldn’t go alone. As a disciple of the God of the Forge, it’s my duty to honor my master. I’ll go with the dwarves to the convention."
"But… they don’t even know how to fight properly. They’ve just boosted their cultivation artificially. This is madness!" Mistie tried to persuade the whale earnestly. "Look, in three months we can gather a powerful group of disciples from the sect. They, along with your group, can make sure you stay on top."
"It’s already decided. I’ll only take two allies who also have a connection to this. Trust me and stay with the sect. Soon, we’ll need to fight for the karmic blessings in the sealed black worlds. The disciples should focus on cultivating with everything I’ve left here." The whale finished, and Mistie huffed in frustration.