Chapter 71: Preparations Of A Lifetime (2)
Later in the day, Akasha and Melvin finally returned to Dreamer’s Peak.
The moment they stepped into the vast open field just beyond the mountain’s base, the air shifted — thick with the rich scent of blooming herbs, fresh earth, and the faint, sweet aroma of the Golden Apple Tree in the distance.
The Academy of Veils members were scattered across the field, each one seated in deep cultivation.
Their bodies remained still, but the faint glow around them revealed the truth — they were all immersed within their personalized Cultivation Rooms, with their consciousness pulled into trials crafted specifically for their Stars.
Yume and Luna appeared almost instantly in soft shimmers of purple and pink light.
Luna’s eyes immediately locked onto Akasha, a clear hunger burning in her gaze that she was visibly trying to suppress.
Her lips parted slightly, her breathing a touch heavier than usual as she took him in.
Yume floated forward beside her, gentle as always, her bright smile warm enough to soften the air around her.
"You took quite a while," Luna teased, voice carrying a playful lilt even as her eyes lingered on him with barely contained desire.
"Spending all that time... leaving hints and cleaning up your trail... we were starting to wonder if you got lost in time again."
Yume giggled softly, her purple hair drifting like silk.
"Or maybe being mysterious is Master’s new hobby."
They both knew the truth.
After his battle with the youngest ancestor, Akasha hadn’t left immediately. He had spent hours combing through the Academy, ensuring every trace of his presence was accounted for — and leaving behind his signature note.
"Lord Dream, did it."
Akasha gave a small nod at their teasing, expression calm and composed. Inside, though, he sent a quiet thought to Luna.
’Miss Luna~ We’ll have our fun soon. But first, I need more power,’ he told her, sensing all too well that she was on the verge of throwing herself at him.
Honestly, he couldn’t blame her—it had been quite some time since they’d last satisfied each other’s needs.
’Give me a few weeks to get things stabilized. Everything’s becoming chaotic far too quickly.’
Luna’s lips curved into a sweet smile at his words. ’Love don’t worry about me. I understand perfectly,’ she replied, punctuating it with a playful wink.
’But just so you know... I’m not letting you off easily next time.’
Hearing those words, Akasha couldn’t stop a small smile from spreading across his face.
Still keeping his attention on the matter at hand, he called out, his voice ringing clearly across the open field.
"Number One."
In an instant, the Guardian emerged from a flicker of shadow, dropping into a deep bow before him.
Without any formalities, Akasha spoke.
"Give me an update on their progress."
Number One rose, his masked face giving nothing away.
"A few hours ago, Harlan, the Peak Masters, Amber, and Tyron all advanced to the next major rank."
He paused for a moment, then continued with a hint of hesitation in his tone. "However... I believe their progress is entirely too slow compared to Melvin’s."
Akasha nodded, his gaze drifting toward the mountain.
"Well, that’s not bad." He muttered, "Considering they are not receiving the full benefits of Dreamer’s Peak."
He didn’t offer any further explanation.
Instead, he started making his way toward the peak, with Melvin following silently a few steps behind and Luna and Yume walking on either side of him.
As they continued forward, Akasha cast a quick glance at Number One.
"Stay alert. I’ll summon you again before long."
As they walked up the stone path leading toward the mountain, Amber — who had been deep in cultivation — briefly opened her eyes.
Her warm brown gaze lingered on Akasha for a moment, a small, curious smile playing on her lips.
’He really is something else... I wonder what he’s truly like.’
She closed her eyes again and returned to her training, the faint blush on her cheeks hidden by the glow of her cultivation.
---
When they finally reached the top of the peak, the view was just as breathtaking as always.
With the stone paths branched out in three directions, leading to lush gardens filled with glowing God Rank herbs on one side, and a dense forest canopy on the other that eventually connected to the majestic Golden Apple Tree.
Akasha stopped for a moment, a small, satisfied smile forming on his lips.
For the past ten years since being on Kalpa, he had been moving at a moderate pace — slowly uncovering things as time went on.
But now...
It was time to go all in.
’In just a month, the second phase starts... and if I’m going to set foot on the Underside, I need real power.’ He mused internally.
Although he could hold his own in battles far above his rank... he didn’t want to waste time plotting mid-fight.
What he wanted was raw strength—enough that planning became pointless—and he had everything he to get there.
Turning to Melvin, he said calmly but firmly.
"Rest for a few hours. When I come back out, we’ll train together until you hit God King rank at the very least."
Melvin nodded quietly, removing the Dreamer’s Mask and offering it back to Akasha.
But Akasha simply smiled and shook his head.
"Keep it. Think of it as a gift."
Melvin’s eyes widened slightly, but he accepted the mask with both hands, bowing his head in gratitude.
With that, Akasha, Luna, and Yume headed for the Tree House. Once inside, Akasha sat cross‑legged in the center of the room, closed his eyes, and drifted into Dream Land.
The moment Akasha appeared in Dream Land, Luna and Yume materialized gracefully beside him, their forms shimmering with soft divine light.
In the distance, Akasha’s True Self stood tall, just finishing the conquest of the Tier 14 land. The battlefield around him dissolved into peaceful, glowing mist as the last remnants of chaos were swept away.
A soft surge of power rippled through the entire Dream Land as Akasha ranked up once more.
[You have ranked up.]
[Rank - God Emperor, Tier 14]
[+5,000 Divinity]
[You have unlocked Emperorship’s Authority]
Akasha smiled, his voice carrying across the realm with calm authority.
"Alright... stop holding back. Clear as much as you can in a month."
His True Self didn’t respond with words.
He simply smiled — a perfect mirror of Akasha — before turning and stepping into the Fifteenth Tier land without hesitation.
The battlefield beyond the wall shimmered as he entered, ready for another round of restoration.
Yume smiled wryly, her purple hair drifting gently as she looked at the shifting lands.
"Master, at most... we may reach the Star Union rank. Ranking up will need more than just restoring order in Dream Land at that point."
Akasha nodded, already well aware of what he needed to do. Without another word, he began to dream something new into existence — a God Ranked Array and a Pool.
-----
[Time Acceleration Array (God) (Tier 14) - This array creates a domain where time flows two times faster within the user’s Divine Sense radius while simultaneously boosting cultivation speeds by five times for anyone inside.]
[Pool of Duplication (God) (Tier 14) - A sacred pool that duplicates any item or artifact placed within it by ten times the original amount entered.]
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