Around two minutes later, I gained enough distance from them that the three Transcendents now looked like tiny dots chasing behind me.
It's not that they're slow, but I got a headstart when they started bickering towards each other.
I'm new to this world and although I already adapted to the Source Energy, flying in here wasn't as smooth as when I was in a Mortal World. It's like I'm swimming against the wave. Parting it to allow me to continue demanded more Energy Control than normal.
Through this, I'm starting to understand the nature of a higher world and my earlier guesses about this Energy as something hard to control despite being a Transcendent was proven.
Thankfully my unlucky stroke stopped. However, I shouldn't count this as me being safe. I still need to lose them on my tail and wait somewhere near that Portal.
That way, I will be able to enter it without being detected. I shouldn't stay too long in this world. It's already a mistake to jump in without thinking it through. If I also stay here for more than what I intended to, not only will those girls worry, they might also fall under a disadvantage against those Transcendents. I need to go back soon to even out the playing field and ultimately close the connection of the World of Elements to this world.
Since I was already away from the hill where the Portal was located, the terrain below me also changed. The lush greenery filled with all sorts of plants that silently grow there changed to a forest where pine-like trees whose leaves were redder than blood grew.
After extending my Transcendent senses in there, numerous beasts instantly filled it, some of which were beasts I already encountered when a Dark Beastmaster summoned them.
Luckily, every beast which entered my sight and senses was all below the Transcendent Rank in strength. Sending out my Transcendent Aura was enough to freeze their steps or whatever idea that appeared in their minds against a newcomer trespassing their territory.
"Now this feels a bit nostalgic. Although it hasn't been long since that time, I couldn't help but remember how I was also chased by a bunch of Metagen, Pentacom and Darkgen."
I shook my head as I muttered to myself.
In the end, I successfully lost those chasing after me and reached my destination, the Scorched Forest, where I met Dannae and called for the Door of Transcendence.
Well, since I remembered it, let's do the same tactic as I did before. I could create more clones now which will confuse these guys better. However, at that time, I didn't use the Totem to increase the Clones' prowess. Since I was still a Mortal Back then, even if I used the Totem, with a lot of them chasing me, it wouldn't matter whether the clones were strong or not.
Now, however, there are only three. Although I'm a bit confident with that tactic, I still have to exercise caution and plan another step in case it failed. Let's have them face Totem-enhanced Clones first and think about the next step after that.
Phantasmic Doppelganger!
Filling up the Totem with Flux Energy, a Transcendent Clone was conjured ten seconds later which instantly turned around and flew towards the three dots following behind me.
I only sneaked a glance at it but as soon as they saw the clone, they easily saw through its nature. Leaving one Transcendent to hold it down, the two dots continued their chase.
Well, it's not like I can only make one.
Repeating the process two more times, in less than a minute, the first two dots already left my sight and the last one was also soon to follow.
They thought about holding the clone down, in the end, they were the ones being held down by it, gaining more distance between me and them.
Bringing my attention back to the front, I continued on my way and conjured two more twenty seconds later which went on to reinforce the clones.
Before leaving the area, I looked through each of the clone's eyes and saw how those three expertly fought against them.
Expertly, right.
Although the clones conjured using the Totem have at least 80% of my current base power, they couldn't overpower those Dark World Transcendents.
Well, except the last one that was facing against three Transcendent Clones.
With all of the skills they could use, the clones surrounded that Transcendent and didn't even let him move from his spot.
And that Transcendent was the guy commanding and shouting earlier. Compared to his confident look earlier, he's now in a worse state than the other two.
He could only dodge against the continuous barrage of the three clones and even with that, the armor protecting his body was turned to scrap. And that led to numerous wounds to start covering his body.
Taking my mind off them, I continued flying for a minute more and successfully left the blood-red pines' forest and entered a new area.
Surprisingly, after the greens and the reds that I passed through, this new area was a rocky ridge without any greenery in sight. It reminded me of the World of Barbarian, except that everything was scorched-black like charcoal. Apart from new types of beasts scurrying here and there, killing each other for food, there's also no apparent danger.
Now that I lost my tail, I needed a place to digest what I gained and think about what to do next. Also… this will also be a time to complete my breakthrough to the fourth realm.
Although it will just be one breakthrough, the change in realm will bring me more benefits than I could hope for.
Let me be this optimistic and hope for my base strength to approach Rank 2 Transcendent!
As I was thinking about that, I landed on one of the hidden caverns which I found through my senses. Chasing out the beasts occupying it, I closed the cavern off with a boulder I broke and molded through the use of Earth Elemental Energy.
And with my Energy Control, I weaved the surrounding Dark Energy in this place and made a screen to block off prying Transcendent Aura that might pass.
Although I made several layers of it, I still couldn't feel safe. I'm still near the Portal. The chasers will surely resume their search for me once the clones' duration ends.
Before I entered the cavern, I once again looked through a clone's eyes and found more Rank 1 Transcendents arriving to reinforce those who were chasing after me.
Those Transcendents weren't at the Portal which meant that whoever was coming after me already arrived. I still don't know who that Blade Monarch is and his purpose. If I could guess, it might concern how I stopped the World's Will from summoning my consciousness. It probably sent that one to catch me.
I don't know how strong a titled Transcendent will be but I really have no choice but to try and gamble in this cavern. I can see that there will be no end to this chase since the World's Will is not on my side. I'm just a mere Rank 1 Transcendent and someone who hasn't finished the Mortal Pathways yet. My only chance is to go back to that Portal and jump back in as soon as possible. Breaking through to the 4th Realm will surely increase the chances of me doing that.
After making sure that the layers of screen were all stable, I sat down in lotus position and took out all of the remaining tanks filled with Dark Energy from the Necklace.
"Well then, here goes."
Opening the tank and releasing the stored Dark Energy, my Energy Control instantly caught everything in it and condensed the Dark Energy into numerous clouds which filled the cavern I am in.
Activating the Energy Zone on top of me, the clouds of Dark Energy condensed further which gathered on top of my head.
Slowly, without the need to convert it again, the Dark Energy started to be passively absorbed into my body and continued to fill up my Mortal Pathway.
Since it stopped at the point before breaking through back in that Dimensional Passageway it only needed a few minutes of absorbing before the Dark Energy turned Flux Energy overflowed the dam preventing my breakthrough.
And when that happened, the cavern started to be stirred through the intensity of my Transcendent Aura which opened by itself.
And soon after that, the five Rivers of my Spirit Pathway were also unconsciously conjured and started revolving around me. Each of them glittering brightly as more Spirit Energy produced from changing the form of my Flux Energy were continuously being absorbed by them.
Just like what happened when Yumiko broke through to Noble Spirit Realm, my body slowly transformed into my Energy Incarnate Form. My hair grew longer than how it was and my clothes changed into the pure-white robes which fluttered freely increasing my Energy Control and everything concerning it.
Gradually, the revolving Rivers sped up and absorbed more Spirit Energy to duplicate themselves. And through the continuous flow of Spirit Energy that was being absorbed by both my body and the Rivers, the locks that were preventing me from becoming a Noble Spirit were all simultaneously broken.
When the five Rivers successfully duplicated themselves, all ten Rivers rose up high above my head coalescing at a single point to create that single drop of purely condensed Spirit Energy.
The stirring of the cavern seemingly paused at that moment. However, just a few seconds later, the single drop of Spirit Energy expanded into a wide sea which blanketed the place with occasional whirlpools which parted the remaining Dark Energy, pushing them to the side.
Slowly, that wide sea above my head slowly fluttered down covering my whole body that was currently in Energy Incarnate Form.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m