Having entered the Upper Realms, the scene that unfolded, of blue and purple everywhere in space, was a sight to behold.
Taking notes of their surroundings, the duo could feel the difference in density of the Qi all around them.
Breathing in the dense Qi, Krysfer turned to Alexander.
"Master, is this the opportunity of this place? With the Qi being so abundant, if we had cultivated here, getting to the Star-Realm from the very bottom like we did would've been ten times faster!"
Nodding, Sophia also pondered over this the moment they entered.
"Don't overthink it, it's just more fun this way. If I wanted, I could forcefully increase your cultivation or just send you in a cultivation paradise!"
"However, I just don't like rushing something so interesting like this."
Smiling faintly, Alexander continued forward, in search of a Tier-4 World.
-----
Having found a suitable location, Alexander brought the two along, landing on a yellow and blue world.
'How lucky, not only is there a nice Tier-4 World here, but within this star's system, there is also a good Tier-5 World!'
Alexander had noticed a multicolored world not far from his current one, its peculiar mix of many colors like twinkling dots on a canvas not escaping his sight.
Landing inside a yellow colored plain, the yellow grass, tall under the dark blue sky, gave this place a strange feeling.
Clearing a few meters around them, Alexander forced the almost black stone below the dirt to emerge, forming a round platform fifty meters in diameter, only as high as a single step. Sitting at the center, Alexander indicated at them to sit as well.
After everyone was in place and listening, Alexander started explaining.
"This is a Tier-4 World, I chose it only because of its concentration of Qi. As for its name, like every other Tier-4 Worlds, it is called 'Doors of Ascension'.
"Now let's talk about the next major realm, called the Golden Core Realm. It is a bit special, even compared to the ones right after. I will talk about it after explaining the realm as it requires a bit more information to understand."
"The Golden Core Realm is divided into nine layers, three layers per stage, low, middle and upper. However the absolute peak of the ninth layer has it's own stage, the peak stage!"
"The first stage, the Essence Core Stage, will require you to temper your Dantian with the Qi here. Before, trying to better your Dantian's structure would've made your bodies perish under the weight on top of receiving the Heaven's Wrath for trying something like this below the required layer of this Universe, but now it's fine."
"The first layer is forming your essence core, the second is growing your essence core and the third layer is about condensing it!"
Putting his palm facing the sky, Alexander condensed a ball of light, representing the Dantian, before enveloping it with Qi. As the ball of light suddenly turned smaller, he made it grow thrice its size before condensing it until it became the size of a regular Dantian.
"Basically this. Your Dantian right now is very crude and not suitable for the next major realms, by the way, you can shape the walls of the Dantian how you like. But it is highly recommended to just let it be as is, though I have seen people with Dantian walls in a hexagonal structure and such. For this specific part however, this is where your reward will help!"
Waiting a few moments, letting them remember everything, he continued.
"The second stage is the Golden Core Stage, trying to reach it will cause a 'Heavenly Tribulation' to occur. Using the lightning from this tribulation to temper your Essence Core will form the Golden Core. As for the three layers, they are exactly the same as the Essence Core Stage.
For the third stage, it is refining your Golden Core, the first layer, or seventh, however you count it, will require a simple refining of your Golden Core, the one after that will ask you to temper it."
Noticing their curious gaze, he did not wait longer.
"The last two layers are kind of the easiest by their simplicity, refine and temper your Golden Core until it becomes near perfect, this is the ninth layer. As for the last, once it is perfect, then you are done!"
"At the peak of the Golden Core Realm, your Divine Sense will condense itself. While it will only have a hundred meters as its radius, it is still extremely useful! Think of it as extending your senses on top of new senses you never had to observe things. There are many possibilities with it, I am sure you will have a lot of fun trying stuff out with it."
Looking at the two, he changed tone, warning them.
"In these Upper Realms, the Golden Core Realm, while not as terrible as mortals, is still not far from it. Don't be scared of this world however, as Tier-4 Worlds only go as high as the Nascent Soul Realm. While there may be outsiders like us with a higher cultivation base, at that moment I'll just take care of them while I'm here, though I will have you guys be on your own after you reach the Half-Dao Heart Realm."
Wondering what he meant, they could only ask away.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Master, what do you mean by that?"
"I will give you a ring, inside is a large space, I will stay inside, while you guys go around trying to comprehend a Dao. I'll tell you all about it at a later date."
"Now for the little surprise. In this Universe I am sure that you understood the fact that many races existed, and while the Human Race is prevalent, some backwater places often have other races, like your native Tier-2 World. There are also some races that hide well enough to survive."
"This leads us to the 'Instinct Core' and the different races. For the Instinct Core, I will explain it later. As for the races, each race has multiple evolutions of sorts, you have humans, but inside this general term, you have low-humans, high-humans and such. You guys were high-humans, I said 'were' since, having reached the Golden Core Realm, your race has changed, as the first step toward Immortality, the Golden Core stage also modifies your race."
"You can be considered 'Half-Immortal Humans'."
"Now, now, I will tell you about the next major realm before leaving you on your own to cultivate, since it is going to take a very long time. I will do something else in the meantime."
"The one after the Golden Core Realm is the Nascent Soul Realm, I'm not going to waste my breath again on explaining how it works, figure it out yourself."
"There are four stages, that ask you to form, condense, stabilize and perfect your Nascent Soul. You guys have received enough explanation on these terms to understand. I will leave a protection here, if you leave it and die, it's not my problem!" Tossing a token at the center of the platform, a giant transparent dome, pale red, a hundred meters wide formed.
Not letting them rebuke, Alexander's figure vanished, leaving behind a few words along two bottles.
"Use these tribulation lightnings from other Grand Boundary Tribulations I gathered when you make your Essence Core."
"You guys have two hundred years to reach the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm!"
-----
Having teleported at the edges of the Lower Realms, Alexander walked past the barrier before speeding up into the yellow and green misty void.
Having found an interesting target, Alexander looked at the blue world below with a smile.
'Another one with a system... Whatever, it won't stop me from playing the mysterious old man!'
Changing his appearance to an old version of him, his silver hair turning white and grey, he did not forget to crook his posture and put on a black robe, covering his entire being except for his now creepy face.
As his laugher faded away, so did he.
Having teleported on a wide, bustling road, right in front of a giant city, its walls almost reaching thirty meters high, Alexander did not waste time.
Waving his hand, making a small wooden stall take root out of nowhere, he placed on it many different unassuming objects. After which he sat behind on a wooden chair under the shade.
Seeing the almost rotten stall on the side of the road, many passersby did not bother approaching Alexander.
After a single day and night had passed, on the morning of the second day, illuminated by the blue sky, a young man decided to try his luck.
Noticing the blonde young man in small armor looking at his items, Alexander faked being asleep.
The young man seemed to hesitate, looking at the many different ordinary weapons and small balls of something he did not want to know about.
As he was about to touch a sword he jumped in fright at Alexander's rattling voice who pointed his decaying finger to the man's left.
"Hehehe, young man! You have a bright future ahead of you! Take this peerless 'Divine Sword of Light'! While it may not seem imposing, demons will fear you while holding this, it's this powerful! I can assure you of that, it is worthy of it's price! Buying it, you won't regret it!"
Raising a brow, the blonde young man lowered his gaze, trying to find a price tag, only to find nothing! He did see price tags on other items, but not on this one somehow.
Had he known Alexander had removed it swiftly, he would have surely been angered!
"How... how much is it?" Hesitating for a bit, the young could only ask, his curiosity already trapping him inside Alexander's palm.
"Hehe, not much!"
'Not much? Didn't you say it was worthy of it's price? Yet you boasted about its power just a minute ago! Is this a scam?!'
Locking on the young man's body, Alexander let out a creepy smile for his target to see.
"Well... don't you have a nice breastplate! Hihihi!"
Hearing the evil laughter, the young man shivered before stealing a glance at the ordinary sword, that now shined with pure holiness!
'Dumbass, think I'll let my prey flee?! Look, look!! Admire this magnificent holy light that I just made! You want it don't you? I know you do! Buy this ordinary sword accentuated by my yellow light! This is a real lightsaber that just happen to not do anything special!' Eagerly looking at the poor young man, Alexander made sure to make the sword as enticing as possible.
"I-I'll buy it! Yes! Here!" Removing his breastplate, the young man gave it to the creepy Alexander, who immediately handed the sword over to him.
"Good choice! You won't regret it! You are the chosen one!"
'That just lost a breastplate for an ordinary sword that is now fucking bright as hell! Let's see you try and be stealthy with this shit! Hahaha!'
Not letting his laugh show, Alexander simply waited for his next customer in silence.
Luckily, having gotten a deal as proof of his goods, it only took a few minutes for a young man and woman with fur and animal ears to walk up to him.
'Lowly races again... Hmph! I already know what to give you guys... hehehe!' Scheming in his mind in front of the two inferior beings, Alexander simply smiled like a creepy rat, his sparse teeth showing.
Waving his hand at his goods, he looked at them.
"You two, you have a great destiny ahead of you! But, unfortunately..." Stopping right before the climax of his pitch, Alexander left his bait patiently for them to bite onto.
Being young and naïve in a world devoid of communication artifacts or machinery, the two had no choice but to fall into his trap.
"W-W-What d-do you m-m-mean?" Stuttering from nervousness, the young woman asked Alexander, clearly curious at the old man's words.
"Yes, please tell us! We are willing to pay!" The young man jumped in blind as well, trusting the young woman.
'Damn, I thought they were dumb but that's on a whole new level... Time to give the finishing blow I guess...'
"Ohohoh! Don't worry young ones! This is free, yes of course! I would not go and take away from our future heroes! While you have a great destiny, you unfortunately lack strength! So, let this old man gift you these, they are 'Absolute Divine Mega Powerful Body Secret Medicine of Supreme Might!'" He proceeded to show them his open palm, on it, two small, brown, medicinal pills.
Alexander smiled at them with kindness.
'Also known as the 'Infernal Diarrhea Poison Pill'! Capable of even crushing the spirit of Saint Emperor Realm cultivators!'
"Woooooaaaaah~!"
With eyes shining stars inside of them, the two could only believe such credible words and accept his 'gifts'.
Seeing them run away with the goods, he released his Divine Sense.
Smiling at the sight of the two eating his pills, Alexander laughed for everyone to hear on the road before he and his stall disappeared like a mirage in mere moments, his fading laughter echoing around.
'Take this you lowly inferior beings! Feel the pain of living inside my human race's territory! Hahaha!'
'Nothing is free in this world, not even pain!'
Flying in space, Alexander's handsome figure headed straight ahead, his Instinct Core, right above his magnificent World Core, glowing happily from his nefarious deed.