I woke up in the transcendence area. As I had collapsed the previous transcendence universe, I was in a new universe, yet the planet was the same. The clock ticked at the edge of my vision.

I blanketed the large planet in mana. It took 1/3 of my pool, but within 5 seconds, I had enough mana on the planet to levitate everything easily, including the fact that things spaced out. I added twenty billion extra mana just in case. I then lifted all the mana up, condensed hard enough to move the objects up.

A golden light appeared over the planet, carrying everything on the planet on top of it. It was almost as good as the statue that had been erected on the thousandth Sasomac Day.

I was teleported out of the challenge. This time, because it was easier, and I was on a level 200 planet, nothing had really changed. I had just gained a massive power up to the transcendence skill. The cage of hammers was updated to level 90, and it now had a second and third part.

For the second part, about half my mana pool would be changed into offensive light mana, which came out of those hammers in equal mana beams. The final part was that another hammer would come down from the sky and hit the enemy with level 95 force.

It was a transcendence fitting of an Emperor.

I appeared in a room with a shadow demon. He looked more imposing than ever before. He was pure shadow, with slits for eyes. Red claws, stained with blood, jutted out of his nails, along with similar spines on his back. He loomed 20 feet tall.

Ylmthar.

"Shit."

I teleported back, and clicked my ring.

I cast a beam of light mana. A beam of dark mana quickly hit it with pure physical force. The light mana was corrupted. To keep the beam away, I'd have to sacrifice my whole mana pool in a second.

I used mana only to purify it. It didn't work, though.

I blocked with my hammer. The beam forced my hammer back. I knew it would hit me, so I tried using my Mandate Phrase. "I squash your life, and I reap your death."

The same power rushed through my limbs, but it barely helped against the level 200's mana.

I teleported to the side, the dark mana blowing a hole through the room, causing an explosion. A bit of dust hit my face hard, blowing a hole through my helmet.

The last thing I saw before passing out was a golden human teleporting in.

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I was just working on the eight anchor chain. It was taking way too long, but that was a good thing. Once all nine anchor chains were complete, I would be able to move past level 200. Only 7 needed to be formed for level 195, but there needed to be nine for levels 200-225.

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The seven emotion chains were formed, and the light chain was coming along nicely. Would probably be done within ten trillion years. Hopefully Ylmthar didn't form the dark chain! Then, the entire side would be done.

I wondered how my Chosen was doing. It had been nine years, almost time to check what progress he made. I had felt some weak fluctuations of energy from that room. Maybe he had done the transcendence, but I'd check later.

I felt a tug on my ring. The energy fluctuations in the room turned to the dark side.

I blasted a hole through the fabric of the realm, being careful not to kill my followers by plugging the hole besides when I came through, then fixing the hole. I flew through the void as fast as possible.

I purposely hadn't told Tighyt about the holes. I had told him it had happened four times, but there were other times. A level 200 could tear a hole in reality, allowing them to leave their realm and enter the void. It happened a lot. It was because if I told him, he'd speed run levels, probably dying.

The only reason it was really used was either to travel between realms, or for something a bit more complicated.

There existed three tiers of realms. There was a tier 1 realm, which was for people from level 1 to 100. People of higher levels could go into those realms, but they didn't usually, as mana was too thin, and it seemed suffocating, like a level 0 in outer space. A level 200 could cross one in less than a second, so it didn't matter.

A tier 2 realm was for level 100-200, and could be ascended to. They were pretty common. A level 200 could cross one in less than 10 seconds.

A tier 3 realm was for levels 200-300, and where we cultivated. It couldn't be ascended to, and a level 200 would need a nonillion years of running to cross one, more when you factored in fights. People ran though the void to cross those, a lot like the child crossed planets of his level: by leaving.

Within a few seconds, I was at the gate to brother's realm. I tore into the fabric of the realm, breaking right into Ylmthar's palace. I knocked out the weak level 150 sentries. Within a second, I saw a beam of shadow coming out from a vault.

I blocked the beam. I ran into the vault, and saw one of the wall splinters knock Tighyt out.

I stared at Ylmthar. I tried to be humble with the life human form, but this was no time for humility.

I switched my body form back into the original shape.

I stood twenty feet tall, with large muscles. I pulled out my retractable claws. Good. They were working.

I summoned my stave. A golden rod, fifteen feet tall, stood at my side. The essence of life stood on the end. The grip shined gold.

I said, "Brother. Enough of this. Turn good, or I will be forced to kill you, Ylmthar."

"The true darkness ends light."

"Poor True Transcendence. The light shall prevail over darkness."

The green gem on my stave glowed brightly.

I forced my mana into it. The light would prevail.

Ylmthar shot a beam at me, with the pure shadow channeling the realm. A beam of gold light shot out of the green end of my stave. I summoned a shield over the child. It should shield him from collateral damage.

Ylmthar was winning. I drew on the Realm of Light. I would not lose.

Something clicked into place. Each of the chains required 108 links. I had 107 links.

The final link, the hardest, linking me to the chain, snapped in place.

"I am the embodiment of light."

Now I had all 108 links. I could call on light. Now, the chain was truly connected to me. The image I had figured out a long time ago, but now I had the phrase. Now I just needed the binding chain, with only 8 links, to reach level 225.

I drew on my full power. The chain was complete. I drew on the realm of light.

I repeated the thousands of phrases I had to make me more powerful. I started to beat the oppressive aura.

At the last minute, brother tore a hole into the void. With the space dilatation there, he escaped.

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I woke up, my head feeling fine. Almthar was in front of me, with a stave out. It seemed to repress the environment.

"This is quite something. Here, I'll take us home."