***

Eren felt confident after attaching the treasures to his Existence. Although the sect had given him many treasures and broadened his understanding of them, these items were extraordinary in a different aspect. Each one contained a dimension filled with specific utilities. Whether it was for housing, training, weaponry, or transportation throughout the Empire, everything was so meticulously organized that he felt like he was in heaven, even in the atmosphere of Planet Animara, gazing at their landing destination.

He also had many questions about the warnings, such as using a weapon from the armory to end a world. What could go wrong if he used them for such purpose? Wasn’t it just the end of a world? Why give a warning, he wondered. It’s not like he was going to do it for laughs. If his intentions were to end a world, he would use it. The warnings didn’t explain much, and he supposed he could only understand them if he ever used the weapons that could do it.

Now, the problem was the current moment. He was about to go skydiving for the first time, and he was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? He had played some games related to space warfare, but this was different. So what if it was a ninety-nine percent real-life simulation? It wasn’t one hundred percent, and nothing could change that fact.

And that one percent was what troubled him. Would his Mana-tempered body suffer or encounter problems? It shouldn’t, but he worried anyway. Not like he was going to die, even if he tried. It was just that it wouldn’t be cool to make a mess of himself with the ladies around.

“Brighten up,” Arslan said. Eren forced a smile and nodded. Unfortunately, his uncle wasn’t the most understanding when it came to fear and anxiety. Eren even guessed it was a foreign feeling to him.

“Just worrying about the world,” Eren replied, keeping it nice and simple. He didn’t want to be compared to the legendary coward of the Empire. Not that anyone voiced it that way, but he couldn’t think of a better term.

“You’re worrying even after receiving those items? I don’t have them, and I’m still not worried.” That struck Eren hard. “Why don’t you have them?”

Arslan sighed, ran his hand through his hair, and answered, “My Existence is too filled for my age. Even though my bloodline expands my Existence each day, the rate isn’t enough. A shattered divinity is already enough to break most mortals. I can fill a world with my Innate Energy, yet it’s only enough to run this damn body.” Eren was dumbstruck by the explanation. Enough energy to fill a world...just to make his body function? He could hardly fill the capital city, Ephesus, even if he expelled all the energy inside him.

“And no, it doesn’t bring me any other benefit.” That must be tough. Eren could gather energy as much as he could face tribulation. He absorbed Mana at certain levels, and with his 8th stage Mana cultivation, it was barely enough to fill Ephesus City. This triggered his last tribulation, making neutral Mana his own. This cycle had repeated ever since his first absorption when he birthed Mind Spark with the knowledge of Mana. There was still the 9th stage to achieve, and looking at the lightning striking him and the Mana inside his body integrating, it would take more time to reach it. The Immortal Realm would require him to absorb nearly the same amount of Mana as Arslan’s current Innate Energy, yet that was the Immortal stage, not Mortal.

Then there was the matter of being able to manipulate that energy. Without being able to manipulate energy, whether it was Mind Energy, Innate Energy, or Mana, progression usually stalled. It was a nightmare for most since they couldn’t let the energy get out of control without facing severe consequences. Rarely would anyone try to breakthrough quickly just for this.

“Don’t worry about me,” Arslan said. “I have a long road ahead. I’ve already reached the limit, and I’ll breakthrough after Phase One ends. I don’t need to gather energy to reach Immortality, unlike you. So go worry about yourself.”

Eren nodded half-heartedly. He knew that if his uncle’s Existence was already bloated, it was impossible to birth an Immortal Seed. It wouldn’t form without time to expand his Existence.

***

However, Arslan had already made preparations. He had his bloodline and two babies in his wife’s womb. If Kaplan benefited Arslan with his birth, two more would surely bring even more. Although his intentions were never to take advantage of this situation, it was clear Derin didn’t think so. She wasn’t crazy enough to get pregnant wantonly, not knowing how long she would carry them when war started. He appreciated her thinking about him, and maybe also about herself and the benefits this could bring, but he hoped there wouldn’t be any regrets.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Arslan’s answer brought self-awareness, and he wondered if Derin had ever shared the same thoughts as him. He knew she had changed much after she switched Paths and Kaplan’s birth, but she still had a mysterious mind that baffled him. His bloodline was dangerous, and sometimes he wondered if bringing more children with it was wise. But what could go wrong? A few more monsters in the cosmos were never a problem, let alone the whole Existence he couldn’t begin to imagine. There was also the method they had acquired to prevent the same thing that happened to Kaplan from repeating. He still regretted that his son couldn’t show his talents to the world.

Arslan squeezed his fist hard. He was motivated again. Not because he needed strength, but because, why the hell not?

“Let’s go!” Arslan jumped without looking back, leaving everyone dumbfounded. Weren’t they supposed to make plans? Selena maintained a poker face, but the others had wide, round eyes.

He fell to earth at a constant speed, and when he entered the atmosphere, there was an explosive sound generated from the world reacting to a being with energy levels that could disrupt its function. This was not the Shattered Continent, which could survive under even a Divine’s presence.

Others followed him, creating similar effects, except for Eternal Selena. Space and time of the cosmos didn’t affect those at her level.

Arslan, on the other hand, focused on the terrain below, calculating where to land. Their target was a forest with numerous cave entrances, and he aimed to find the right spot. It took him a few seconds to locate it. It was a mountain with forests covering its lower levels, with their target being the peak obscured by clouds.

The more he fell, the more the world embraced him with force, creating resistance he had grown accustomed to throughout his life. The more powerful a being became, the more they felt constricted by everything. He didn’t like the feeling, but using force to negate these natural forces wouldn’t be smart, as they could guide a cultivator. Unconsciously, Arslan had already gathered enough data about this world to replicate a simulation with ten percent accuracy. However, he didn’t focus on his Mind Spark to retain this information, allowing it to slowly fade away. It was good for training his mind, but it would be useless to keep it. Even though ordinary mortals have potentially infinite long-term memory, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy to retain everything. When he reached the 4th stage of the Immortal Realm, Eternal Vigilance, and gained Mental Independence, he would consider keeping information freely.

Now, he focused on the growing mountain peak in his vision. At first, it was the size of a speck of dust, then a fist, and then close to his size. Only now did it look like a mountain. He concentrated on his Innate Energy, controlling his momentum, and steering closer with superb control of external forces. It had become natural to navigate at this point.

As he neared the peak, he angled his body to avoid breaking through the mountain, reducing his momentum and slowing his speed.

Those behind watched this with wide eyes. Mortals could fly, sure, but not like this. He didn’t even use air to glide or Mana to help him regulate the world’s forces. He bent reality with his Innate Energy, something possible only with an unimaginable knowledge of worldly forces. Innate Energy was omnipotent, no doubt about it, but using it to automate something at a micro level was foreign to them. Usually, those with this much knowledge were already at late stages of the Immortal Realm, and they would typically manipulate their Existence to achieve similar feats.

Eren, Mortelle, and Stella compared Arslan and Selena, unable to decide who was more elegant. Arslan seemed to do everything with confidence, while Selena did it with ease. Meanwhile, they used their own developed methods. Stella clung to Mortelle’s shoulder, while Mortelle used Mana to touch her Existence, moving similarly to how Arslan traveled in a space vacuum. Eren, however, was on his Dao Treasure, a sword that had never left his side, much like a Life Treasure.

However, the difference was that his sword wasn’t attached to his Existence, but to his understanding of it. As a Dao Cultivator, he focused not on knowledge but on understanding. What was a sword? To an ordinary mortal, it was a tool for killing. To him, it was his partner, a shield, a way to interact with the world, and lastly was it a sword. The more he understood the methods it could be used for, the more his Sword Intent would rise, creating a profound aura similar to Innate Energy, yet without its diversity. However, he could always comprehend different aspects beyond the sword.

At last, Arslan bent his knees and touched down right at the peak, blowing dust everywhere. However, he sensed something and looked up to see Selena deforming in a way that within a moment, she was between him and something else. Selena transformed to her original self, holding an ankle that belonged to a humanoid child? The childlike humanoid was male, and the fact that Arslan slammed through rocks and fell a few peaks just from impact to someone else indicated he was anything but Mortal.