The next morning arrived quickly bringing with it a clear sky as warm sunlight illuminated Avalon while a gentle breeze swept through the gardens surrounding Arthur's residence.
Unlike previous departures where he had often left quietly without attracting attention, this time everyone had gathered to see him off. Selene stood beside him while Lisa, Kai, Finn, Leon, Eva, Natalya, and Sophia formed a loose circle nearby.
Although no one attempted to persuade him to stay, there was still a trace of reluctance in their eyes. Arthur had only recently returned home and now he was already preparing to leave once again.
Yet they all understood that this journey was necessary. The cultivation world offered opportunities that simply did not exist within Thyrandel, and Arthur's enemies were growing stronger with every passing day. If he wanted to stand above all future threats, then remaining comfortable inside Avalon was not an option.
For several moments nobody spoke, eventually Selene stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Arthur immediately returned the embrace and the familiar warmth soothed some of the tension he had been carrying since making the decision to leave again.
After a brief silence, Selene leaned closer and quietly muttered near his ear, "Take care." Arthur smiled faintly and nodded. "I will." They remained together for several more seconds before finally separating. Neither needed lengthy farewells anymore, they had already experienced separations far worse than this one.
Arthur then turned toward the others. Lisa looked as though she wanted to complain about being left behind again but managed to hold herself back. Kai remained calm as always while Finn and the others simply gave encouraging smiles.
He looked at each of them before giving a final nod. "I'll be back." With that, he raised his hand and activated the Obelisk. Space twisted before him as a massive portal slowly formed within the center of the garden.
Brilliant blue light filled the area while the connection between two universes stabilized. He took one final look at Avalon before stepping forward and disappearing into the portal. Moments later the spatial gate closed completely, leaving the garden silent.
Kai lowered his gaze toward the spatial ring Arthur had entrusted to him before leaving. Inside were countless Immortal Spirit Stones, enough to sustain Avalon's defensive systems for an extremely long period.
Earlier, when Arthur had explained the capabilities of the island-wide protective formation and killing formation, everyone had been shocked. The barrier alone could block entities beyond the Demigod Realm while the offensive system could unleash attacks powerful enough to threaten Minor Gods.
At the time, they had questioned Arthur why such extreme measures were necessary. After all, there was currently no known threat capable of attacking Avalon. Arthur's answer had been simple. "Never underestimate future threats, these formations are insurance. Maybe they'll never be used, mMaybe nobody will ever attack Avalon. But if something does happen while I'm gone, I want to know this place can protect itself."
Looking at the ring once more, Kai couldn't help but smile. Arthur had always been someone who prepared for dangers long before anyone else could see them coming.
…
Meanwhile, Arthur emerged outside the cultivation world's city that housed the interplanetary teleportation network. The dense spiritual energy of the Immortal Realm immediately surrounded him once more.
Compared to Thyrandel, every breath here felt rich with vitality. After paying the entry fee, he entered the city and headed directly toward the teleportation district. He had already decided upon his next destination.
Before participating in the Grand Tournament of the Nine Heavens, he intended to test himself against truly dangerous opponents. According to Chen Yuze, the best place for that was a rogue world.
The nearest accessible route involved first traveling to a planet known as Azure Heaven. Unlike ordinary worlds, Azure Heaven belonged to one of the ten strongest organizations in the Immortal Realm, the Divine Dragon Hall.
The organization controlled countless worlds and possessed influence stretching across entire galaxies. Azure Heaven itself functioned as a massive trade hub where merchants, cultivators, and travelers from countless planets gathered daily.
He wasn't particularly interested in the politics surrounding the Divine Dragon Hall. He only needed the planet because it was the closest location with an active teleportation network near his intended destination.
Upon reaching the teleportation hall, he paid the required fees and stepped toward the formation platform. Several enforcers immediately examined his identity token. The moment they confirmed he was an Artifact Refiner affiliated with the Artifact Refiners Union, their attitudes became noticeably more respectful.
One of them even bowed slightly before gesturing toward the formation. "Please proceed, Master." Arthur nodded before stepping onto the platform. While waiting for activation, he carefully observed the enormous formation beneath his feet.
Countless arrays intertwined throughout the structure while spatial laws flowed through channels far more sophisticated than anything he had previously encountered. Although he could not fully comprehend the formation's design yet, that didn't stop him from copying it.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he recorded every detail possible. Even incomplete knowledge could become valuable later. Moments later the formation activated and brilliant light swallowed the platform and space itself folded around him.
The next instant he appeared inside another teleportation hall. Looking around, he immediately recognized the familiar layout. Azure Heaven's teleportation facility was significantly larger than the previous one, but the overall structure remained similar.
Thousands of cultivators moved through the hall while merchants advertised products from distant worlds, the sheer volume of activity was astonishing. He spent only a few moments observing before leaving the building and heading toward the edge of the city.
Several minutes later he exited the bustling metropolis entirely and entered a nearby forest. Since Chen had already provided coordinates for multiple rogue worlds, there was no need to waste time gathering information.
Even so, he activated his System and cross-referenced the coordinates independently. Several seconds later the result appeared, the coordinates were accurate. Satisfied, he immediately shot upward.
The forest vanished beneath him. Mountains shrank into tiny specks while the atmosphere gradually thinned. Within moments he broke through Azure Heaven's atmosphere and entered open space and increased his speed. By now his speed had reached a Sub-Relativistic level and very soon he left the planet far behind.
Stars filled his vision while the planet slowly receded behind him. Once he judged the distance sufficient, he finally stopped. With a thought, space distorted before him and an enormous object materialized.
The Spear of Heaven appeared once more. Even after seeing it countless times, Arthur couldn't help appreciating its scale. The vessel resembled a gigantic spearhead stretching nearly three thousand kilometers in length and fifteen hundred kilometers in width.
Countless weapon systems lined its armored hull while advanced cloaking systems concealed most of its energy signature. Compared to the crude flying ships used throughout the cultivation world, the SOH looked like technology from an entirely different reality. Arthur teleported directly into the command center and sat down in the central chair.
The familiar voice of the Guardian AI immediately echoed throughout the room. "Welcome back, Commander. What is our destination?"
Arthur smiled slightly before transmitting the coordinates directly through Technopathy. Streams of information flowed instantly into the vessel's systems.
"Wake me when we arrive." He said as he leaned back on his seat. The AI responded without delay. "Affirmative, Commander. The estimated time of arrival is seven hours and twenty two minutes."
Arthur nodded while the engines gradually powered up. The next moment space distorted around the vessel and the gigantic battleship vanished into the darkness of space.
…
Several hours passed quietly. Arthur spent part of the journey meditating while occasionally reviewing information regarding rogue worlds. Most possessed dangerous ecosystems, unstable environments, and powerful beasts.
Many lacked any organized civilization at all. That was precisely why he found them attractive. Eventually the Guardian's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Commander, we have reached our destination."
Arthur slowly opened his eyes and stretched. "Thanks, Guardian." The AI immediately responded. "It is my pleasure, sir."
Arthur stood and glanced toward the display screens. Beyond them hung an enormous celestial body. "Alright," he muttered. "Let's see what this rogue planet has for us."
A moment later he teleported outside the vessel. And the sight before him caused him to freeze.
He had seen many planets during his travels. He had explored multiple universes and visited worlds of countless sizes. Yet none compared to what he was currently seeing. The rogue planet was absolutely colossal. Even from a distance of roughly one million kilometers, its immense presence dominated his vision.
After performing several quick calculations, his eyes widened. The planet's diameter was comparable to Earth's Sun and the realization left him momentarily speechless, even more shocking was the gravitational pull. Despite being so far away, he could clearly feel its influence.
According to his calculations, the surface gravity was roughly twenty eight times that of Earth. Such conditions would crush ordinary life instantly. Yet he could already sense countless lifeforms inhabiting the world. Without hesitation he stored the SOH within his Sea of Consciousness and accelerated toward the planet.
As the distance rapidly closed, the details became increasingly visible. Vast forests covered entire continents. Mountain ranges larger than planets stretched across the surface. Oceans glittered beneath sunlight while strange energy fluctuations permeated the atmosphere.
More importantly, he could sense extremely powerful lifeforms. Even before entering the atmosphere he could detect countless beasts possessing terrifying vitality. Some radiated life signatures comparable to Moon Level while others felt even stronger. Instead of intimidating him, the discovery only increased his excitement and his blood boiled in anticipation.
Several minutes later he entered the atmosphere and descended toward the surface. The environmental pressure immediately increased but it barely affected him. Eventually he landed beside what appeared to be a massive lake.
Calling it a lake felt inaccurate, it resembled a small sea stretching beyond the horizon. Arthur's expression quickly became serious because beneath those waters lurked something enormous. Even without using Divine Sense directly, he could feel a powerful presence sleeping somewhere deep below. The creature's life force eclipsed anything he had encountered since arriving in the cultivation world, every instinct warned him against provoking it.
So he wisely chose caution. "Definitely not my first opponent."
With one final glance toward the water, he turned away and entered the nearby forest. Gigantic trees towered overhead, each one thousands of meters tall. Strange plants covered the ground while distant roars occasionally echoed throughout the wilderness.
He suppressed his aura and moved silently through the forest while searching for suitable prey. He wasn't interested in fighting something overwhelmingly stronger than himself. The goal was growth, not suicide.
At his current level he stood at the peak of Multi-Continent Level. Therefore, the ideal opponents would be Moon Level beasts equivalent to cultivators within the Great Extreme Immortal Realm. Strong enough to threaten him and strong enough to push him beyond his limits, yet not so powerful that victory became impossible.
As he disappeared deeper into the endless forest, a smile slowly appeared on his face. For the first time since arriving in the Immortal Realm, he had found exactly what he was looking for, a world filled with powerful opponents. And somewhere within that world, the next step toward greater power awaited him.
***
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