The Gu refinement process was not yet complete, so Yuta decided to take a break, allowing his other half to recover the mental energy that had been depleted.
For Yuta—who is omniscient and transcends human comprehension—this refinement process was trivial. However, it was a different story for his other half, whose mental reserves were completely drained by the recent undertaking. Yuta was juggling several tasks, each of which consumed significant amounts of mental energy:
First: Maintaining the stability of the Soul-Enslavement Eye and the Soul-Manipulation Eye—two distinct and demanding tasks in their own right.
Second: Maintaining the stability of his personal Spirit Realm.
Third: Controlling the Gu hovering in the sky.
Fourth: Managing the refinement process itself, while struggling to control the cloud—a task that caused a constant and massive drain on his mental energy.
Fifth: Mentally transporting materials, as he could not use his hands while engaged in the refinement and development process.
Sixth: Handling resources that were of a level far too high for his other half—a factor that placed an immense, continuous strain on his mental capacity.
In short, Yuta had divided his mind into ten separate parts to manage all these tasks—a feat that would be impossible for his other half, who, despite being at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, was only at the rank of a Novice Ruler.
Even the most gifted individuals can divide their minds into at most five parts, and even then, it remains an arduous task. For this reason, they typically employ "Multitasking Gu," which can split the mind into a maximum of eight parts. Yuta kept his eyes shut, holding them closed with his hands—ensuring they wouldn't open for even a second, lest his efforts go to waste. He had successfully navigated the development phases for both the "Soul-Manipulation Eye" and the "Soul-Enslavement Eye," constantly manipulating the odds to guarantee a 100% success rate.
Furthermore, he had executed every task flawlessly, utilizing resources that ensured a 100% success rate for the refinement process—a precautionary measure against anyone attempting to impose the authority of "probability" upon him.
A faint smile graced Yuta's face as he gazed at the cloud. He then looked upward toward the sky, which was obscured by the dense roots of the "Origin Tree Gu"—roots that served as a protective dome against any potential intruders.
Moreover, no one would ever be able to reach this place, regardless of how hard they tried, due to the frantic, accelerated passage of time within it. Even Yuta himself would never have considered entering such a space had he not attained immortality. And should anyone somehow manage to arrive, their death was already a foregone conclusion in Yuta's mind.
Yuta closed his eyes once more, leaning his back against the trunk of the Origin Tree Gu, attempting to clear his mind and snatch a moment of rest.
In a world where only the strongest survive, life is brutal—fraught with hardships and challenges at every turn—making rest a rare and precious commodity.
Yuta's own life was no exception; he had learned the harsh, bitter truth of this world the hard way.
To perish at the hands of the very person he respected most was an unbearable agony—and to realize that this same individual was the root cause of all his suffering was far more painful than a knife in the back. Yuta muttered in a calm tone, gathering the scattered memories from the depths of his mind:
"Back in that day—in my first life, when I was fifty million years old—I was killed by the leader of the Guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence, Zhao Li-Yong."
We travel back in time to Yuta's first life.
At the Sacred Tree of Existence, Yuta stood amidst twelve thrones, each occupied by one of the Guardians of the Sacred Tree.
Yuta's features were full of vitality as he gazed toward the throne of the leader of the Guardians—a position held by Zhao Li-Yong for seven hundred billion years, ever since the ousting of Ji Yao-Li.
"How are you, my boy Yuto? You seem quite happy today! Oh, please, stand up—no need for formalities. I consider you my own son, have you forgotten? Ever since your family passed away, I have looked after you."
Zhao Li-Yong's tone was gentle as he looked toward Yuto.
Yuta—who appeared to be in his thirties—rose from his kneeling position, his eyes beaming with life and joy.
His gray eyes glowed with a soft, light-gray radiance, a testament to his immense happiness.
"Forgive me, Father Zhao Li-Yong—I'm just incredibly excited, as you can see!"
Yuta spoke, letting out an awkward, clumsy laugh.
Zhao Li-Yong, looking puzzled, tilted his head, clearly unable to fathom the reason for such intense excitement. He spoke with a hint of bewilderment:
"I see... but why are you so excited? Has something good happened to you? I haven't seen you this happy since Mizuki passed away eleven million years ago—though, sadly, she died without ever bearing you a child."
A touch of sorrow colored Zhao Li Yong's tone as he finished, though it soon gave way to a warm, gentle smile.
Yuta let out an involuntary sigh—a breath laden with a complex blend of grief, despair, and regret.
Quickly composing himself, he shifted the subject, his voice brimming with enthusiasm:
"My adoptive father, Zhao Li Yong—and all of you, the guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence, whom I consider my second family, following the loss of my original kin and those from my former world..."
"I want to share my joy and happiness with you all!"
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Overcome by his own excitement, Yuta laughed uncontrollably. As he raised his hand, his black robes fluttered in the air; a faint, reddish hue washed over them, as if the very garments were mirroring his boundless fervor.
"I've unlocked a new ability called 'Ability Creation'—it allows me to forge any power, regardless of its nature or strength!"
A profound silence fell the moment Yuta spoke. The guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence exchanged glances, yet no one uttered a word.
Taken aback, Yuta felt a sudden, unsettling mix of anxiety, fear, and tension begin to stir within him. Although he regarded Zao Li Yong as a father figure, Yuta was quick to be suspicious of people.Thanks to this mindset, the Empire of Imagination—under Yuta's rule—maintained its grip on the Sovereign's Path, expanding to encompass several other existential paths, totaling eight in all. It stood as the greatest empire in the entire history of imagination.
"Is something wrong? Your sudden silence truly frightens me! If there's an issue, tell me—this atmosphere is deeply unsettling!"
Yuta's tone was laced with anxiety as he looked toward the guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence, who returned his gaze with eyes devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
Even Zhao Li Yong's expression was cold, harboring a palpable greed that he made no effort to conceal.
"The appointed day has finally arrived."
Zhao Li Yong spoke with a sense of relief, his eyes fixed upon Yuta.
Yuta was so shaken that his body began to tremble uncontrollably—a reaction that only caused Zhao Li Yong's smile to widen, revealing his white teeth.
"Do you know who was responsible for the deaths of Nefertina, Lunaria, Duralia, Gemsin, Fukaro, and Aristotle—as well as the friends from your past life who reincarnated alongside you, and your companions from this world?"
Yuta's face contorted in shock as he stared at Zhao Li Yong, before collapsing to his knees in utter despair.
His legs could no longer support him; he bowed his head toward the ground, and tears began to fall, unbidden and unstoppable.
"My mothers, my fathers, the friends I considered my own brothers and sisters... I was the cause of their deaths!" "Even my wife... they died because of you, didn't they?"
"Why? Why? Why did you do this?! I never did anything wrong to you, yet you've completely destroyed my life! I looked up to you as a father, a mentor—someone I trusted with my very life—but you were the cause of all my suffering!"
"You and that lot of scum... after everything I've done for you, is this how you repay me?!"
Yuta spoke, his voice a volatile mix of sorrow, despair, hatred, rage, and shock.
Yet, Zhao Li Yong's expression remained entirely unchanged. He said nothing, merely gazing at Yuta with cold, indifferent eyes. In his view, it was over; what was done, was done. He had no interest in Yuta's cries—to him, they were nothing more than the yapping of an annoying dog.
He pointed a finger toward Yuta's heart, and a hole the size of a grown man's hand tore open exactly where his heart should have been.
Yuta's pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks in sheer shock, while golden blood gushed from his mouth.
"W-what...?!"
Yuta stared at Zhao Li Yong, stunned by the sudden assault. Furthermore, when those who have attained immortality clash with others of the same standing—even if the opponent is weaker—the resulting wounds become impossible to heal.
This left Yuta completely unable to mend the injury to his heart.
Before he could even process what was happening, the entire left side of his ribcage had been utterly obliterated. Radiant golden blood gushed forth as he stared at Zhao Li-Yong and the other guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence with an expression of utter disbelief. He staggered to his feet, despite the fatal wounds he had sustained.
"So, your true goal was to kill me before I was even born into this world, wasn't it? And you used me to reap the greatest possible gains! What a pack of fools—what power-hungry scoundrels you are! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Yuto spoke with a cold, sharp mockery, as if he were not standing on the brink of death. Even Zhao Li-Yong was taken aback by his demeanor.
"If you think I've told you everything, you're a complete fool! I am Yuto—a fragment of the Great Outcast and the master of the Sovereign's Path! I was created to rule over all things! Mark my words: when we meet again, you shall be nothing more than a corpse, while I drink wine mixed with your own blood—poured from your very skull! And today will be no exception; you shall take nothing from me, you wretched cur!"
With that, Yuto detonated his own body. A violent explosion erupted, illuminating the entire Sovereign's Path. The blast claimed the lives of Yuto himself and all the guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence—Zhao Li-Yong included—who had lowered their defenses, fully confident that they would finish Yuto off with ease.
Fifty million years before Yuto's death, at the Palace of the Fantasy Empire. Meanwhile, inside the palace of the Imperial Fantasy Family—which governs the entire "Ruler's Path"—seven individuals sat in a luxurious chamber adorned with a collection of rare artifacts.
They were among the most powerful entities in existence, each having attained the rank of a Fifth-Tier Pavilion Master.
They were waiting for a young child to awaken—a boy of breathtaking beauty, with silky white hair and a fair, exquisite face.
He appeared so angelic and gentle that he could captivate anyone's heart—even the hearts of absolute beings such as them.
Their expressions were radiant with joy as they gazed at him; he was their son. The seventh person present, Kyunai Marnia, was his aunt—related through Duralia and Lunaria.
A smile of overwhelming delight spread across Duralia's face as she watched Yuta, who had begun to slowly open his eyes.
She spoke with an unbridled enthusiasm—hardly befitting a ruler of the Fantasy Empire, yet perfectly natural for a mother eager to shower her son with boundless love and affection:
"My child is waking up! What a truly wonderful day—it's an occasion worth celebrating!"
The others continued to watch Yuta as he opened his eyes, paying no heed to Duralia's outburst. Yet, they were taken aback; Duralia was usually the calmest and most composed among them.
Yuta opened his wide, light-gray eyes.
His gaze was cold and serene—far too mature for his age. Even for an absolute being born with such power, his demeanor was striking, suggesting a depth that defied his years. Yuta raised his hands, only to find them as small as those of an infant. A cold smile spread across his face, while his eyes glowed with a chilling radiance.
He muttered to himself, filled with indescribable satisfaction and joy:
"I've succeeded in reincarnating once again! Hahahaha! This time will be completely different!"
Returning to the present—
Yuta opened his eyes after his other half had fully regained its mental strength—in fact, that mental power had grown several times greater than it had been before.
He cast his gaze toward the cloud, which had transformed into an ethereal, greenish-gray, cold-hued mist.
He muttered in a low voice, his gaze fixed calmly upon the cloud: "Not much remains before we complete this stage."
Yuta cast thirteen Rank 5 Golden-Yellow Trace Gu, seven Rank 9 Emerald-Crimson Trace Gu, fifteen Rank 6 Platinum-Gray Trace Gu, and nine Rank 8 Diamond-Blue Trace Gu toward the cloud.
*Zzzzzzt!*
A faint, crackling hum erupted, and the cloud began to emit a variety of lights, gradually shrinking in on itself.
Eventually, it dissipated into the air, revealing a cold, greenish-gray gem—roughly the size of an adult man's toe.
Yuta studied it for several seconds before speaking:
"The Gem of Suppression and Defiance."
He then placed it beside the 'Symbol of the Survivor of Oblivion,' marking the conclusion of the second stage.
Without delay, he moved straight into the third stage—a phase far more complex than the last.
"Flames from the Infernal Realm, the Soul-Manipulation Amulet, the Eye of the Ruler of the Forgotten Underworld, and the Fusion-Enslavement Gu."
Fourteen copper-hued discs—all Enslavement Gu—began to melt and merge, coalescing into a sphere of energy with a greenish-copper tint.
Moments later, flames from the Infernal Realm surged toward the sphere, which was now the size of an adult bear's paw. The flame resembled a specter, roughly the size of an eleven-year-old child's hand. The sphere shifted in color from a greenish-copper hue to black, edged with delicate, striking white borders.
Moments later, both the Soul-Manipulation Necklace and the Eye of the Forgotten Underworld Ruler—which was entirely pitch-black—gravitated toward the sphere, unleashing a surge of chaotic energy.
A violent explosion rocked the entire area, filling the space with a thick cloud of dust.
As the dust eventually settled, it revealed the destruction of the rank nine Enslavement Gu, alongside the shattered remnants of the other materials used in the process—a clear sign that the refinement had failed.
Yuta's expression flickered with a hint of annoyance before returning to a state of calm. He had, in fact, anticipated outside interference during the refinement of the Soul-Enslavement Eye and the Soul-Manipulation Eye.
After all, the final "Venerable" of the realm, Ping Tao Xin, was roaming the vicinity; it was hardly likely that he would allow Yuta to refine these eyes without disruption.
Yuta once again produced the flames of the underworld, the Soul-Manipulation Necklace, the Eye of the Forgotten Underworld Ruler, and the Enslavement Gu.
Having plundered the Great Void System, he possessed an inexhaustible supply of materials and resources—a single failure meant nothing to him.
He had foreseen the possibility of interference, which was precisely why he had killed Edward and seized his system: to ensure he had the necessary resources to advance the Soul-Manipulation Eye and the Soul-Enslavement Eye to a higher level.