The command was simple, but the moment it left his lips, the entire continent stirred.
All the beasts who heard it began racing toward the source at once—massive forms crashing through underbrush, wings beating against the wind, claws tearing up earth as they surged forward with instinctive obedience.
Husa, the snow wolf, was no exception.
He leaped from his rocky perch, frost trailing behind him, and sprinted at full speed toward the gathering point, his white fur flashing like a streak of winter lightning.
The Heart Clone turned to his disciples, noticing their wide-eyed stares and the dawning realization on their faces—this entire vast continent, with its forests, mountains, rivers, and skies, had been created by their Master alone.
A new understanding settled over them.
Even Xinxuan, who had read countless novels about cultivators, felt his breath catch.
In those stories, creating an entire continent required deep comprehension of multiple profound laws—life laws to birth ecosystems, space laws to contain immensity, earth laws to shape land and stone, and more.
Such feats were reserved for high-level powerhouses, beings far beyond anything he had imagined his Master to be.
Yet here it was—real, alive, and breathtaking—proof that his Master's strength was far greater than any novel had prepared him for.
Just as the Heart Clone opened his mouth to speak, Vera stepped forward, voice filled with curiosity and awe.
"Master… if you created this huge continent yourself, then why hasn't it been detected by any government or anyone else? Where is this continent located, exactly?"
The other disciples nodded quickly, sharing the same confusion.
If a landmass this enormous suddenly appeared on Earth, satellites, radars, and sensors worldwide would have noticed immediately.
How could something so massive remain hidden?
The Heart Clone smiled faintly, his expression warm and patient.
"Who said this continent needs a big place to exist? Why can't I simply make it small with my power? And why can't I fit it inside something as simple as a gate?"
With each question, the disciples' faces changed—eyes widening further, mouths parting in silent realization.
Of course.
If their Master could create a continent, shrinking it down to fit inside a doorway was nothing.
Space itself bent to his will.
But Vera, ever thoughtful, had one more question.
"But Master… we can still see the sky above us. Doesn't that mean we're outside? But the gate we came through was inside the fortress…"
She trailed off, brow furrowed.
Before the Heart Clone could answer, Xinxuan gently placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke up, his voice calm and knowing.
"Vera… who said the sky we're seeing is real?"
Vera blinked, then understood instantly.
Xinxuan had read far more novels than she had—he knew the tropes.
If Master could create a continent, crafting an artificial sky, sun, and horizon was trivial.
The Heart Clone nodded approvingly at Xinxuan's insight.
"Exactly. More specifically, we can't view the real sky and sun because we are currently in space."
The disciples froze.
A stunned silence fell over the group.
Xinxuan was the first to speak, voice thick with disbelief.
"Master… really?"
The Heart Clone simply nodded once.
The atmosphere became completely silent for several long minutes as the weight of that truth settled over them.
They were in space.
Floating high above Earth.
Inside a fortress that contained an entire continent.
Just then, a white blur streaked across the clearing.
Husa, the snow wolf, arrived at full speed, skidding to a graceful halt before the Heart Clone and bowing his head low.
A young female disciple named Gyu—a red-level talent—gasped and shouted in alarm.
"Master! A wolf beside you!"
But she saw her Master calmly reach down and pat the wolf's head with gentle affection.
Gyu blinked, confused.
So… there was no danger?
The Heart Clone looked at her and the others with quiet warmth.
"Gyu, don't worry—there is no danger here. Let me introduce your fellow disciple: Husa."
Gyu's mouth fell open again.
The other disciples stared in stunned silence.
This wolf… was their fellow disciple?
A middle-aged man named Juk stammered, voice uncertain.
"But Master… this is a beast…"
The Heart Clone interrupted gently but firmly.
"For me, there is no distinction between human and beast. Beasts can awaken intelligence through cultivation, just as humans do. They are qualified to walk the same path. And now they are my disciples, just like you. Let me also tell you: this wolf, named Husa, is currently more powerful than all of you. His talent is also exceptional—purple level. So you must not look down on him just because he is a beast. If you do, he will eventually surpass most of you on the cultivation path."
Juk lowered his head immediately, reflecting on his mistake with quiet shame.