The timer ticked down and finally reached zero.
Immediately, a massive pulling force enveloped them, so Yuelan hugged him, and he hugged her back tightly.
Yet not even a second later, the two of them were launched into the mountainside, crashing into the rock with brutal force.
"Kugh... what the fuck kind of ascension is this!?" Xuan complained, feeling as if he had broken a rib. But at least he cushioned Yuelan's impact.
Before he could rejoice that it was over, the two were launched straight into the air, hovering several hundred meters above the ground.
They were above even the mountains, and because of that, Xuan was finally able to see the changes that were happening.
The city in the distance had a giant crack spreading through the very center. It constantly expanded, covering more ground. Yet it didn't cause a ravine; it was almost like extra land was being created while pushing aside old land.
To the side, hundreds of giant craters began to form, leveling out the land and turning it desolate. But not even a moment later, structures manifested out of nowhere.
Castles emerged, followed by tall towers, dense forests, high cliffs, and mountaintops. One by one, they appeared and settled into place as if they had always been there.
More importantly, each of these new zones quickly filled with monsters of all types of species, some Xuan had never even seen before. And obviously, they looked much stronger than what he had faced thus far.
He kept hovering in the air by spamming Void Step, when all of a sudden, a mountain burst from below him, giving a solid foothold.
However, the mountain didn't stop growing, and only after it went past the clouds did the growth suddenly stop. Even then, as Xuan glanced beyond this mountain, he saw several peaks that were just as tall, if not taller.
That was when the pressure, as well as the pulling force, finally subsided.
Xuan glanced around, making sure nothing else was coming. Then, he let go of Yuelan, and she did the same.
Her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were slightly torn from the wind pressure. He was not that different in that regard.
Even so...
"I don't want to jinx it, but I really hope it's over—"
[Qi Density has increased by 200%.]
[World size significantly increased.]
[New Territories created.]
[Ancient tombs have been generated.]
[Dimensional Gates have been connected.]
[World Rank adjusted: Lower World (Tier 1)]
[Your world is now visible to External Realms.]
[Notice: Despite the successful World Ascension, not all areas have fully adjusted. Expected time until complete Ascension: 31 days.]
"I'm a bit relieved," Yuelan remarked. "It's been half a year already since this started, and now, it's only going to get more challenging."
Xuan smirked. "You're only saying that because of those Dimensional Gates, right?"
Yuelan's eyes widened. "How can you tell?"
"Well, you really wanted dungeons, and now you got them," Xuan replied confidently, then pointed at her mouth. "Also, you're drooling, so that might've also been a dead giveaway."
She bonked him over the head and wiped away the drool, then walked to the edge of the mountain peak they were on, glancing down.
Yet not even a moment later, she recoiled back, a liberated expression on her face.
"I think I'm afraid of heights," she said plainly.
"You'll get over it." Xuan rolled his eyes, and only then did he realize how large this mountain peak truly was.
They were beside the edge, and yet, when he turned around, he saw the other end a few hundred meters away.
Guess the system wasn't kidding when it said the world's size increased by a significant amount, eh? Xuan snickered.
"So, Yuelan... what do you want to do first?" Xuan asked warmly.
Yuelan tilted her head. "Didn't I get to pick last time? I think it's your turn. Plus, you already know what I would pick."
"Dungeons?" Xuan asked, and she nodded right away.
However, as lucrative as dungeons sounded, he felt like it would be wise for them to find a place to settle down first.
After all, he really wasn't planning to sleep, cultivate, and eat on the ground.
That's why... I want to explore one of those weird craters. There are some with castles. I want a castle, Xuan thought with a grin, and told Yuelan his plan.
Of course, she agreed right away.
"Rock paper scissors for who gets the big bedroom?" Yuelan asked, gesturing scissors.
Xuan scoffed. "As the older brother, I should naturally get the bigger room."
"Haa? Older? You're 1 year older than me," Yuelan replied, a smirk appearing on her face. "Wait... is it because you're scared your younger sister is going to beat you~?"
Xuan's brows twitched, and without wasting time, they engaged in a duel.
"On three," Yuelan announced confidently, then began the countdown.
"1... 2... 3!"
Xuan picked rock, however...
"Hahahaha." Yuelan laughed cheerfully, holding out paper. "You see what I did there? I made you think I was going to pick scissors, when in reality I—"
"Yeah yeah, enjoy it," Xuan replied, salty.
Yuelan giggled and gave him a thumbs up. It seemed like even if she matured significantly, her cheeky personality was not going to go away any time soon.
Just as he was prepared to grab Yuelan and jump down, the mountain shook, and in the very center of the peak, a small pond appeared.
He didn't think much of it at first, but the amount of Qi it radiated was immense, and Yuelan felt it too.
Therefore, both of them approached the pond, and when they were just 5 meters away, a surprising pop-up appeared.