Elisa had always possessed extraordinary sensitivity to spatial fluctuations. Her awareness of space far surpassed that of ordinary transcendent entities.
The moment two unfamiliar distortions appeared within the Ancestral Beast Holy Land, she sensed them immediately.
Without hesitation, she teleported out of her throne room.
When she appeared before the newcomers, her eyes first fell upon Solanky.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face.
His aura had transformed completely.
Although he had yet to break through to the Transcendent Entity Level, the pressure he now emitted was already comparable to that of the First Venerable, only slightly weaker.
Then her gaze shifted to the velvet-robed man standing beside him.
She froze.
She could see him.
Yet she could sense nothing.
No aura.
No life force.
No spiritual fluctuations.
It was as though the person before her did not exist.
Realizing who he was, Elisa immediately assumed her humanoid form before respectfully kneeling.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The Forsaken God smiled faintly.
"Very good."
"Although I concealed my presence upon arrival and suppressed my cultivation to your level, you still perceived my true existence."
"Impressive."
"No wonder you are known as the legendary Ancestral Beast."
Elisa smiled modestly.
"The only reason I sensed Your Majesty was because you permitted me to."
"I also recognized you from the memory world."
She respectfully gestured toward the heart of the Holy Land.
"Please, Your Majesty."
The Forsaken God nodded before following her toward the central palace.
...
Inside the throne hall, Elisa summoned another magnificent throne beside her own.
The Forsaken God sat upon it gracefully.
He lightly tapped one of its armrests.
Instantly, space rippled.
Far outside the core of the Holy Land, the First Venerable, Fasho, appeared silently.
At his level, he concealed himself perfectly.
No one within the Holy Land noticed his arrival except Elisa, Solanky, and the Forsaken God.
Elisa stepped outside and welcomed him inside.
The moment Fasho entered the throne room and saw the Forsaken God seated upon the throne, he immediately dropped to one knee.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The Forsaken God looked at him approvingly.
"Fasho."
"You have governed the Forsaken Realm exceptionally well."
"I am pleased with your devotion."
He casually tossed out a crimson crystal sphere covered in ancient engravings.
Fasho respectfully caught it with both hands.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Forsaken God nodded.
"With this crystal sphere, you may wield the power of the Forsaken Realm as though it were my own."
"It can temporarily grant you strength comparable to a Nine Peak-Turns being."
"It will also greatly assist your journey toward the Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns."
Fasho carefully stored the sphere away.
The Forsaken God continued.
"From this day onward, Solanky shall serve as an elder of my realm."
"He will leave for the Beyond Realm to temper himself."
"The Levians will return."
"They suffered humiliation during their previous invasion."
"They will not allow that disgrace to remain."
His expression remained calm.
"This time, however, neither the Levian Progenitor nor I can participate."
"We are still serving our punishment for damaging the walls of the Beyond Realm."
"We remain forbidden from intervening."
He turned toward Solanky.
"He will become the deciding variable."
"If he fails to break through to the Transcendent Entity Level before the war..."
His eyes shifted toward Elisa.
"...the Primordial Ancestral Ancient Dragon Empress shall intervene."
Elisa nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
The Forsaken God continued.
"From this day onward, the Forsaken Realm rests in your hands, Fasho and Elisa."
"My divinations indicate that the Levian armies will invade again after five samsaras."
"Prepare every force within the realm."
He paused briefly.
"Should circumstances require it, the Levian Progenitor and I will intervene despite the consequences."
"However..."
"I believe the two of you are more than capable of protecting the realm."
His voice softened slightly.
"The Transcendent Grasses of Eternity were bestowed upon me by a powerful Nine Peak-Turns being."
"They were meant to accelerate the rise of Forsaken cultivators into the Transcendent Entity Level."
"Naturally..."
"They have become treasures coveted by countless envious forces."
He slowly rose from his throne.
"Five hundred samsaras from now, I shall return to the Beyond Realm."
"But before then..."
"I must enter seclusion."
"It is time for me to challenge the next Peak-Turn."
As his final words echoed through the hall, both he and Solanky disappeared.
...
The two reappeared at the boundary separating the Forsaken Realm from the outside world.
Solanky turned toward the Forsaken God and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for everything, Ancestor."
The Forsaken God smiled.
"You already know why I cannot accompany you."
"The moment I step beyond my realm, the higher beings will immediately detect my presence."
"They have been waiting for me to complete my sentence for destroying the walls of the Beyond Realm."
"Remaining within the Forsaken Realm is itself part of that punishment."
A trace of regret appeared on his face.
"I will also be unable to participate in the Outer World Treasure Hunt scheduled one hundred million years from now."
He gave a faint laugh.
"It is unfortunate."
"Only true Nine Peak-Turns beings are permitted to compete."
His gaze drifted toward the Source-Severing Blade that he now safeguarded.
"Your blade would certainly make quite a name for itself there."
He looked back at Solanky.
"For now, do not concern yourself with such matters."
"That world is still far beyond your current reach."
His expression became serious.
"When you enter the Beyond Realm..."
"Avoid provoking ancestor-level experts from the various sects."
"And whatever you do..."
"Do not attack the Calamitous Beings."
"They are rare existences born from the Collective Minds of the Collective Realms."
"They are indispensable to maintaining balance."
After giving his final warning, the Forsaken God waved his hand.
Space folded around Solanky.
The next instant, he appeared outside the Forsaken Realm, suspended above the endless abyss of the Calamitous Zone within the Void Region.
Following the coordinates left behind by the Forsaken God, Solanky immediately concealed his aura.
Without lingering, he activated his movement technique.
His figure vanished.
Moments later, he appeared on the outskirts of a bustling city located near the colossal walls of the Beyond Realm.
Before entering, Solanky altered his appearance.
His youthful face became that of a frail old man.
His cultivation was disguised as that of a Mid-Stage Entity-Level cultivator.
Leaning upon a worn wooden staff, he slowly walked through the streets with a hunched back.
As he wandered, his spiritual sense silently spread throughout the city.
Its coverage rivaled that of a Saint Emperor transcendent entity.
Within moments, he had already mapped every corner of the city.
The strongest cultivator overseeing the city was merely a Saint-level transcendent entity responsible for administration and defense.
Knowing this, Solanky relaxed considerably.
He eventually found a towering ten-thousand-year-old willow tree and lay beneath its shade.
Covering his face with a straw hat, he appeared to be nothing more than an elderly traveler taking a nap.
Yet beneath that calm exterior...
His spiritual sense listened to every conversation occurring throughout the city.
Soon, one particular discussion captured his attention.
Within the city's central district, several influential figures were negotiating preparations for a grand trade gathering that would be held two days later.
Among the treasures scheduled to appear were several Transcendent Grasses of Eternity.
There was also...
A single invitation.
The holder would earn the opportunity to visit the Desolation God's Sect.
The grasses failed to stir Solanky's interest.
The invitation did.
According to the intelligence he possessed, the Desolation God's Sect ranked as the third strongest sect in the Beyond Realm.
Its ancestor was an immensely powerful existence whom even numerous Nine Peak-Turns beings treated with respect.
After carefully memorizing every detail regarding the upcoming trade, Solanky formed a plan.
He would replace one of the invited guests.
As the meeting concluded, everyone returned to their respective residences.
Solanky smiled faintly.
"It is time."
Using the Void Shadow Steps enhanced by the Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns movement technique, he disappeared.
His target never realized what had happened.
Within a single blink, Solanky silently subdued him using overwhelming mental force before sealing him inside a specially prepared jar hidden within the man's own residence.
His movements were so astonishingly fast that even if a Saint Venerable had been deliberately observing him, they would have struggled to perceive more than a faint blur.
With the assistance of the Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns techniques and the immense strength of his consciousness, Solanky had become the fastest cultivator beneath the Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns Realm.
Before completely sealing the captive, Solanky carefully searched through his memories.
Every habit...
Every relationship...
Every mannerism...
Every secret.
By the time he finished, his disguise had become flawless.
No one attending the trade would suspect his identity.
Satisfied, Solanky withdrew his spiritual sense.
The instant he did...
His expression changed.
A powerful aura had just entered the city from the southern gate.
It belonged to an early-stage Saint Emperor transcendent entity.
After comparing it with the memories he had obtained from his captive, Solanky immediately recognized the newcomer.
The person was the official envoy overseeing the upcoming trade...
And a representative of the Desolation God's Sect.