After confirming that the two geniuses were no longer present, the massive being lost interest. Seconds later, its colossal form began to turn, ignoring the constraints of countless laws. It was about to leave when, as if sensing something, it abruptly stopped and spoke.
"Hmm... this presence is from the 88th Heaven's Ancient God. What are they doing here? Could it be they're trying to protect those anomalies?" it murmured, a hint of irritation lacing its voice. A flicker of something ancient passed through its eyes, as if recalling an old memory.
Its aura surged, unsettling the surrounding fabric of reality, causing even the laws themselves to shy away from direct contact.
With a cold tone, it continued, "It must be those people. Unlike the other Heaven Domain heads, they prioritize nurturing talent birthed by the God Realm itself. It's likely they came to recruit those little ones." Contempt crept into its voice as it sneered. "But how dare they interfere. This isn't the God Realm. They should have minded their own business."
As those words settled, its body began to expand, pulsing with dark power. The once-shadowy figure became clearer, revealing a massive form surrounded by drifting asteroids. Its size was overwhelming, large enough to block out nearby stars. The human realm appeared directly below it, but that was only an illusion.
In reality, the realm was hidden behind countless layers of space. Without a deep understanding of the Dao of Space, no one could ever reach it.
With a form ready to strike at any moment, the massive being waited.
Moments later, a woman dressed in white appeared two hundred miles away, her demeanor dignified and composed. Her expression showed no emotion as she calmly began deducing the casualties within the human realm, paying no attention to the figure poised to attack her.
This woman was the mysterious attendant of the princess from the 88th Heaven. She had long sensed the presence of the massive being but deliberately ignored it, treating it as no threat.
She continued her search without pause, further angering the massive being. Yet she remained unmoved, focused solely on her task.
Minutes passed, and she still could not sense the twins. Without hesitation, she gave up, convinced it was pointless. "I'm sorry, Princess. I wasn't able to retrieve those two. It's unfortunate, but it's alright. They seem alive and well," she said calmly, her expression unchanged.
She knew it was impossible to trace what had already been erased from cause and effect. Unable to find their location, she immediately let it go, knowing the search was futile.
She was about to turn and leave, but the patience of a certain being finally snapped. Unable to contain its fury any longer, it launched a full-force attack without hesitation, causing the surrounding space to collapse. It moved faster than the speed of light, instantly appearing in front of the woman.
"Die, you arrogant thing," the massive being roared.
As the attack connected, a violent spatial wave tore through the air. The place where the woman had stood shattered, and space itself was erased. What remained was a gaping void—endless, black, and formless.
The massive being stood there, laughing as it saw nothing left of the woman. Its laughter sent ripples through space and the stars.
"Hahaha... Those who oppose me, a special-type Demon God, even if you are an Ancient God, you are still nothing but an ant."
But before it could say more, its vision went black. It could no longer speak. No sound came from its mouth, as if the very source of its body and soul had been stripped away.
A sudden explosion followed.
Its massive body burst apart, scattering across outer space like a star destroyed by a cosmic collision. Space tore in every direction, and the fragments of its body triggered temporal disturbances throughout the void.
Then, a voluptuous figure began to form. A woman with an elegant presence appeared, her cold gaze fixed on the fallen god.
"How unfortunate. It seems the younger generation of the Demon God's bloodline no longer understands what it means to face an Ancient God," she said without emotion. Her eyes swept across the shattered reality as she extended her hand. Slowly, the devastation began to heal.
Once restored, she turned her gaze back to the human realm before fading from existence, as if she had never been there at all. Even the traces of cause and effect were completely erased.
Meanwhile, back in the divine space before the massive throne where their true bodies rested, Ella and Olivia's consciousness returned and reentered their physical forms.
As their memories integrated, their bodies erupted with power. The surrounding space pulsed with abyssal black flames and white creation fire, violently disturbing the air. The surge of energy jolted Tia from her deep sleep. Still in bed, she sat up groggily.
"Eh? What happened? Did Teacher Olivia do something?" she murmured, trying to make sense of the disturbance.
But the truth was far more profound.
At that moment, Ella and Olivia were rapidly growing stronger. Their former cultivation, once at the middle stage of the Inferno Realm, had instantly broken through to perfection in every aspect.
Thanks to their unique traits and powerful foundations, they now stood as unmatched figures, even against those in higher realms.
This transformation was also made possible thanks to the system, which directly constructed a deep foundation within them as a reward. It was as if they had cultivated their bodies and souls for countless years.
As their strength continued to rise, several hours passed before the surge finally halted. They had reached their current limits.
The earlier disturbance faded away, and the once-rippling air gradually calmed. Ella and Olivia remained still, their bodies slowly stabilizing with the support of their unique physiques.
After another hour, Ella was the first to wake up, while Olivia remained in a meditative state. Thinking she was likely tired, Ella let her rest and began checking her newfound strength at the perfected stage of the Inferno Realm.
"So this is the perfect form of the Inferno Realm. With this strength, I feel like I could crush my previous self with ten punches at full force, even without using any techniques," Ella said in shock.
It had to be noted that her strength in the middle stage of the Inferno Realm had already been enough to destroy a small star the size of Earth, making her incredibly destructive. But now, she had far surpassed that, and her current strength could easily obliterate her past self.
"So amazing... but still, I can't execute some of my techniques like Bloodlite Perdition, Abyssal Annihilation Eyes, or Heaven Shattering Emperor Fist." Shaking her head, she wasn't too surprised. Those techniques were incredibly powerful.
She could use them with her current strength, but only by sacrificing half her blood essence and soul to activate all three at once. Although the cost wasn't as severe as before, using them would still require a long recovery time.
Ella was not fond of making unnecessary sacrifices. She already had a skill that allowed her to create a clone, so if she ever risked using her real body, she might as well give up cultivation and stay at home drinking milk from her mother.
She shook her head and dismissed the thought, focusing instead on something more important.
DING!
[Your foundation is now perfect. You have the following choices:]
➤ Advance to the Horizon Realm. [Begin your breakthrough and ascend to the next stage.]
➤ Upgrade the System to Version 4.0 for only 20,000 Kneeling Points. [Unlock new features and enhancements.]
➤ Enter Rest Mode. [Delay advancement and allow your consciousness to recover.]
Ella refocused her gaze on the system prompt.
She had already decided to begin their advancement, but her twin, Olivia, was still in deep sleep. Ella chose to wait before making her decision because she didn't want to advance without Olivia.
Her deep affection for her made her willing to wait, even if it took years. Although she hungered for power and was eager to grow stronger, she still didn't want to be the only one to succeed.
"Let's wait. Vivi seems tired," she said softly.
So, Ella waited for another hour, hoping they could break through together.
Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm, within a floating castle surrounded by volcanoes and a reddened, lavatic landscape below, chaotic energy enveloped the surroundings. Inside the castle, several supreme demonic god elders sat in discussion, but their conversation came to an abrupt halt as if sensing something.
"That lazy brat actually died. Tsk," one of the elders said with a disappointed look. He continued in a calm voice, "I told him to recondense an avatar to avoid unexpected attacks. It seems he underestimated someone he should never have provoked."
His fellow elders nodded, their expressions indifferent. They were unmoved by the death of their kin, showing no real concern.
"It is unfortunate to lose such a talented demon who had the potential to become a Demon God, but potential alone cannot save you from death," another elder said flatly as they prepared to resume the meeting.
However, a guard standing behind one of the elders suddenly trembled, his voice rising with anger. "Why? Why are all of you so calm? He failed to eliminate those two anomalies, and now something has struck him down, yet you—"
Before he could finish, one elder's eyes gleamed with deep black light. A single gaze was enough to crush the guard's body into a mangled mess of flesh and blood, flattening him against the stone floor.
"Interrupting your elders is not the way, child," the elder said coldly. "We don't have time for your rambling. I understand your anger, but we have no choice. That being is beginning to awaken, and whoever killed your brother likely hails from the God Realm."
His voice grew solemn. "We must lay low for now and avoid provoking the gods of that realm. It is the only way to avoid offending her."
He paused, eyes darkening with a distant weight. "The Mother of All Gods loves every being in that realm. So, to the current rulers of the God Realm… I hope they've chosen a good place to die."