Chapter 1462 - Hidden Events (3)

The leaders fell into silence. This was a difficult question to raise…

As they all knew, the reason Lilith stalled her own cultivation at the peak of the saint realm was because there was something very important she needed. This treasure was rumored to appear at the next Sapientia Auction in just a decade or so more.

The reason they sent the other young geniuses along with her was not only for experience, but because this treasure would be useful for them as well. They all believed that with the talent of their children, by the time the auction came around, they'd all be prepared to break through.

Thinking to this point.. One might curiously wonder if the perfect breakthrough Lilith sought was the same Dyon did. However, one thing was clear. They took separate paths to reach their goals.

This aside, one can see just how important this treasure was to Lilith and Nightmare Palace. In cultivation, the most important commodity wasn't energy or talent, it was time – with enough time, even those born in the most energy deficient universes with the worst of talent could reach world shaking heights. It was because of this constraint of time that geniuses who stalled in clearing their meridians would choose to breakthrough to the next realm instead of being stubborn… Why else would 7th or 8th order geniuses exist even though they were already so close to the perfect 9th order? Wouldn't it make more sense to take the extra time needed to clear that extra one or two meridians?

Yet… Lilith, who could have broken into the celestial realm at 16, was now already 23 and still hadn't despite being fully capable of doing so.

This might seem like nothing in the face of how long cultivators lived, but one had to understand that the beginning of a cultivator's journey laid the foundation for the rest of their lives. If Lilith was able to lay a perfect foundation so quickly, she might have even been capable of matching Amphorae's record time breakthrough into the dao formation realm. At that point, becoming a half-step transcendent was only a matter of time.

Yet, she hadn't… All for the sake of this perfect breakthrough.

The celestial realm was a major watershed moment the likes of which the previous realms couldn't match.

One of the greatest oddities in the martial world was the nomenclature of their weapons. Why was it that the title of transcendent was attached to the mightiest existences to ever be birthed, yet on the mortal plane, it was a title given to a weapon below the supreme grade? In fact, this 'mistake' was repeated with beasts as well… Just what was it about mortal cultivation that changed the meaning of this word?

Dyon had used plenty of transcendent grade weapons in his life. However, he had never been able to bring out their true power because he was too far from the celestial realm… One could say that the moment he broke into this realm, many of the weapons he neglected would suddenly rise to an entirely new level.

So what was so special about the celestial realm? What was so special about celestial energy? Why was it attached with such grandiose namesakes?

It was at this point that quiet ruler of Nightmare Palace slowly opened his eyes. Leaders who were about to speak froze, choking back their words. Since the Palace Emperor wanted to speak, it wasn't their place to interrupt.

"The situation has turned complex…" Eldaeranth's words were slow and deliberate, but had a certain enchantment to them that made them hang on each syllable. "Three years ago… I sensed a change in Universe Cathedral… so a sent a shadow projection. However… before I could find what I needed… I was intercepted by another Higher Existence…"

The eyes of the surrounding leaders widened. Another Higher Existence? These two words could only be attached to another half-step transcendent! How was that possible?!

"This woman… before destroying my projection… assured me that she would lay a hand on our children… and as of now… she's kept her promise… Her only purpose seemed to revolve around protecting someone… but I'm unsure of who this someone is... All I know is that the 98th ranked quadrant is now untouchable to us…"

The four leaders s.u.c.k.e.d in a cold breath.

"Is she that powerful?" A subordinate couldn't help but mutter. But, just as the words left his mouth, he felt multiple killing intents land on him. How could you be stupid enough to ask such a question?!

"No…" The Palace Master didn't seem to care. "As Higher Existences go… her power is relatively new. I believe that she's only broken through recently… If it were my true body… she wouldn't last more than 500 rounds… The issue is that there are very few powers capable of raising a new Higher Existence, and any one that could, certainly has more than one…

"It's likely that whoever sent her is interested in the hidden gems of the former Soul Rend Quadrant…"

"Could this be related to the movements of the Sprites again? Just a few thousand years ago, the sent subordinate clans to infiltrate the tower regions… It can't be that they want a repeat? Aren't they afraid of the retaliation of the other three?" Patriarch Fulgur muttered.

"No… She wasn't a Sprite... And given the intense disdain sprites have for humans… they wouldn't raise one to such a level even if it was beneficial to them…

"… There is a 60% chance that this woman is of those three remaining powers… No… two powers… But there is a 40% chance that she is a loose cultivator who has taken a disciple to her liking… Either way, antagonizing her isn't worth it… Killing a Higher Existence, even a new one, is too difficult…

"For now, we do nothing…" The Nightmare Palace Master concluded. "Once the Auction has come and gone, we will re-evaluate…"

"Do you think we should sell this information to them?" Master Eclipse suddenly asked.

Silence reigned over the hall as they all waited for a response. Even the Palace Master seemed to be thinking this over. In the end, he shook his head.

"No... They've ruled too comfortably for a long time… yet they're still so scheming..." The Palace Master lightly smiled. "Let them suffer a loss for once…"

Standing, Eldaernth almost seemed to flicker out of existence. But, before he did, the sound of his voice came through once more. "Bialaer… I'd like to speak with you alone…"

As these events were occurring, Dyon himself was living a life of relative leisure with his wife by his side. Well, aside from the poison he forced himself to drink everyday. Still, it was benefitting him greatly as the body weight he could sustain slowly crept upward…