The three of us hurtled through the air, propelled by the sheer force of the Wisest Sun's mastery over the laws of the universe. He didn't just bend the rules of space to his will—he shattered them. The very fabric of reality seemed to warp around him, folding in on itself to create a path that defied the natural order.
The world became a blur of distorted colors and shapes, all of which melded into the infinite void of his power. His Law wasn't merely about flight; it was about removing anything that dared slow him down.
We weren't just flying; we were cutting through reality itself.
I felt it too. The overwhelming sensation of matter tearing past us at speeds no mortal should experience. It wasn't just air we moved through—it was the ground, stone, and earth. We sank into the land, blending with it as we passed through, feeling it slip through every cell and atom of our existence. It was as if we'd become one with the dirt, with the world.
And while the experience was impressive, it was highly nauseating. The sensation of having the ground itself rush through your being was enough to make any man's stomach churn.
The Wisest Sun didn't seem to notice. He continued to pull us deeper, further into the bowels of the Sea of Demons, through the very crust of the realm. We weren't just moving downward—we were diving into the depths of the Dark Garden, the forbidden and near-mythical expanse that lay beneath everything. An underworld that thrived on danger, mystery, and death.
"The Dark Garden..." the Blue Sun whispered, more to herself than anyone else, as the oppressive atmosphere of this hidden realm settled around us.
The Wisest Sun's voice broke through the eerie silence. "Where to from here?"
I quickly checked my bracelet. The signal was weak, but it was still there, guiding me like a beacon. "It's still pointing down. Looks like there might be another level to this place."
"There are three levels beneath us," the Wisest Sun said grimly. "Let's move down to the second one." Without hesitation, he pulled us deeper still, plunging us through the ground as if it were no more than water.
I had expected the usual discomfort from the Qi-sealing properties of the Sea of Demons, especially in the infamous Dark Garden. But, to my surprise, nothing. My Qi flowed smoothly, unrestrained by the oppressive force of this place.
"You've really reached the Origin Stage," the Blue Sun observed, glancing at me with a hint of admiration.
"Noticed that, did you?" I said, smirking.
"Yes. Even with your unusual Qi, you should have struggled a bit. But the Dark Garden has no effect on Origin Qi. What's strange is that most cultivators—even those on the cusp of reaching the peak of the Origin Stage—are still affected by the Qi sealing properties here. Their bodies haven't fully shed the remnants of Saint Qi. But you...
you're different."
She was right. The Origin Poison Qi inside me flowed effortlessly, unperturbed by the laws that shackled lesser cultivators. It was a strange but welcome realization. I wasn't bound by the limitations of this realm.
We continued our descent, diving through more earth and stone. My senses were on high alert, heightened by the nauseating experience of being torn apart and reconstructed at a molecular level as we moved through solid matter. My Divine Sense reached out instinctively, revealing more than I could have imagined.
After a few moments, my bracelet pinged with a signal. "Here!" I said, halting our flight. "The Dusking Sun's signal is coming from below."
We landed cautiously, our eyes scanning the area. I found the source of the signal—a shattered bracelet lying in the dirt. The Dusking Sun's bracelet.
"It's broken," I muttered, holding it up for the others to see. "Looks like they realized we were tracking them and destroyed it."
The Wisest Sun sighed. "We'll have to split up."
The Blue Sun nodded. "I'll go with Shen Bao."
"I was thinking the same—"
Before they could finish, I felt something wet beneath my feet. I crouched down, touching the liquid and bringing it to my nose. The metallic scent was unmistakable. "Blood..." I said, grimacing at the stench.
The Blue Sun's face tensed. "Could it be the Dusking Sun's blood?"
I tasted it and shook my head. "No. It's monster blood. Fresh, too."
The Wisest Sun's gaze sharpened. "A fight happened here."
I followed the blood trail, leading us to a fallen tree trunk that had been recently ripped from its roots. The damage was fresh, the ground still disturbed from the struggle.
Then, I heard it—a low, guttural growl that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
"Careful," the Blue Sun warned, her voice tense. "The beasts here can end your life before you even realize what happened."
Before I could retreat, Kyu leaped out from my hood, causing me to stumble forward. I landed face-first in the dirt, and when I looked up, I was staring directly into the jaws of a massive Obsidian Prowler. Its black fur rippled with muscles, its eyes glowing with predatory intent.
"Well... hello there," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper.
This wasn't just any beast. It was an apex predator—the kind of monster that could take down a Sun-stage cultivator if it wanted to.
And it was very, very pissed.