A few decades later...
After travelling nonstop, they finally reached the edge of the Silent Void Expanse.
Staring at the thick barrier before them, they couldn't help but feel nervous.
This time, there wasn't a ship on the route.
The path Maximus took would last only a few seconds.
A faster void ship was needed, and only a few were capable of traversing such a route.
If not for the new speed thruster on Shadow, Maximus wouldn't have dared to take this path and would have waited hundreds more years for other routes.
As the silence continued, Maximus positioned himself at Shadow's control panel.
This time, Maximus would be driving himself.
The few seconds they had were too crucial to depend on anyone else.
With a tense body, Maximus's mind worked at full capacity as a vortex appeared.
"GO!"
Overloading Shadow's thruster, Maximus didn't even wait for the vortex to fully form before accelerating forward.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...
Facing the 'ride of death,' their void ship successfully endured and survived!
"Huh~ Alive..." Breathing a sigh of relief, they looked at each other, calming their nerves.
"We're finally out of this misery! Time to return to the Etherium Realm!"
"To the Etherium Realm..."
---
Etherium Realm:
After travelling through the void for several months, Shadow quickly opened a void portal in a stable space and teleported to the Etherium Realm.
Looking at the blue jewel that was their home, they couldn't help but relax.
"Etherium Realm..."
Just seeing its silhouette made all their fatigue melt away.
This dimension might not be the most beautiful, prosperous, or even large, but it was their origin, the dimension where they thrived and grew.
Seeing the Etherium Realm after their journey was deeply comforting.
"Don't worry; before we go to our next destination, we'll stay here for at least a hundred years," Maximus reassured them.
This would be their last rest before their sprint to master the River of Law.
This journey may not be dangerous or have a hostile environment, but it would be the longest they'd face so far.
From tens to hundreds of thousands of years, they would need to seclude themselves to master a river of law.
Hearing the news, his wives smiled unconsciously as Shadow smoothly entered the Etherium Realm.
---
Upon arriving at the castle, Maximus and his wives quickly met up with their children, whom he had called in advance.
"Father! Mothers! We missed you!" Lily and the others greeted them.
"Huhuhu, Mother, you've been gone for so long. Don't you love us anymore?" Lyla pouted.
"What are you talking about? We were only gone for over a thousand years!" Luna patted her head.
"But we missed you! How could you be gone for so long?" The others also grieved.
Max was proud of his son—muscular, strong, talented, and, most importantly, handsome. It seemed like a dream come true.
Unfortunately, his son was a bit timid, contrasting with his imposing appearance.
He preferred birds and flowers over blood and battles, paperwork over swords.
"He's very good-looking; it seems he takes after you," Maximus teased.
Opening Maxwell's panel, he could only marvel at its strength.
[Maxwell Shadowcrest
Age:150
Physique: Supreme Ultimate Might
Realm: Tier 9]
With his supreme-grade physique, Maxwell already had the highest potential among the second and third generations of the Shadowcrest family.
With the origin manual, each generation of the family would only be more and more talented.
"Maxwell, even your grandfather is praising your strength. You should stop helping manage the Etherium Realm and come fight with me!" Max urged.
Letting Maxwell stay in the Etherium Realm was a waste of his talent.
Even the Ashura Sect, recognizing his perfect fit for their path, had tried to recruit him for training.
Unfortunately, Maxwell was stubborn and refused, finding such battles meaningless.
"Dad, fighting and killing are your strengths. I'll stay here and guard our home," Maxwell said resolutely.
"That's right, Uncle Max! What's wrong with managing the Etherium Realm? Are you looking down on us?" Lance added.
With Maxwell in the Etherium Realm, Lance and his father had a lighter load to carry.
Furthermore, Maxwell was a true environmentalist, pouring his talents into the Etherium Realm, making it more prosperous and lively.
"Looking down on you?" Max shuddered.
Glancing at Liam, watching him, he couldn't help but gulp.
"No, no! You managing the Etherium Realm is the hardest job. Words aren't enough to thank you for your work!" Max hurriedly said.
Liam's presence, his elder brother's authority, was like a mountain; Max shuddered, regretting his careless words.
"Good, I thought you were belittling our work..." Liam replied with a bright smile that nearly stopped Max's heart.
As the brothers bantered, Lux approached his father with a nervous expression.
"What is it? Speak up if you have something to say. And where is Alice? I don't see her here," Maximus asked.
"Uh—Father, Alice is in the Elfalhn Realm, preparing for our wedding..." Lux muttered, blushing.
"What? You're getting married so soon?"
Maximus had thought the two, whose relationship had started from mutual interests, would wait much longer.
In the Shadowcrest family, marriage was reserved for couples truly in love.
Although it might seem insignificant to others, this sacred ceremony was an important family tradition.
Knowing Lux and Alice's situation, Maximus was a bit surprised they would marry this early.
"Alice and I decided much earlier; we were just waiting for you..." Lux replied.
After being together for over a thousand years, Lux and Alice's feelings for each other had grown far beyond mere interest.
Lux had learned to truly love Alice and, in turn, had grown to love Lux.
"I see...then we'll attend your wedding. When and where will it be?"
"Thirty years from now, in the Elfalhn Realm's Main Dimension."