In the boundless void, Seraphine sat upright and composed.
It had been two days since her last session researching the super-dimensional Real Number Channel.
Naturally, her attribute values had more than quadrupled during that time.
Attribute Panel:
[Host: Seraphine]
[Physical Strength: 9.6 trillion]
[Soul: 9.6 trillion]
Nearly ten trillion tons of physical force.
It sounded impressive, yet it still fell far short of Earth's total mass, around 6 sextillion tons.
Of course, if Seraphine went all-out, accelerating to near-light speed and slamming all ten trillion tons of power into the planet's surface, the resulting impact would be enough to collapse a world, annihilating a realm in the process.
But that wasn't enough.
What Seraphine desired was the ability to make a planet explode instantaneously, without any wind-up, without even moving.
And now, that goal was no longer far away.
Because at long last, the Martial Saint cultivation method she had yearned for had finally taken shape.
Previous theoretical models had suggested that for conventional Martial Artists, even those with solid foundational stats, each breakthrough through a Heavenly Gate would multiply their attributes by a factor of several times.
At best, reaching the pinnacle of cultivation might yield a ten-thousandfold increase.
But with Seraphine's absurdly vast attribute reserves...
Her projections suggested that, should she fully master this technique, her exponential growth per breakthrough could far exceed the conventional ceiling.
She had already given this method a name: "Skyroot Codex".
Setting aside the countless nuances and intricate cultivation details buried within the method,
Its core principle was simple:
To elevate the dimensional level of the 108 Great Apertures within the human body.
Yes, dimensional ascension of apertures.
Naturally, since these apertures already existed in three-dimensional space, they had hit a bottleneck. Further linear progress was impossible.
Thus, the only solution,
Was to ascend them to a higher dimension.
According to Seraphine's findings, apertures, these strange energy-organs that had no anatomical presence in the human body, were ultimately composed of elementary particles.
Not clunky atoms or bulky molecules.
Instead, apertures were primarily constructed from electrons, muons, and tau particles: leptons bearing clear quantum behavior, structured through layers of complex mathematics.
What differed from ordinary understanding was this,
Seraphine discovered that leptons could not be meaningfully measured in terms of spatial extension or secondary structure.
Theoretically, their "outer shell" or boundary with external space was so ambiguous, so faint, that it might as well not exist at all.
Furthermore, due to quantum uncertainty, elementary particles with no internal structure could, at different locations, exist as probability clouds spread across a defined space.
This "spread" could be interpreted differently depending on dimension:
A point moving forms a line (0D to 1D)
A line moving forms a plane (1D to 2D)
A plane moving forms a solid (2D to 3D)
A solid moving forms a hypercube (3D to 4D)
In short, elementary particles, especially leptons, were inherently pan-dimensional in nature.
They were not "tiny spheres" zipping around like in elementary school textbooks.
Rather, they were clouds of possibility, quantum presences with no definite form.
Even for hypothetical higher-dimensional lifeforms, the elementary particles comprising their bodies were still fundamentally the same as those in lower dimensions.
Thus, in theory, Seraphine could perceive and even strike such entities directly.
At least in this universe, so-called "brane-world compression" did not alter the core dimensional structure of elementary particles.
This property might feel counterintuitive at first glance,
But the universe was never designed for human comprehension.
It owes humans no clarity, no obligation to be simple.
It exists as it is, and it is up to humanity to understand, adapt, and transform that knowledge into strength.
Of course, Seraphine's conclusions were specific to this universe, deduced through extensive experimentation.
In other parallel or twin universes, the governing physical laws might differ entirely.
Following the cultivation route laid out in the "Skyroot Codex", Seraphine calculated that each breakthrough of a Heavenly Gate would allow her to increase the dimensional level of each aperture by 0.1.
Now,
That may sound small.
But this is no mere quantitative increase. It is a qualitative leap, a breach of dimensional limits.
Once all Nine Heavenly Gates are opened,
All 108 of Seraphine's Great Apertures would become 3.9-dimensional entities, poised just below the cusp of full fourth-dimensional existence.
And if she reached the peak of the Martial Saint Great Realm,
Then shattered the realm's ceiling itself,
Seraphine could even merge all 108 Great Apertures into a single unified entity,
Tempering her body and pulling it upward into a concrete, tangible Four-Dimensional Realm.
More importantly, the "Skyroot Codex" was not dependent on external Ether vitality.
Once she fully mastered it, she would no longer be bound by external sources of spiritual energy.
Instead, she could directly harness pure energy that exists exclusively in higher-dimensional space, fueling her cultivation and evolution from the source.
In other words, no matter where she was, no matter the time or place,
Seraphine would gain the freedom to evolve at will, anywhere in the cosmos.
During her earlier experiments with the Real Number Channel, she had already run a mixed series of theoretical and practical experiments aimed at higher-dimensional space.
However, since her body remained rooted in three-dimensional reality, the entire process had been difficult, the gains modest.
Still, Seraphine had uncovered something priceless,
Pure energy.
As is well understood in classical physics: in the three-dimensional world, no form of energy exists independently of matter.
Whether thermal, kinetic, magnetic, or chemical, it must always be expressed through or bound to matter.
But in higher-dimensional realms,
That rule breaks down.
Seraphine had confirmed through experimentation that completely independent, unbound, pure energy exists beyond three dimensions.
If this kind of high-dimensional pure energy could be absorbed into a three-dimensional being...
The resulting transformation in one's body and soul would be nothing short of revolutionary.
And the Skyroot Codex made that possible.
Opening her eyes slowly, Seraphine murmured to herself:
"But there's one prerequisite that must be solved first…"
To achieve aperture dimensional ascension, a cultivator needs only the most basic higher-dimensional sensory perception.
But as a native three-dimensional lifeform,
How was she supposed to acquire such a perception?
The cultivation codex offered a simple deduction:
Use the Real Number Channel to repeatedly leap through space.
Because at its core, the Real Number Channel traverses multiple dimensions.
Time within the tunnel itself nearly collapses, but as long as one continues passing through, and withstands the continuous impact of streaking high-purity, high-dimensional energy,
Then eventually,
The very act of enduring those dimensional distortions will stimulate an evolution in perception.
As for how many traversals are required?
30 billion times.
The Skyroot Codex was very clear:
After 30 billion spatial leaps, the probability of evolving higher-dimensional sensory faculties would reach 50%.
And beyond that point, each additional leap would slightly improve the odds further.
"Let's begin."
Her voice was soft, nearly inaudible.
The moment those words fell, Seraphine's form flickered,
Shifting a fraction of a millimeter in space, barely visible to the naked eye.
With her current reflex speed and the Real Number Channel's rapid turnover, she could perform,
One spatial leap per microsecond.
That's one million times per second, or 3.6 billion times per hour.
Meaning:
She wouldn't even need nine hours to surpass the 30-billion threshold.
Without a shred of hesitation,
Seraphine embarked on her long, patient march toward higher-dimensional evolution.
Seraphine had always possessed infinite patience when it came to her own growth.
Every single second, she would open and close the Real Number Channel 1 million times.
And each time, she was forcibly bathed in that mysterious, pure, higher-dimensional energy within a conduit she still couldn't quite perceive.
A million times every second.
Minutes passed, then hours.
In the vast silence of deep space, beyond the reach of any observer, Seraphine's body blurred, becoming a living probability cloud.
Every second, her position shifted a million times. The displacement was infinitesimal but relentless.
Time flowed on, stars shimmered, and Earth rotated slowly beneath it all.
The world hung suspended in an unnatural calm, the hush before the storm.
...
Meanwhile, far below the surface, deep within the Sapphire, in the chamber beneath the Sentience Realm Teleporter, two investigators handpicked by Seraphine stepped forward.
Alban and Sani approached the clone Seraphine's presence.
"Reporting in! Alban and Sani, ready for deployment!"
Seraphine looked up from the documents in her hand, smiling faintly.
"Good. Are you prepared?"
"We're ready!"
"Alright. Let's begin."
The two bowed respectfully toward Seraphine, then turned toward the staircase beside the Sentience Realm Teleporter.
Alban had recently cut his once-elegant, flowing hair into a neat buzzcut just a few centimeters long. The new look gave him an even sharper, more resolute appearance.
The energy radiating from his body had grown noticeably stronger, his aura now brushing the threshold of the Evershield Body realm.
Under Vale's guidance, his cultivation had progressed significantly. Soon, he would be able to begin cultivating Seraphine's personal method, the "Celestial Flute", and start refining his vital energy into Aether, a true step into the Mystic Aperture stage.
While Alban's martial talent was undeniable, his affinity with soul arts was even more profound. He had a deeper understanding of the arcane and supernatural than even Vale himself.
As for the other, Sani was taller and visibly more muscular, a powerful presence in his own right.
Also an elite from the Affairs Bureau, Sani was the one who had singlehandedly devised and flawlessly executed the takedown of the Chur family.
Though his martial cultivation was lower, only at the Metalborn stage, his compatibility with the Aurora Clan's [Laser Eye] superpower component was among the highest in the entire Bureau.
With his divine eyes ablaze with searing light, most Indestructible Furnace warriors couldn't even stand near him. Even those in the Evershield Body realm would be forced to confront him seriously in direct combat.
More critically, Sani possessed a rare and potent gift: exceptional spiritual perception. Since childhood, he had been able to sense ghosts, malevolent spirits, and other spectral entities that others couldn't.
When Seraphine synthesized all factors, Alban and Sani emerged as the only two who met all six of her strict criteria: mental strength, sensory acuity, willpower, investigative skill, cognitive stability, and that rare factor, luck.
...
THUD ~ THUD ~ THUD ~
Step by step, the two ascended the winding metal spiral staircase, soon reaching the top. There, they entered a recessed circular tunnel adjacent to a massive biochemical nutrient tank.
The walls and ceiling around them were completely covered with intricate circuit lines and components. These devices felt more like relics of an ancient magical formation than pieces of modern technology.
Pulsing from the strange machinery was an eerie array of lights, crimson, muddy gray, and toxic green, flickering and weaving shadows into the walls.
Then, Seraphine's voice echoed telepathically through their minds:
"I've placed a spiritual imprint on your bodies. Everything you experience will be recorded."
"Inside the Sentience Realm, be extremely careful. You must not forget this."
"Also, the bracelets on your wrists contain a cubic space stocked with food, tools, and weapons. Use them when the time comes."
"Understood!" the two replied in unison, their tones firm.
"Then, begin."
BZZZZZZZZZZ
The passage suddenly surged with crimson and green light. Streams of radiant energy flared to life, swirling rapidly within the tunnel.
The buzz grew louder until arcs of light burst from the walls, enveloping Alban and Sani at the center.
Like threads being spun, the energy wrapped around them layer by layer until the two were completely encased in a two-meter-wide sphere of pitch-black light.
Then, the tunnel walls began to change. Flowing symbols formed, simple drawings of eyes drifting across the metal surface like birds taking flight. They converged on the black sphere, bleeding into its surface like ink on water.
And the next instant,
POP
The sphere collapsed into nothing.
...
WHOOOOOOSH
SWISH, SWISH
Waves crashed. A misty moon cast silver light across the boundless sea. On the turbulent waters, a weather-beaten wooden boat cut through the waves, slashing toward some unknown destination.
Alban and Sani stood aboard, eyes wide, scanning their surroundings with confusion. Completely disoriented.
The moment the Sentience Realm Teleporter activated, both experienced a mental blackout. When they finally regained consciousness, they found themselves adrift on a solitary boat with no oars, no rudder, and no propulsion, yet somehow cutting through the water at incredible speed.
Alban turned to Sani and said calmly, "Alright, we'll take this one step at a time."
Sani gave a simple nod. "Right."
Just then, the wooden vessel came to a sudden halt, abrupt and unnatural. At that exact moment, a massive island emerged in their field of view. They exchanged a brief glance, then took advantage of the dim moonlight to step into the shallows.
TSS...
Alban secured the boat's rope to a jagged reef. Lifting his head, he stared into the pitch-black forest beyond the shore, a strange unease creeping into his chest. The island's dense, overgrown vegetation suggested scale, but why was it so utterly silent?
Not a single animal cry, no insect hum, no flutter of wings. Something was off.
"Her Highness said the Sentience Realm is always unstable," Sani muttered analytically. "But once it settles, it means we've crossed into a specific layer of reality."
Alban considered this, then nodded. "Alright. Let's give it a few minutes."
So the hai stood silently on the beach, waiting still as statues.
After only five minutes, the world around them shifted.
WHOOSH ——
A crumbling ancient castle materialized before them.
Under the pale moonlight, the ocean and beach had vanished.
In their place stood a ruined complex, built in the long-forgotten Eliondra architectural style.
Beyond the shattered castle walls, faint outlines of primitive dwellings and granite-built Western houses stretched into the distance.
All these structures shared one disturbing trait: not a single window.
Every house was sealed completely.
Sani narrowed his eyes.
His heightened senses picked up a heavy, cold, metallic scent in the air.
It was like a shrine desecrated after some unholy ritual.
No footsteps, no signs of life, yet the entire place reeked of Blood.
CRACK!
The loose stones beneath Sani's boots crumbled into fine dust, fragile as if eaten away by a dark, numbing presence.
"Ghost Qi," Sani said grimly. "No mistake."
Alban remained quiet, then nodded. "Yeah. There are Ghosts here."
He had already seen her.
A woman in white drifted several hundred meters ahead, wandering with no clear purpose.
WHOOSH ~
A sudden gust of wind swept across the ruins.
Alban stepped forward, closing the distance.
She didn't react, her face obscured by strands of jet-black hair, her movements mindless.
Sani caught up and squinted into her pale, expressionless face, staring into her lifeless eyes.
"Her Soul Power is extremely faint. She must've only recently become a Ghost."
Without warning, the woman lunged, clamping her hand around Sani's neck. Blood gushed from her orifices as her mouth stretched open in a grotesque scream.
"NYAH A A A A!!"
Sani remained calm.
He caught her jaw with ease, turning to glance at Alban.
"These little Ghosts," Sani said lazily. "I didn't even bother with them when I was seven. Completely worthless. You want to bring her back?"
Alban shook his head. "Toss her. No need to dirty Her Highness's eyes."
With a flick of his wrist, Sani sent the woman flying like a discarded rag doll.
Alban narrowed his eyes toward the looming shadow of the ancient castle.
He could feel it: Blood, malice, and a bone-deep chill. The area was brimming with restless, violent Energy.
"A Dreamscape? Or some kind of Domain?" he murmured.
Sani strolled over, breaking the tension. "Feels like the perfect set for a horror movie."
Alban gave a faint nod.
But in the next instant, a wave of pressure wrapped around their hearts.
BOOM!
The atmosphere thickened.
Plumes of Black Mist erupted from beneath their feet, swallowing the space around them like writhing demon serpents.
"Hee hee hee ha ha…"
From the depths of the mist, lights flickered erratically. Laughter echoed out, voices twisted in strange jubilation.
A beautiful woman's face, contorted in manic glee, materialized on the surface of the mist.
With a thunderous blast, it all vanished, consuming Alban and the others in the explosion.
...
In an enormous ballroom lit as bright as day, dozens of elegantly dressed people danced in abandon.
Several crystal chandeliers cast dazzling light across the vast banquet hall.
Near the high arched windows, a black-clad orchestra played a thunderous piece.
Lining the edges were banquet tables piled high with luxurious delicacies: Red Wine, Smoked Salmon, Steamed Escargot, and Roasted Lamb.
Alban and Sani stood in silence by a table.
They were the only ones not smiling.
All around them, people laughed and clinked glasses, but the two stood expressionless.
They turned and walked toward the grand double doors at the end of the hall.
No one stopped them.
CREAK~
The heavy doors swung open.
Their Mental Power stirred, primed to react.
Beyond the doorway was only a long, dark corridor.
Alban's expression turned grave. He strode to another large door at the end.
BANG!
He kicked it open.
The music suddenly surged, louder and more alive.
It was the same orchestra, the same piece, and another banquet hall identical to the first.
Dozens of guests twirled in a tireless waltz.
Sani narrowed his eyes.
"Temporal Loop," he said flatly.
He strode into the center of the ballroom and stomped hard.
BANG!
A low sound echoed as he launched upward, rocketing toward the ceiling.
CRACK!!
The ceiling shattered. A massive hole tore open, and a chandelier came crashing down, crushing several couples.
The remaining guests returned instantly to their revelry as though the mangled corpses didn't exist.
Sani climbed through the hole to the floor above.
It was another banquet hall, identical in every detail.
He seized a woman nearby, examining her.
"Standard biological structure," he muttered. "Flesh and Blood. Not a trace of Ghost Qi."
He helped pull Alban up through the hole.
Alban surveyed the scene, his expression darkening.
"You think we're stuck here?"
Sani shook his head. "Let me try something."
He crouched, and his eyes glowed with a brilliant crimson. Twin lasers erupted from them, stabbing downward through the floors.
BOOM!!
The searing beams tore through layer after layer.
The third floor, the fourth—all identical. Even the guests who had been killed were gone, replaced by others dancing with unchanged expressions.
Some of the injured, though bleeding and broken, were still limping through their waltzes with satisfied smiles.
As if they had achieved bliss.
Sani kept blasting downward.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Until he reached the thirteenth floor.
He stopped, exhaling. "This is getting ridiculous."
"I'll try something." Alban stepped forward and began circulating the Mindbind Art.
BZZZZZ
An invisible pulse spread out, but there was no feedback.
He turned to Sani. "These people are empty."
"They're Flesh and Blood, but no Souls. No Consciousness. Just empty sacks of meat."
Sani stood, crimson light flickering in his gaze again.
BZZZZ
The beams swept across the hall.
"AHHHH—"
More than half the room was engulfed in fire. Those who remained resumed eating and laughing an instant later.
Alban punched the ceiling overhead.
BANG!!
Stone exploded upward, revealing yet another identical hall above.
A twisted loop in every direction.
Sani let out a tired breath. "Let's sit. Save your strength."
He sat cross-legged and began chewing a piece of hardtack from his spatial bracelet.
Alban joined him, staring coldly at the swirling madness.
The guests danced on, never noticing the two men.
THUNK.
A chicken bone struck Alban in the chest.
Across the table, a thick velvet tablecloth lifted.
A ragged, filthy man peeking out from underneath stared directly at him.
"Heh… come here," the stranger rasped, gesturing with a grimy hand.
Neither of them had sensed this man before.
The filthy figure crawled out and walked over.
"Hey! I'm talkin' to you!" he called loudly in an obscure Emberlight dialect.
Sani scanned him. His clothes were tattered and stained with filth.
The man wore a grin that was strangely genuine.
"You look like someone who's been here a long time," Sani said dryly.