Iram Rai quickly recovered her spiritual energy. Without wasting time, she reached into her Soul Sea and summoned her divine artifact—the World Holder. Her brows furrowed the moment she laid eyes on it. Despite being a Godhood-level artifact, it had sustained visible damage. Tiny fractures laced its once-pristine surface, a consequence of the relentless Realm Tribulation it had endured.
The artifact's internal rules had been disturbed, causing a malfunction in its core operations. The runes etched within its essence—once flawless—were now distorted, disrupting its synchronization with realm-based laws. Because of this, many of its powers were failing to respond.
Determined to uncover the root of the problem, Iram Rai infused her soul power into the artifact and began a silent communication with the spirit dwelling within it. A moment later, a diagnostic window of the artifact's current state appeared before her inner vision:
---
[Artifact: World Holder]
Level: Godhood (Status: Damaged)
Feature 01: Teleportation — (Allows teleportation to a fixed location, usable once or twice per year): ❌ Not functioning.
Feature 02: Spatial Shield — (Creates a peak-God-level shield over 10,000 square kilometers): ❌ Not functioning.
Feature 03: Space Transfer — (Can store land or objects within a 10,000 sq. km range inside the artifact): ❌ Not functioning.
Feature 04: ???
Feature 05: ???
---
Divine Objects Required for Repair:
1. Spatial Rule Stone (Mid Quality) — 1
2. Five Elemental Stone (Mid Quality) — 1
---
Despite the damage, there was hope. All Godhood-level artifacts possess a regenerative capability—but only when supplied with the proper divine materials. Unfortunately, the items needed for this repair were exceedingly rare. Of the two, the Mid-Quality Spatial Rule Stone was considered nearly impossible to acquire. Even if one were to find it, powerful sects and noble families usually had control over such treasures, making it impossible to obtain without attracting unwanted attention or conflict.
As Iram Rai mulled over this realization, she let out a soft, exasperated sigh.
---
High above the Ice Ruins, the Realm Tribulation's divine thunder continued to strike the Bloodseed of Chaos. Yet no matter how many bolts rained down, the shield encasing the seed remained unharmed. It was as though the thunder, in all its fury, could not pierce through the divine will protecting it.
At that very moment, the flagship of the human emperor from the Empire of Blazehart reached the outskirts of the Ice Ruins. However, due to the chaotic nature of the realm's laws—warped by the intensity of the Realm Tribulation—the emperor, Isman, found himself unable to reach the exact location of the treasure. Even with his cultivation at the Soul Transformation stage, the turbulent spatial rules kept him at bay.
He turned toward his advisor to inquire about the situation, but before he could speak, his divine sense picked up another presence—another ship had entered the vicinity. It was the flagship of the Nivaria Kingdom.
---
Aboard the Nivaria Kingdom's Flagship—
Princess Sudhi noticed the Blazehart Empire's ship had arrived before them. Cautiously, she ordered her crew not to engage or approach the rival vessel. Instead, she directed her own flagship to advance toward the Ice Ruins. But the deeper they went, the more unstable the realm's spatial laws became. The ship soon struggled to maintain direction and altitude, forcing her to retreat slightly.
Turning to her trusted astrologer, Gomi, she asked with concern, "Why are the rules of this realm so chaotically unstable?"
Gomi studied the environment, silent for a moment. His expression turned grave as he finally answered, "Princess, I fear the treasure hidden here might be something far beyond the limits of Heaven and Earth. Its power... it might even be a Chaos Treasure."
Sudhi's heart skipped a beat. A Chaos Treasure? That would explain the terrifying instability of the realm's laws. Gomi's face turned pale as he continued, "And if that's true, cultivators from the Immortal Realms or even Godhood Realms may have already sensed its presence. The signs are too obvious. They may be en route—if not already watching from the shadows."
Sudhi shivered at the thought. If cultivators of such monstrous power arrived, this realm could very well become a sea of blood.
"But... if that were the case," she muttered, "Wouldn't my father have warned me using the communication token?"
Gomi shook his head. "Due to the erratic spatial rules, communication through those tokens may have failed. If so, your father's warning wouldn't have reached you at all."
Just then, a soft hum emanated from her communication token. A deep, urgent voice echoed in her mind—it was her father.
> "My daughter, leave the Ice Rule Realm at once. Make your way to the Water Rule Realm. The Ice Realm is on the verge of catastrophe."
Without hesitation, Sudhi ordered her pilot to steer the flagship away from the Ice Ruins and toward the nearest stable spatial zone, where teleportation could be performed. Her command was sharp: "Prepare everyone. We leave immediately."
---
Emperor Isman of the Blazehart Empire observed the sudden withdrawal of the Nivaria flagship and instinctively knew something wasn't right. His advisor, Amich, soon reported that Isman's own father had received word of potential clashes between top-tier Immortal Realm cultivators over the Chaos Treasure.
Grim-faced, Isman began preparations to return to his empire. A spatial teleportation platform was being constructed on the ship to evacuate both the royal crew and trusted cultivators back to the Blazehart Realm. Time was slipping through their fingers.
Worse, the Realm Tribulation continued to intensify, and its chaotic influence was spreading far beyond the Ice Ruins. Isman's instincts screamed at him to act quickly.
---
In a quiet room of a modest hotel in the fishing village of Chhoto Dariya, Iram Rai slowly opened her eyes. Her cultivation had helped her restore her spirit energy, but a minor soul injury remained. Unfortunately, she had no time to rest further. Any moment now, Immortal or Godhood-level cultivators might descend into the Ice Rule Realm. Once they arrived, the already fragile realm laws would collapse entirely, making escape almost impossible.
She cradled her child close to her chest and stepped out of the room. Using her Soul Transformation-level cultivation, she began her journey toward the Sea of Chaos.
As she glided across the sky, thoughts swirled in her mind.
To leave this realm, I'll need the help of a Chaos-class sea vessel—one capable of traversing unstable realms. But even that is fraught with risk.
These ships, operated by powerful merchant clans and commercial houses, weren't ordinary. Most were affiliated with top-tier organizations and were usually piloted by cultivators at the Soul Transformation stage. They ferried rare treasures, medicines, spiritual beasts, and more between realms, operating massive trade networks across the multiverse.
While it was possible to barter for passage using spirit stones, skill scrolls, or rare pills, the journey was never without danger. Pirates, space beasts, realm storms, and betrayal were constant threats. Still, it was her only choice.