The young woman and the gaunt man stood stiffly before the Guardian Spirit, already accepting their fate. But the Spirit's voice turned gentle as it addressed them, "You two need not despair. The scriptures you found drifting in the Edge originated from nearby galaxies. If you travel there, you will eventually discover the sects that cultivate the divine concepts you have already awakened, and you will be able to join them."
The reassurance eased some tension. The young woman's shoulders relaxed slightly, though her grandfather remained rigid.
The old man could not hide the heaviness in his gaze; his hands trembled at his sides. The Void Sect was clearly a powerful Great Sect, perhaps the greatest opportunity their galaxy had ever seen. What he had obtained from the Edge, by comparison, felt paltry, a discarded fragment, likely deemed unworthy by whatever cultivator had tossed it into the void.
By guiding his granddaughter to cultivate that scripture, he had unintentionally cost her, and himself, a chance to enter the Void Sect.
His granddaughter touched his arm gently, "Grandpa, it's alright."
He said nothing.
The other ancient cultivators exhaled audibly, relief washing across their faces. Several exchanged glances, silently acknowledging their fortune. They had not touched any of the five concepts required by the Void Sect. Their restraint, or perhaps mere luck, had preserved their eligibility.
But the Guardian Spirit wasn't done; their relief was short-lived.
"There is another criteria."
The hall stilled.
The Spirit continued, "In the future, you will cultivate your second Rule Core, and that core also requires specific concepts. If any of you have already used those seeds for unrelated divine fusions, then you are ineligible to join our sect."
Several of the ancient cultivators tensed immediately.
"The concepts required for the second divine concept are a sect secret; they cannot be revealed to outsiders. Instead, present your divine essence one at a time. I will determine your compatibility."
One by one, eight ancient cultivators stepped forward.
The first, a broad-shouldered man with silver hair, manifested his divine essence, a swirling fusion of metal and lightning that crackled faintly. The Guardian Spirit studied it for only a moment.
"Compatible."
The man exhaled and stepped back.
The process continued. Each cultivator revealed their divine essence with varying degrees of confidence.
The Spirit inspected their divine essence with ease. With its Astral Core, it was intimately familiar with the structure of the arcane concepts used in both divine concepts required by the Void Sect.
By the end, two more cultivators were deemed incompatible.
They stood beside the young woman and the gaunt man, expressions carefully neutral, though disappointment bled through their composure.
The four who could not join the Void Sect received small golden tokens from the Spirit.
"These tokens permit passage beyond the barrier encasing your galaxy. You may leave and pursue your future elsewhere."
The Guardian Spirit turned to the rest, "You are all eligible to enter the Void Sect. But none of you are forced. If you wish, you may also choose to walk your own path through the universe. If you join, you will begin as outer disciples. Once you cultivate your Rule Core, you will become inner disciples."
The hall was silent.
Alice broke the silence first, "What tier is the Void Sect's foundational divine concept?"
"Ultimate."
The word shook everyone present.
Alice's eyes widened, "Ultimate-tier… meaning ninety percent authority at Peak Rule Stage."
"Correct," the Guardian Spirit replied, "But never forget, authority is meaningless without the mana and willforce to support it. Even an Ultimate-tier divine concept falters if its wielder lacks the energy to command it. And to access its peak power, you must first reach the Peak Rule Stage. It's a long road."
Lysandra leaned forward slightly, "How long?"
"Perhaps tens of millennia. Some never reach it at all."
Even so, the implications were enormous. If the first divine concept was Ultimate-tier, the second one required for the Astral Core surely was as well. That meant the Void Sect was practically guaranteeing its disciples a future of unimaginable power, provided they had the talent to survive.
Lysandra voiced a different question, "What of those who choose to travel freely? What becomes of them?"
"You may cultivate independently, seek other sects, or even attempt to forge your own divine concepts. The universe is vast and full of opportunities. But remember, without proper guidance, the risk of crippling your future is immense. A single poor fusion, one incompatible Essence Seed, and your entire cultivation path ends."
The four rejected cultivators lowered their gazes. The young woman's fingers tightened around her token. They didn't even know if the divine concepts they had taken came from great sects or worthless ones. Their futures were uncertain.
Adrian, meanwhile, felt everything falling into place.
He thought of his path from here. He now knew clearly about the future cultivation stages, and with that, he could see that the divine concepts didn't seem to be his proper path. He could follow it on the side, but his main path seemed to be connected to his Source.
Even the Astral Stage granted only ninety-five percent authority. The final five percent was hoarded by reality itself.
Yet his Source Domain had shown him something else entirely: one hundred percent authority, complete obedience from reality itself, when he tested it.
But that still had limits.
Against the Demon Emperor, who wielded only a mid-tier divine concept, with just that, he was able to fight against his source and claim some authority; his current level of purity, mana, and willforce had nearly failed him.
And if he went against someone with an Ultimate-tier divine concept at Peak Rule Stage, he might not win. Even if he used his Source Form and Absolute Source Order, his mana and willforce likely weren't enough.
This would change if he comprehended more arcane concepts.
But, even if he had his own unique path, joining the Void Sect felt right, not for his own sake, but for his people. If he could carve a space for them in the universe, then they would rise together.
And he refused to walk a path that left everyone he cared about behind.
So he asked, "If I want to bring my people into the Void Sect, how can they enter?"
The rulers leaned forward in unison; they too had this same question.
The Guardian Spirit answered, "The requirements are similar, they must pass the trials of the Edge structures. And there is one more condition, they must comprehend the Space Concept to at least the Basic Galactic Level and form its Essence Seed."
"Space comprehension is rare and hard," the Spirit continued, "It ensures that those who enter the Void Sect have both talent and potential. Those who used natural treasures to form their Space Essence Seed will not qualify unless they later comprehend the concept by themselves."
The Spirit's energy pulsed once, as if emphasizing the point.
"And as you can see, all of you have already passed this requirement."
The rulers fell silent. They understood immediately how difficult the requirement was. Space was notoriously profound; even with knowledge spheres, thousands of years might be required for someone to comprehend it.
Adrian frowned. This condition would bar the overwhelming majority of his people. Even the core members, with all their talent, would take centuries to qualify.
As he silently calculated how impossible this seemed for billions of Origin citizens, the Guardian Spirit waved its hand, and a shimmering portal opened in the chamber.
"This portal leads to a galaxy where a branch of the Void Sect resides. You may step through now."
The ancient cultivators did not hesitate. Seven of them walked directly into the portal, their excitement and determination written on their faces.
Only the old man stayed behind, torn by the sight of his granddaughter, who could not join. He clenched his fists.
The young woman touched his arm, "Grandpa."
He didn't respond, his gaze remained fixed on the portal.
The rulers also remained still; they could not just abandon their empires overnight. Their people needed guidance, transitions, and preparation.
The Guardian Spirit understood their hesitation and addressed them all, "Understand this clearly, the path of cultivation is solitary. Companions may travel beside you, but no one can climb in your place. Attachment becomes a chain that grows heavier the higher you ascend."
Then the Guardian Spirit's focus locked onto the old man, "If you stay for your granddaughter, you are essentially crippling your own future by ignoring such a chance. You could wander the universe, but with this weakness, you will never reach the heights meant for those who walk alone."
The old man's jaw trembled.
The Guardian Spirit then turned toward Adrian and the rulers, "If you choose to remain for the sake of others, that is your decision. But know that you sever your chance at reaching the peak with your own hands."
The rulers were silent.
Adrian stepped forward, "So you're saying that for power… we must abandon the people we care about?"
"I am saying that attachments will prevent you from reaching heights where your strength truly matters. They keep you weak."
Adrian's gaze sharpened. This was a clash between their ideals; to the Guardian Spirit, attachments meant shackles, for Adrian, it was Life.
"Even if I reach the peak, what is the point of reaching it if you have no one left to share it with?"
The Guardian Spirit's energy flickered, pulsing with something that might have been annoyance, "Cultivation is not about sentiment, it's about survival, evolution, transcendence. Ideals such as yours are childish."
Adrian's voice hardened, "Didn't you tell us to doubt everything? Then why can't I doubt this? Why must I accept the idea that strength must separate me from everyone else?"
The Guardian Spirit let out a sound that resembled laughter, "You may doubt anything you wish, but this is the most foolish stance you could take. I have observed your journey and your Origin Path. I can see what your intentions are. You seek to bring an entire empire with you into the universe, but you do not grasp how impossible that is."
"The Void Sect offers a chance that billions dream of. Yet you hesitate because you want to carry others with you? This ideal of yours is the fastest way to die in the universe."
The Guardian Spirit halted for a second. Its master, the Void Emperor, had clearly ordered that it should bring Adrian into the Void Sect, and Adrian, having these kinds of ideals, was affecting his own future. It needed to stop him from taking the wrong path, and this was even the reason it was giving this speech now.
Still, to be on a safer side, it said, "If you insist on clinging to this naive ideal, the path is open. Return to your empire and try; the impossibility will reveal itself."
Adrian tilted his head, "Fine. Let me face that impossibility."
He turned toward the rulers, "What about all of you?"
Lysandra stepped forward with certainty, "I'm not leaving my people behind."
Alice nodded, "Nor I."
Drazmir nodded.
Zerathul and Seranth exchanged glances, then inclined their heads in agreement.
The old man, moved by conviction of these younger beings, clasped his granddaughter's hand, "Ophira… come. We'll wander the universe together."
Ophira nodded, tears shimmering in her ancient eyes, "Yes, Grandpa."
The Guardian Spirit sighed, if such a thing could be called a sigh. "Think carefully. None of you can walk into the universe with your entire world in hand. To dream of lifting everyone with you is naive; to defy reality is ignorance."
Its energy condensed, pressing down on the chamber, "Either walk the path alone… or remain shackled by your attachments."
Adrian looked directly into the Guardian Spirit's energy form, "Let me tell you something."
The space around him began to shimmer faintly, white-grey essence bleeding through without his conscious effort.
"Not just you, even if the entire existence stood in front of me and told me my decision is stupid, ridiculous, impossible, I have only one thing to say."
The Guardian Spirit unconsciously straightened, sensing an extremely strong will from Adrian. Sometimes, when a being spoke their true will, that beings entire willforce would back it, and now the Spirit felt Adrian's, and it felt shocked, because the willforce was too strong for a mortal.
The rulers felt it too.
Even the old man and Ophira staggered back half a step.
Adrian smiled faintly, the expression utterly devoid of humour.
"FUCK OFF!"
The words detonated through the chamber like an essence force. The Guardian Spirit recoiled, its energy form flickering violently.
Adrian's willforce surged, not as an attack, but as a declaration. Absolute, unyielding, immovable.