Returning to reality, Ethan Wynn did not immediately absorb all the memories from the simulation.
For someone who had only just been an ordinary mortal, taking in centuries of experience at once would have been overwhelming. His mind simply could not withstand it. It would have shattered his consciousness in an instant.
A gentle hum filled the air.
An invisible, unfathomable power descended upon him, nourishing his body like a quiet spring rain. It was subtle, silent. Not a single planetary-level fighter around him noticed anything unusual.
At his core, everything began to change.
His life essence condensed into a radiant golden core. His soul and true spirit fused perfectly, containing vast and refined immortal power. At the same time, he inherited the strength of Fiendgod body refinement at the Nascent Soul level.
When the transformation was complete, Ethan stabilized at the level of a Celestial Immortal.
Only then did the flood of memories begin to pour into his mind.
Though his original life had spanned just over twenty years, his current mental strength, willpower, and clarity far surpassed his past self. Assimilating those long centuries of experience was no longer difficult.
While watching the simulation, it felt distant. But now, truly experiencing those memories, he could not help but feel a quiet sense of awe.
That life had been filled with twists and hidden dangers at every turn.
Fortunately, he had acted cautiously throughout. He had avoided most life-and-death crises.
The talent he drew had also helped immensely. In the Grand Xia world, having two Primordial Soul cultivators as parents truly counted as a powerful background.
Ethan looked outward.
The spacecraft had already begun its descent onto a barren mineral planet. Above the sky hovered a massive, dark violet ship. Inside it stood the one overseeing the trial, a World Master named Zivka.
Behind Zivka stood two more World Masters at the ninth tier. A faint red mark rested between his brows, a clear sign that he had been acknowledged by the laws of the universe.
"This should be the final batch," Zivka said, his gaze sweeping across the endless void. "Once they land, the Blood Demon Trial will officially begin."
Below, the mineral planet was already filled with billions of planetary-level fighters.
Some of the weaker-minded had collapsed onto the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Something feels off.
Ethan narrowed his eyes as he carefully sensed his surroundings.
The energy within his body posed no issue. It did not conflict with the laws of the Original Universe.
But the deeper rules… were different.
For example, the Dao of Space and Balance he had mastered. He had intended to use it to teleport away instantly. But now, he felt resistance everywhere, as if the world itself rejected that method. He would need time to adapt before it could function properly.
In both systems, power came from two aspects: raw energy and the mysteries of the Dao. The further one progressed, the more important the Dao became.
In his original world, comprehension of the Dao also carried inherent power.
But here…
It was as if that power had been stripped away.
Right now, Ethan's strength relied only on his golden core and his mastery of technique.
I'll have to adapt on the fly.
He remained calm, waiting for the right moment.
His plan was simple. Leave quietly without attracting attention.
Provoking the Blood Demon King would be suicide. That was an Immortal of terrifying power. Even at full strength, Ethan would be crushed without effort.
As for the billions of planetary-level fighters here… there was nothing he could do for them.
The ship finally landed.
With a thunderous rumble, hundreds of thousands were driven out at once. Ethan blended into the crowd, keeping a low profile.
Billions gathered together, their killing intent so dense it felt almost tangible. The sky itself seemed dimmer under its weight.
"The Blood Demon Trial begins now!"
Zivka's voice echoed across the planet, filled with cold excitement. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he licked his lips.
In that instant, chaos erupted.
Energy blasts and spiritual attacks surged in every direction. Most participants fled immediately, desperate to find a safe place to hide.
Others had already begun killing.
Blood stained the ground within moments.
Without the memories from the simulation, Ethan might have been sickened by the sight. Now, he remained composed.
Silently, he activated an invisibility technique.
At his level of mastery, even most Void-level or Primordial Soul cultivators would fail to detect him at close range.
"Lord Zivka," a Domain Lord overseeing the battlefield reported, "a planetary-level fighter just… disappeared. Completely."
"I've confirmed it with the ship's AI. He vanished instantly."
Zivka appeared in the control room in a flash.
On the massive screen, the footage replayed. It zoomed in precisely on the moment Ethan vanished.
"He hadn't even started fighting yet," one staff member said. "And even in battle, it's impossible for a planetary-level fighter to be erased without a trace."
"Should we locate him?"
Zivka raised a hand, silencing him.
He replayed the footage again.
There it was. Hidden among the crowd, then gone.
The AI confirmed it.
At that very moment, Ethan was already high above the planet.
He had not yet fully adapted to the spatial laws of this universe. His movement techniques could not achieve true teleportation.
Still, he could fly.
The suppression on speed in the Original Universe is surprisingly low.
He maintained a controlled speed of three thousand meters per second, carefully suppressing all fluctuations.
If he pushed himself, he could likely approach sub-light speed.
In other worlds, even the most powerful beings were bound by the limits of heaven. Here, things were different.
"Go. Use your World Projection to search," Zivka ordered one of his guards.
The guard nodded and flew out.
In an instant, a vast projection spread outward, covering a hundred thousand kilometers.
Though carefully controlled to avoid disturbing the planetary-level fighters below, the sheer presence of it froze them in place. Mountains, rivers, valleys, entire landscapes manifested within the projection like a divine vision.
To them, it felt like witnessing a god.
Damn it.
Ethan's expression darkened slightly.
He had kept his speed low to avoid attention. But against a World Projection, concealment was useless.
Moments later, the guard locked onto him.
"There!"
The World Master charged forward.
Ethan stopped holding back.
He cultivated both the Dao of Lightflow and spatial techniques. When it came to speed, he excelled.
In an instant, countless streaks of light erupted around him.
He shot forward at near light speed, breaking free from the planet's range in a blink.
Zivka's expression grew serious.
If someone escaped this openly, he would be held accountable under the Blood Demon King's strict rules.
"Pursue him," Zivka ordered coldly. "Find out who he is."
"If anything seems off, report immediately."