Nearly a year passed since the sub-realm collapse event. Bai Lufeng cultivation made a breakthrough, reaching the late-Origin Core Realm after all this time. His eyes no longer contained a fractured light, but a clear and calm ripple. From time to time, a flash of an aurora shifted through his gaze.
After consuming the Seventh State Earth Pill, Bai Lufeng had restored his psyche. With this, his cultivation made a much-needed breakthrough and his soul leapt to the Aurora Soul Realm. With the proper resources, he immediately ascended without any issue.
Unlike before, his gaze contained a trace of wisdom that wasn't normally found in those who lived for three thousand years. He stood at the deck, staring at the realm before him with intrigue and excitement.
Tao's aura seemed to have experienced a change as well. His scholarly aura became more hardened. After just this short period, he realized his own weakness. His eyes contained unyielding resolve to change this. He stood beside Bai Lufeng with a sharp gaze.
Lang Xue was at the helm of the ship looking at the Sirius Titan Realm's outer space border. She felt indescribable feelings fluctuate in her heart.
Yan Zaizen stood beside his companions, his gaze focused on the entirety of the realm before him. When Pinaka informed him that the 'Titan' in the name was to describe its immensity, he didn't believe it, but when he saw it...he was converted to a believer. Any of the nine moons exceeded the three continents in the Xiantu Realm, combined.
The planet at the center of the realm exceeded the Deluge Realm in size alone. The two suns that rotated around the central planet seemed like moons instead of suns. The planet was that immense.
"There's one planet, nine moons, and two suns?" He was stunned with awe at this sight. In the Deluge Realm, there was a water sun, six planets completely comprised of water, and a single moon. However, this realm caused him to be further awed.
"Grand Sirius, the name of the planet." Lang Xue said with reverence. "The nine moons are called the Nine Earthly Moons. They house the top-tier experts, forces, and a vast majority of the realm's resident. As for Grand Sirius, it is not a place you live, but a place you explore."
"It is a planetary formation that's comprised of various trials. Due to the formation, there's no essence on the surface. It is as uninhabitable in the long-term as the Border Expanse." After she explained, all three of them were shaken to their core.
A planetary formation that is purely trials?
Wait.
As if she could conceive Yan Zaizen's thoughts before he even thought of it, Pinaka responded, "White Sirius Heavenly Monarch died. He didn't die by combat but by longevity limitations. Those at the Heavenly Creation Realm, depending on their stage, could live for millions of years, but he reached his limit. It's not as rare as you may think."
Yan Zaizen was enlightened. Dying because of longevity limitations was the greatest cause of death in the cultivation world. "To think...even Heavenly Monarchs can die this way." The struggle for life and time was the greatest struggle of the cultivation world.
He recalled Old Tai. His expression of happiness and profound thanks when Yan Zaizen gave him an opportunity at more years.
Will he one day be biting at death's door and clinging for life?
Putting these thoughts aside, Yan Zaizen commanded, "Let's go." With that, Lang Xue enthusiastically drove the realmship into the Sirius Titan Realm's outer space. The moment they entered, they felt an immense force press upon their bodies.
The realmship was pulled towards a certain direction forcefully. Besides Lang Xue, the rest were startled. "Gravity?!" Tao exclaimed in disbelief. He could tell that a gravitational force was pulling them towards the gigantic Grand Sirius. However, they were at the very edges? How could they be affected by its gravity?
"The Grand Sirius is the center of this realm. The suns and moons circulate around its orbit, not the other way around. The more we go, the stronger the force. You'll need strong bodies or cultivation to resist the pressure." Lang Xue explained with a slight chuckle. Tao and Bai Lufeng nearly tilted out of the realmship.
"A majority of cultivators in the realm cultivate the bodily path, using the gravity's force to enhance their strength. The actual surface is so difficult to withstand that without a strong body, you'll essentially turn into a pancake." Laughing, she continued to explain.
While she was having fun at Tao's and Bai Lufeng's awkwardness, Yan Zaizen's brows were furrowed. He sent his sense into the Meteor Ring. A coin was glowing slightly.
He arrived before it, picking it up with his soul form. Pinaka shimmered beside him. She saw the coin and her mouth pouted a little, as if she had complex feelings when she saw it. "This is Ma Xiuren's token. Wait…"
Did this mean?
"Is this Ma Xiuren's home?!" He was in literal shock. He had tried to get information about Ma Xiuren's home, but even the White Crane Sect had no clue. She was just someone who suddenly joined their group during the Asura Phantom Realm. They only knew she had a good body cultivation.
Looking at the coin, Yan Zaizen saw the 'Xiuhei' and 'Heaven' characters. He recalled Ma Xiuren. She had carried him out of the Asura Phantom Realm alive. During the exploration, they swept the fifth floor and he protected her from the Phantasm.
And…
He touched his cheek subconsciously.
She had the physique of a little girl. Yan Zaizen shivered at that thought. For some reason, even though he knew she was over three thousand years old, it still felt odd even considering. With a sigh, he kept the coin in the Meteor Ring.
Exiting, he realized they were flying towards the Grand Sirius. "Hm? Where are we going?" He asked Lang Xue.
She had a faint smile, "before I return home, I need to claim the last part of my inheritance." Her eyes flashed apologetically. Yan Zaizen shrugged. He waved his hand, sending Bai Lufeng and Tao into the Meteor Ring.
After all, the gravity was far too strong for them to withstand. If he let them on the surface, their fates would be pancakes and not the delicious kind.
Since he was here, he might as well check out this so-called trial formation planet left by a Heavenly Monarch. Nearing the planet, the gravity truly was incredible. Even him, with a thoroughly refined body, could feel the pressure. It's possible only True Essence experts could resist the pressure slightly.
Boom!
They pierced through the atmosphere with incredible speed. There were countless skyships lingering outside the orbit. Some of them seemed to even house entire clans or civilizations from the numerous life signatures from them.
He looked towards one large, nearly half a small moon-sized skyship. This was the first time he saw a skyship this size, but there were billions of life signatures on this skyship. He was beyond awed.
"The Nine Earthly Moons houses elite forces and a majority of the residents in the realm, but those ships, called Worldships, house the rest." Lang Xue explained.
In those worldships, forces below the third-level heavenly-tier stayed. Their entire clan, entire sects, and all ordinary mortals stayed in those gigantic ships, many of them orbiting one of the Nine Earthly Moons. Yan Zaizen was shocked by this. It seems the population of the realm made the Xiantu Realm seem like a small town.
There were thousands of worldships of varying sizes, carrying at a minimum of ten million life signatures. This frightened him. The sheer number of people left one speechless. He wondered how the society was different in comparison to the Xiantu Realm and Deluge Realm.
He recalled that Lang Xue was a gigantus and pale arctic wolf hybrid. He was interested in how divine beasts, normal beasts, and humans of different races interacted. After all, some of these worldships must have pure beast populations or mixed.
Was it like the Mystic Wave Continent or Presba? Filled with combat and competition?
As they dived deeper into the Grand Sirius, they passed eight layers of atmosphere before entering the actual planet. The gravity truly was nothing to scoff at. He rethought his previous assumption. He wasn't sure how strong one needed to be to stay here safely.
Luckily, the realmship was quite sturdy. Besides a creak here and there at sharp upturns, it stably held.
"Oh?" Yan Zaizen felt his heart race for a brief period. He looked around but found nothing. After a while, he focused elsewhere, dismissing his feeling.
"Thank you, once again. I'll owe you a favor for this." Lang Xue said. Yan Zaizen calmly nodded. He was happy to be able to see another piece of the myriad realms. He held endless curiosity and interest, so he wasn't angered. However, he didn't take her words seriously.