957-969 nameless

Chapter 957: In the Realm of Gods

A great amount of pain later, Rean's group was finally able to get up once again. Fortunately for them, no demon beast or anything like that tried to attack them during the transformation. "Sigh...can you tell where the system brought us at least, Sister Orb?"

[I would love to, but it doesn't seem to have any information available.]

"What do you mean by that? The system was the one who said that it found these coordinates, wasn't it? How come it has no other information?" Rean said in response.

[That's the weird part. It only found the coordinates on its own. It doesn't say why it selected it or if there was even any reason whatsoever. Perhaps the system considered that using the demon beasts' portal wasn't a good idea.]

Kentucky couldn't help but point out...after recovering from his sadness from joining them against his will. "Isn't that bad? If the system brought us here because it wanted to keep us safe, doesn't that mean Calina, Qia, and Zuo are in danger? They weren't transferred to this place like we were."

Rean and Roan narrowed their eyes in response.

[As I said, it's only a possibility. There isn't enough information to reach that conclusion. Who knows? They might be in an even better situation than ours.] Sister Orb tried to ease the mood.

Roan then shook his head and put those thoughts behind, saying, "Whatever. Since there's no way to know that for now, we might as well ignore it for the moment." As always, he was very direct. "So, do you at least know where we are, Sister Orb?"

[No idea.] Sister Orb was as useless as ever.

Without much choice, everyone could only take flight and check their surroundings...or so they tried. "We can't fly?" Everyone noticed that they simply couldn't leave the ground at all.

[You can't. Only those above the Transition Realm can fly in the Realm of Gods.] Sister Orb explained.

"Above the Transition Realm?!" Kentucky exclaimed before he immediately closed his beak with his wings. One couldn't talk about the Transition Realm, or they would be punished by the heavens...or that's how it was supposed to be. "Errr...nothing happened?"

[Yeap. The restriction to talk about the Transition Realm only happens in the Realm of Mortals. That's because you need to reach the Transition Realm if you wish to ascend to this place. In the Realm of Gods, the Transition Realm doesn't mean much, so the heavens here simply don't care if you talk about it or not.]

"I see..." Kentucky sighed in relief. He saw how powerful the backlash was once, so he was afraid he wouldn't even survive.

Roan ignored Kentucky as he changed the topic. "So, only those at the Transition Realm are able to fly. I quite like it."

Rean, who was still worried about Qia, couldn't help but ask, "Do you know if there's a way to go where Qia and the others were transported?"

[No. I don't even know where we are. How can I know where they're located? I have no idea whether we were teleported somewhere close or on the other side of the Realm of Gods altogether. Well, at least they have the Golden Drohare with them, so hiding shouldn't be an issue if necessary.]

Roan noticed an important point in Sister Orb's words. "You said 'the other side of the Realm of Gods.' Do you mean that we're on the same planet?"

[Not exactly.] Sister Orb replied. [Well, you aren't totally wrong. The Realm of Gods is a ridiculously huge landmass. Let alone one planet, even if you fit hundreds of thousands of planets worth of land, you wouldn't get even close to the total size of the Realm of Gods. Don't ask me how far it extends because I have no idea. Some even believe the Realm of Gods might be infinite. Of course, I don't think that's true.]

Rean then looked at the skies and finally understood something. "No wonder it's daytime even though I can't see a sun. Does the Realm of Gods have nighttime?"

[It does. It's just that you won't see any stars, just a long and dark sky that extends forever. As for why we have daytime, I have no idea. Maybe it's because of the Divine Energy. Perhaps some power is acting over the land. Who knows?]

Celis waited for Sister Orb to give all that explanation before finally asking about what mattered the most for him. "What is this Divine Energy? Can we use it for cultivation? How good is it? Is there anything we must pay attention to before absorbing this energy? What was the transformation we passed through?" 

[That's a lot of questions. Alright, the answer to your first question first. Divine Energy is what you could call the Realm of Gods' Spiritual Energy.]

[The answer to your second question. Yes, you can use it for cultivation.]

[As for the third question, it's infinitely superior to Spiritual Energy. It can keep the foundation a lot sturdier during cultivation. It makes it easy to find one's path. Breakthroughs happen more easily as well. Also, there are no impurities in Divine Energy, so the more, the better.]

[For the fourth question...no, there isn't anything you need to pay attention to while absorbing it. However, I recommend revising your cultivation manual if you have any. You will see that Divine Energy acts very differently inside your body. Oh well, Celis and Kentucky are demon beasts, so I believe they don't even have cultivation manuals to start with. As for Rean and Roan, the system will modify your manuals automatically.]

[If there's anything bad about it, then it's probably the restrictions it applies to one's body. For example, you can't fly without being a bird with wings before the Transition Realm. There's also the issue of Divine Sense not reaching very far. By the way, it's called Divine Sense here, not Spiritual Sense. Roan tried to use Spiritual Sense before the transformation, so if you try to use Spiritual Sense right now, you will see that it changed as well. That's Divine Sense.]

[And lastly, the fifth question. The transformation was done so that your bodies could absorb Divine Energy into your dantians and cores. After all, they were made to hold Spiritual Energy so far. Naturally, they couldn't do the same with Divine Energy. Take a quick look at your meridians, dantians, and cores. You'll see what I'm talking about.]

Rean's group nodded and tried everything Sister Orb talked about.

Chapter 958: The Lake

Sister Orb was correct about the first thing about Divine Energy. Rean's group could tell that it moved a lot easier in their meridians. However, because it was a higher type of energy, it was also more powerful. That being said, their dantians and cores couldn't hold more than a third of the amount they could keep before with Spiritual Energy.

Roan then raised his hand and used the Divine Energy to gather Dark Element. Immediately, he noticed the difference, saying, "My speed is just a tenth of what I could do before."

Rean and the others tried to do the same thing and noticed the same issue. "Indeed. It's so hard to gather elements now."

[That's one more restriction of the Realm of Gods' Divine Energy. You must understand that although it's higher quality energy, it's definitely harder to control and use. On the other hand, you definitely can't surpass the Transition Realm without it. In fact, you four are already doing very well for your cultivation level, especially Rean and Roan, who have the system's support.]

Sister Orb gave some good news after that, continuing, [However, there is something good about Divine Energy. The fact that you need a lot less of it than you would need Spiritual Energy to breakthrough. How long do you think you would take to enter the Peak Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm back in the Realm of Mortals?]

Roan pondered in silence for a bit before answering, "Considering all the help we had with Celis's abilities, I believe it would take around four to five years."

[Hehe! I'll be surprised if you don't break through in less than a year now,] Sister Orb replied with confidence.

Kentucky was happy to hear those words. "That fast? Perhaps it isn't all that bad to come to this place."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Celis asked.

[I don't think so. If I remember anything, I'll let you know.]

Everyone nodded as they quickly jumped on Kentucky's back. In the end, having the Minokawa with them still allowed their group to fly. "Try to go very high, Kentucky. We want to check where we are at the moment."

Kentucky nodded as he flapped his wings. However, it was a lot harder to leave the ground than usual. "So difficult...I feel like my body is being pulled down with a lot more strength."

Roan wasn't surprised by that. "That's because the gravity is a lot higher as well. It's at least twice as high compared to what we felt in the planets in the Realm of Mortals. This is a good thing for physical training, though."

[Oh, right. It's good that you said that. The Realm of Gods' gravity isn't the same everywhere. Some places might be hundreds of times worse, while others would feel akin to moving in space. Of course, you'll need to travel a ridiculously long distance to start feeling the difference between areas, so don't worry about it happening all of a sudden.]

Kentucky kept going higher and higher, finally allowing the twins' group to see more of the place where they landed. "So, we landed in the middle of a wasteland, huh?"

The region they were in seemed to be completely arid. There were a few small plants here and there, but those ones were native to such environments. With the Minokawa's greater vision, Kentucky could spot something in the distance. "There's movement far ahead. Wanna get close to check?"

Rean, Roan, and Celis checked their surroundings a bit more before nodding. "Sure, go ahead."

Sometime later, they finally got close to the creature. It looked like an armadillo but had three tails and a horn. It was also several times bigger than a normal armadillo. As soon as the armadillo noticed the arrival of Rean's group, it began to excavate before disappearing into the ground.

Rean's group didn't mind it too much, saying, "Well, at least it served to test out Divine Sense."

Celis agreed as he could not help but say, "Indeed. Divine Sense makes us view our surroundings a lot clearer. However, I couldn't see more than ten or so meters ahead of myself. It was good that Kentucky got close enough before it left completely."

Rean and Roan were a little better. After all, everyone knew that Spiritual Sense, or Divine Sense, in this case, had never been the forte of demon beasts. "We can see as far as 15 and a half meters, but nothing more than that. I wonder if a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator can see anything at all."

[Hmm...I would say they can see up to half a meter if they have very strong souls.] Sister Orb mentioned as they asked that question.

Kentucky once again took to the skies and flew forward, trying to find anything else. Eventually, it spotted something in the distance. "I think I can see a lake there." 

"A lake? Here? It's probably an oasis then, no?"

Kentucky shook his head, saying, "I don't know. I'll get closer to take a look."

As Kentucky flew in the lake's direction, he began to see more. "There seems to be a lot of demon beasts around it. Can't tell what their levels are, though."

Roan then noticed something else. "They seem to be waiting for something."

Indeed. All the demon beasts waited outside of the water, looking at the lake and nothing else. Even when Kentucky approached, their attention didn't focus on the newcomers. Yes, they completely ignored the arrival of Rean's group. "Seems like it's normal for more competition to appear as they don't seem to care about us."

The majority of the demon beasts were either at Stage Two or three. At least that was as far as their Divine Sense could check. However, it didn't matter as their group quickly noticed that this place didn't only have demon beasts. On the other side of the water... "Oh! There's a caravan there."

"A caravan?" The attention of Rean's group was immediately piqued as they looked where Kentucky was pointed. "Hey, there're humans here as well. Let's go there take a look."

However, just as Kentucky was about to fly above the water, Rean and Roan saw the red color of killing intent.

Chapter 959: Divine Stream Lake

"Stop, Kentucky!" Roan exclaimed, immediately forcing Kentucky into a halt.

"What? What happened?" Kentucky was obviously confused to hear Roan shout all of a sudden.

Roan didn't explain and simply told him what to do. "Don't go above the lake. Retreat slowly. Understood?"

Kentucky nodded and flapped his wings back, leaving from the side he came. He soon left the lake area, which gradually made the killing intent disappear. Only then did Kentucky see that all the demon beasts around the lake were looking at him. "This..."

Once Kentucky got far enough from the lake, the demon beasts finally turned their attention back to the water, ignoring his existence.

"From the looks of it, the demon beasts don't want anyone to enter the lake. Even though you were going to fly above it, they thought you wanted to enter instead," Roan explained why the demon beasts acted like that.

"I see..." Kentucky then looked at the caravan on the other side of the lake. " Alright, I'll go around it then."

This time, none of the demon beasts cared about Kentucky flying above them. Surprisingly, Rean and Roan's Divine Sense felt the presence of an Initial Stage Five Demon Beast that looked like a lizard. Nevertheless, it also ignored their existence.

Eventually, Kentucky landed close to the caravan, where Rean's group could now see a few more humans. That wasn't all, though. Other than humans, there seemed to be other humanoid races in that group, with one looking very much like Lakures! 'To think we would find Lakures in this place...'

Of course, due to Kentucky's size, the group also noticed their presence. Rean then approached the caravan before the guards barred his path. One of them asked coldly, "What do you want?"

Rean smiled in response, saying, "Hello, my friends. We don't want to create any problems. It's just that my friends and I are lost and would like a little bit of information. Would you mind telling us about this place and if there's a city nearby?"

The guards looked at each other for a moment and were just about to drive Rean out when suddenly, a female voice came from inside one of the caravans. "Let him and his human friend pass. Just tell your demon beast and tree to stay outside."

The guards were taken aback by those words, muttering, "But, Lady Cyntia..."

"Enough." The voice stopped them from continuing. "You can't feel their cultivation with your Divine Senses because the difference is too big. These two men are both in the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Do you think you can stop them if they want to force their way in?"

The guards let out cold sweat as they looked at Rean and Roan. Sure, it was easier to cultivate in the Realm of Gods. However, it didn't mean every single person could reach the Nascent Soul Realm. Well, this was obviously a desolate place, and two simple guards were already in the Late and Peak Stage of the Core Formation Realm, respectively. If it was on the planet with the Zasfins or even Sunkan, Core Formation Realm experts wouldn't do such common jobs.

Rean immediately bowed in the caravan's direction. "Thank you for receiving us. Know that we have no intention of doing anything against your group. We really are just lost."

"I know." Suddenly, an old woman came out of the caravan as she looked at Rean and Roan. "I already noticed when your demon beast tried to fly above the Divine Stream Lake. Only an idiot or someone who doesn't know what's happening would try to do that when the lake is about to transform. You were lucky to have noticed the issue fast enough and retreat. Otherwise, all the demon beasts here would have attacked you without mercy."

"Divine Stream Lake? Transformation What is that?" Naturally, Rean and Roan were curious.

"Didn't you say you only wanted to know how to reach the nearest city?" the woman asked in response to Rean's question.

Rean scratched the back of his head and nodded. "Well, that's true." Noticing that the other humans of the caravan weren't looking at him and Roan with good eyes, Rean gave up the idea of asking more about the lake. It was then that the woman finally got close enough to the twins for them to see her cultivation. 

'Late Stage Soul Transformation!'

Rean and Roan couldn't help but remember Sister Orb's words about this place having a better cultivation environment. It was the first time talking with humans in the Realm of Gods, and on top of that, they were in the middle of nowhere. Nevertheless, a Soul Transformation Stage already appeared in front of them. 'No wonder she knew our cultivation beforehand. With her cultivation, her Divine Sense could obviously go further than ours.'

The woman then looked at the lake and sighed, saying, "Oh well, whatever. It's not like this is any secret to start with. Instead, it would be a lot harder to find someone who doesn't know about the Divine Stream Lake like your group."

Rean immediately bowed to the old woman and replied, "Thank you, Lady Cyntia. By the way, my name is Rean, and the dead body on my side is my brother, Roan."

Cyntia nodded before explaining, "The Divine Stream Lake appears randomly in our Yukirrom Region. Every time one is spotted, it will attract all the demon beasts around it. Although it looks like it, the lake isn't really made of water. Instead, it's concentrated Divine Energy, or liquid Divine Energy, as some would like to say. However, one can't use it for cultivation in that state. It's also impossible to store it. One has to wait until the lake transforms and use that moment to cultivate."

"What do you mean by transformation?" Roan asked.

"As I said, it appears randomly, but it disappears eventually. When that happens, the lake will turn back into normal Divine Energy. It's just that there will be a lot of it at once. All the demon beasts here are waiting for it. Obviously, we are the same. We were just lucky to have bumped onto it."

Celis, who was currently far away, had his eyes lit up after that. Even though he wasn't close, he could hear their words. 'Interesting.'

Chapter 960: Talking Demon Beasts

"When will it happen?" Rean asked, who was obviously interested as well.

"Who knows?" Unfortunately, Cynthia didn't know either. "Usually, it happens between one to two weeks, but it isn't guaranteed. By the way, we have already been waiting for five days. As for how long this Divine Stream Lake has been here, we don't know. It could have been an hour, or it could have been an entire week."

Roan, on the other hand, was more interested in the information regarding this region. "Can you tell us a bit more about the Yukirrom Region?"

Cynthia found it strange, saying in response, "Wait, you don't even know that? Just where have you been living until now? Even if you lived in the neighboring regions, you should at least have heard about us."

Roan shook his head in response, coming up with a quick excuse. "Because of some circumstances, we were teleported away from our own region. Perhaps you know the direction for us to go back. Have you heard about the Turis Region?"

Hearing Roan's words, Rean couldn't help but ask him through their soul connection, 'Turis Region? What's that?'

Roan snorted in response, replying, 'There's no such thing as Turis Region, idiot. However, considering the size of the Realm of Gods, I doubt she knows all regions in existence. This is just an excuse.'

Sure enough, Cynthia shook her head. "No, I don't. But if you really got teleported away, then you might have come from somewhere extremely far away. Well, if you want to find more about it, you better go to Cosec City. It just so happens that we're heading there as well. If you want, you can join us. I will only just ask you to help protect the caravan in case something happens."

Rean and Roan didn't find an issue with that. "Sure, that will help us out a lot."

"By the way, is it okay if I let our demon beast and tree friends enter the caravan's range?" Rean asked as he looked at the excited Celis in the Distance. "Don't worry. They won't cause any trouble."

Cynthia nodded, telling Rean, "As long as you keep them under control, I don't mind."

Rean then turned around and waved to those two to come in.

Cynthia was curious about one thing, though. "Then again, I'm surprised you can keep demon beasts of that level so close. Aren't you worried about them going berserk during the night before trying to attack you? I have to say, you must have some very good taming skills." 

Kentucky, who had just arrived, couldn't help but ask, "Going berserk? Why would that happen to us?"

Celis agreed. "Indeed. Maybe there's some kind of force that can make us go berserk or something. If that's the case, please let us know more about it."

That was the same question in Rean and Roan's minds. However, at the very moment Kentucky and Celis opened their mouths to talk, all the cultivators around them looked at the two with eyes wide open. That also included Cynthia, who seemed to not believe what she was seeing. "Th-th-they talked?!!!"

Obviously, Rean's group noticed the problem as soon as Cynthia asked that question.

"Could it be you have never seen a demon beast or tree talk before?" Rean asked in response. By now, it would be impossible to hide the fact that Kentucky and Celis were sentient since they've already shown it.

Cynthia tried to calm down as she nodded. "Obviously! No, to be more precise, I've never seen a demon beast at Stage Five talk before. Shouldn't only demon beasts at the Transition Realm be able to talk and gain sentience?" One must remember that only eight stages existed for the demon beasts. Stage Nine was basically a name the demon beasts of the Realm of Mortals used instead of saying Transition Realm. After all, talking about this realm down there would end up in punishment from the heavens. Both demon beasts and all the other races must pass by the Transition Realm.

Rean couldn't help but contact Sister Orb in the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm, 'Did you know about that?'

[Ahem...I might have let it slip off my mind for a moment. Rean, Roan, demon beasts don't have sentience before the Transition Realm. Be careful when traveling with Kentucky and Celis.]

Rean and Roan's mouths twitched in response. 'Can an AI be any more useless than that? No, I refuse to believe that!'

Rean then looked at Cynthia before giving an excuse, saying with a light cough, "Ahem...we're the surprised ones. Demon beasts in the Turis Region already have sentience at Stage Four and can already talk at Stage Five. It's the first time we've heard of demon beasts not talking before the Transition Realm."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes in response. Then again, she couldn't find fault with Rean's words. "Well, the Realm of Gods is just too big. No one knows all its wonders. Still, I can at least confirm that you two aren't from anywhere close to Yukirrom Region. Otherwise, I would definitely have heard of demon beasts talking at Stage Five." 

Rean sighed in relief in his mind before asking, before asking, "Should we keep it a secret or something like that? As we mentioned, we were teleported to this place because of the circumstances back in Turis Region. We know nothing about this area."

Cynthia then looked at the guards and other cultivators around them before saying, "Well, I wouldn't say it's some kind of huge issue. Even if they have sentience or can talk, in the end, that's just it. Their cultivations are still Stage Five, so it's the same as those at the Nascent Soul Realm, nothing that people would feel afraid of."

Cynthia then added, "However, it's also not something I would go around showing to everyone. Who knows, some people might think of using them as an attraction or whatever. Then again, I'm very interested in this situation of yours. Just what kind of teleport formation could send you two this far away? Were you inside some expert's inheritance or something like that?"

Rean scratched the back of his head in response. "Not quite..."

Cynthia also understood that everyone had their own secrets, so she didn't insist. "Anyways, as long as you keep your part of the deal and help protect the caravan, I will do the same."

"Understood," Rean's group answered in unison.

Chapter 961: Breakthroughs

As they waited for the Divine Stream Lake to transform back into Divine Energy, Roan took the chance to ask something else to one of the guards. "We need to protect this caravan, right? What exactly do we need to protect it from? Bandits? Also, once the lake transforms, will we be able to absorb the Divine Energy without anyone bothering us?"

The guy then explained, "Indeed, bandits are one of the possibilities we have to protect the caravan against. Naturally, there are also demon beasts. After all, any demon beast below the Transition Realm doesn't have any sentience, so they act on instinct."

"As for the Divine Stream Lake, you don't need to worry. The demon beasts who come to wait for it to transform will never attack anyone as long as they aren't attacked. Or, of course, if someone tries to enter the lake."

The guy then added, "However, there's still a chance that you will have to fight in the Divine Stream Lake. Sometimes, the lake's location is revealed to nearby towns or tribes, and they would band together to try and take control over it. We have more than enough space for all the demon beasts and our caravan's members at the moment, so it's okay for now."

Roan nodded and returned to Rean's side as they waited for the lake to transform. Around a day later, something finally happened.

*Blub, blub, blub, blub...*

Suddenly, the lake began to boil as if someone was heating it from below. At first, there were just a few bubbles here and there. But eventually, the entire lake turned out like that. Cynthia quickly headed out of the caravan when that happened as she gave orders. "The lake's water is changing back into Divine Energy. Everyone already has their own spots. Sit down there and start cultivating. Try to absorb as much Divine Energy as possible. I wish everyone a plentiful harvest."

Following that, Cynthia quickly moved to the lake's side and sat on the position reserved for her. All the guards, merchants, and simple workers did the same with excited expressions on their faces. Of course, they weren't the only ones. Rean's group could see that the demon beasts had also calmed down as they sat beside the lake. Surprisingly, a peaceful harmony was achieved as everyone knew that fighting for it would only be a waste of time, even for the nonsentient demon beasts.

Rean, Roan, and Kentucky then looked at Celis. During the time they have been waiting for the lake to transform, they tried to cultivate by using the surrounding Divine Energy. As expected, Celis was still the best one at absorbing when he spread his roots around the ground. Celis had changed back into his tree form. It's just that he assumed another shape so others wouldn't find out what type of demon tree he was. After that, they simply waited as Celis spread his roots even further.

Now that the lake was beginning to transform back, Celis went all out while also helping Rean, Roan, and Kentucky. Kentucky laid on his nest as Celis created two places for Rean and Roan on his branches. Because of their connection in terms of cultivation, Rean and Roan could even feel the flow of Divine Energy coming from Celis's roots.

Celis had a limit as to how much Divine Energy he could absorb at once at his level. So all the extra Divine Energy being brought back by the branches was absorbed by the twins and the bird. No one paid attention to the twins' group, though. That's because the position they were cultivating could be said to be more or less average. Naturally, the strongest demon beasts and cultivators took the best spots. Little did they know that their absorption speed wasn't even a fifth of what the twins' group could do. It was all thanks to Celis's species as a World Swallowing Cedar.

The Divine Energy coming from the lake was so concentrated that Rean was able to see it taking form in the air. "Such a huge amount... too bad we can't store all that escaping Divine Energy for use later."

It was then that Sister Orb's voice resounded in their ears, asking, [Store? If that's what you want, I can try to store as much as possible in the Dimensional Realm. Normally, it would take a very long time with normal Divine Energy. However, it's so concentrated above the lake that I think I can take quite a lot in.]

Rean and Roan's eyes lit up in response. However, they could not help but be wary as Rean asked in response, 'Will it cause any issues to the Dimensional Realm? Also, would anyone notice you doing that?'

[There are no risks since the Dimensional Realm has also changed to support Divine Energy. As for someone noticing, it is indeed possible. However, all they would be able to see is that something is absorbing the Divine Energy that they passed up on. No one will be able to link it to you two, nor would they try to stop it since that energy is something they couldn't absorb anyway. They would rather focus on their cultivation instead.]

Rean nodded after that before warning Sister Orb, 'Alright, go ahead and do it. Of course, if you can keep your actions hidden, that'll be for the better.'

Though, after a bit of silence, Rean couldn't help but ask, 'In that case, isn't it better for you to take Divine Energy Water instead?'

[Can't do that,] Sister Orb responded. [The Divine Stream Lake exists because of the environment that allows it to form. If I try to take the water away, it will dissipate before I store it. I can only store the energy itself.]

Rean didn't ask any more after that. 'Alright. Go ahead with the plan then.'

[On it!]

Several tens of meters above the Divine Stream Lake, part of the Divine Energy that was dissipating into the air suddenly began to gather once again. Of course, it was only a small percentage while the rest still got away. If one looked closely, one would be able to see a very small opening in space that connected to the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm.

"Let me give you some extra help, Sister Orb," Celis said. Soon after, he connected to his saplings that were inside the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm. Just like Sister Orb, they also started to absorb Divine Energy, increasing the amount taken into the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm. 

[Very good, little tree.]

Everyone around the lake was already cultivating tens of times faster because of the lake. Rean's group, because of Celis, was doing several times better than then. Just twenty minutes into the event...

*Boom!*

Peak Stage Nascent Soul Realm and Peak Stage Five Demon Beasts!

Chapter 962: Paths...

In an instant, Rean and Roan noticed a difference when breaking through a higher stage with Divine Energy. "There's no chaotic energy after the breakthrough!"

Be it the twins or the people they knew, everyone would have to first stabilize their foundations after a breakthrough. That's because a breakthrough would throw the energies in their dantians and cores into chaos. That was also why Roan learned how to concoct Foundation Estabilizing Pills. However, there was no such thing after breaking through with Divine Energy!

[You can be ecstatic about it later.] Sister Orb warned. [The Divine Stream Lake has already lost 20% of its water. Try to reach the limit of the Nascent Soul Realm and the limit of Stage Five before it all dissipates. I'll keep the extra concentrated Divine Energy in the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm once you're ready to enter the Soul Transformation Realm.]

Celis narrowed his eyes after that, asking, 'My cultivation is limited by the twins' cultivation as well, just like Kentucky. Doesn't that mean that I won't be able to enter Stage Six until they find their own paths?'

Kentucky had to admit that Celis's words made sense. 'What should we do? Just wait then?

Sister Orb confirmed their doubts, saying, [That's true. But there's nothing we can do about it other than to just wait. Just make sure you reach the limit in terms of energy.]

Rean didn't seem too worried, though. 'Finding one's path? I don't think that's a problem for me.' Rean then looked at Roan with a smile on his face, asking him, 'What about you? Will you drag us down?'

Roan snorted at Rean's question, responding, 'Hmph! If you think you've already found your path, then I obviously did it much earlier. In fact, I've already known my own path even before learning that it was necessary for the Soul Transformation Realm.' Of course, Rean did not mind losing to anyone...but Rean. His pride wouldn't allow that.

Celis, Kentucky, and Sister Orb were surprised to hear that. 'Great! With that, let's keep up the pace. We only needed 20% of the lake's energy to enter the Peak Stage. 80% should be more than enough to achieve a breakthrough!' Kentucky said with an excited expression. Demon Beasts really had it easy without needing the same requirements. On the other hand, they didn't have cultivation manuals and things like that either, which could improve their abilities.

[Are you sure those are your paths? Be aware that a breakthrough won't happen if it isn't really what you want.]

Rean laughed as he answered, "Don't worry, don't worry! If our paths are wrong, we'll still reach the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, so that's fine. The worst that can happen is that we won't break through straight away."

Sister Orb had to admit Rean was right, prompting her to mutter, [Well...I guess so.]

The consecutive breakthroughs among the twins' group didn't attract any attention whatsoever. That's because they were just a few of the many, many breakthroughs happening all around. Even Cynthia felt that there was enough Divine Energy for her to achieve a breakthrough as well.

As for Sister Orb and Celis's combined effort of storing Divine Energy, no one noticed it yet as they were being very careful. As much as no one could do anything about it, there wasn't a need to let anyone know.

Time passed as the Divine Stream Lake continued to boil. The Divine Energy flowed nonstop, allowing for many breakthroughs, especially those with low cultivations like the Core Formation Realm guards. One of the guards, who was already at the Peak Stage of the Core Formation Realm, had no issues advancing into the Core and Soul Fusion Realm, much to his delight.

Eventually, the lake only had 10% of its Divine Energy Water left. It was then that the twins' group reached the limit of the Nascent Soul Realm and the limit of Stage Five.

The moment that happened, the twins finally understood how breaking through the Soul Transformation Realm worked. After all, it wasn't something that could be explained with a manual. It was a path one had to believe in. 

Roan felt like all the lives he had sent to the reincarnation path were passing before his eyes. Every single one of them was only able to reincarnate because of his efforts as a Death Spirit. There was a reason for Roan (Or Tera) to be considered one of the best Death Spirits back in the Universal Transition Organization. That's because he truly liked it. Even now, if Roan was given a choice, he would choose to go back to be a Death Spirit on the other half of the Universe. Being a Soul Guide had always been Roan's path. Even now that he was alive, he still believed that such a life was his real path.

As if answering Roan's thoughts, Roan's soul seemed to change form as it began to gather Divine Energy nonstop. The once most delicate part of one's life was getting sturdier, bigger, and more powerful. Roan was entering the Soul Transformation Realm without any issues whatsoever. Even if Roan had never encountered the Soul Gem System, he would still easily break through into the Soul Transformation Realm for the same reason. Death...had always been his path.

Rean's path, on the other hand, was the polar opposite of Roan. As one could remember, Rean had an issue with his soul that inhibited his emotions during his entire life on Earth. Because of that, he had never enjoyed anything. Or, to be more specific, he had never felt alive back then. After that problem was resolved, Rean understood that he loved to be alive more than anything else. To enjoy every moment of his new life. 

When Rean heard about what was necessary to enter the Soul Transformation Realm, he didn't need to think too much to understand it. Although it was simple, it was hard at the same time. Being alive to experience everything he did so far meant everything for Rean! And he was sure that it would continue to be the same. Life... had always been his path.

Just like Roan, Rean's soul also started to transform the moment his cultivation reached the limit of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Chapter 963: Well, That's True

Kentucky and Celis were very excited when they noticed the transformation in Rean and Roan's souls. At the same time that their souls changed, the demon beast and tree also felt the barrier that stopped them from reaching Stage Six gradually waning in strength. Well, in fact, Kentucky and Celis barely had any time to feel the barrier as the twins broke through almost immediately.

Thanks to Celis, all the Divine Energy necessary for everyone's breakthrough came through his roots. Other than the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm, which was simply storing the energy, no one could hope to be absorbing more Divine Energy than their group.

[Life and death. Why am I not surprised? Hahaha!] Sister Orb even joked as she was well aware of the twins' feelings at that moment. [I wonder what changes these two paths will bring to your cultivation in the future.]

The Divine Stream Lake's water was almost gone when four bursts of Divine Energy suddenly came out of the bodies of Rean's group. Obviously, Rean and Roan entered the Soul Transformation Realm while Kentucky and Celis achieved Stage Six. This time, their breakthroughs attracted quite the attention as most of the breakthroughs so far were from one stage to another. To see those four reaching the next realm together was very unexpected.

However, their breakthroughs were not the only ones to be noticed. Cynthia, who was in the Late Stage of the Soul Transformation Realm, finally entered the Peak Stage of the same realm. Naturally, she had a delightful expression on her face as she looked at the lake gradually drying up.

It only took a few more minutes for the lake to completely disappear. As always, no one knew when another one would appear, much less the location. But that didn't matter at all. All the cultivators of the Yukirrom Region knew that they couldn't possibly rely on the lake for their cultivation. First of all, it wasn't as if it was hard to cultivate without it to start with. That just showed how good Divine Energy was.

Once the lake disappeared, all the demon beasts began to scatter everywhere. No one knew why, but the demon beasts never attacked anyone during these times, including each other. They would only go back to their savage natures after returning to their territories.

Cynthia observed as the demon beasts left, being careful to not startle them. The same thing was done by the guards, merchants, and their workers or subordinates. Although there were no risks, there were no guarantees that the demon beasts wouldn't change exactly on this day either.

"Phew...they're finally gone," Cynthia said as she got up from her position. Soon after, she began to check the cultivations of everyone around. "Very good, everyone. Most of those below the Core and Soul Fusion Realm broke through at least two stages. As for those above, you got at least one stage. This Divine Stream Lake was quite a big one, so we were lucky."

Everyone cheered with glee as well. "That's because Lady Cynthia chose the right path for our travel."

"Indeed! If we had followed another path, we wouldn't bump across this Divine Stream Lake."

"Could it be that you knew this lake would be here?"

Cynthia laughed at that question. "Hahaha! As if! If I knew it was here, do you think we would be the only ones? First of all, I would have invited a few friends to come and enjoy it as well."

Cynthia continued to walk by everyone when suddenly, her expression changed. It was then that she finally noticed the cultivations of the twins' group. "This..."

Rean smiled at her, saying, "Lady Cynthia wasn't lying. These Divine Stream Lakes are really good. We were able to break through two stages and enter the next realm. We are in your debt for telling us of this opportunity and especially for letting us stay here."

Cynthia felt like crying after hearing that. "But, but...you and your brother went straight into the Soul Transformation Realm! Shouldn't you know figure out your own path before that?" Sure enough, she wasn't as surprised with Kentucky and Celis as they weren't cultivators but a demon beast and a demon tree, respectively. They didn't need to care about such things. However, Rean and Roan definitely should have... "Could it be that the place you came from...doesn't have the requirement of having to find a path to enter the Soul Transformation Realm?"

Roan shook his head as he explained, "Of course not. It's just that Rean and I had always known what our paths would be from the very start. All we lacked was the necessary cultivation to make this breakthrough."

"You already knew?" Cynthia was even more surprised. "How?! Let alone me, everyone I know in the Soul Transformation Realm took years, decades, and some even centuries to understand their own path!"

Rean shook his head in response, telling her, "That has nothing to with our breakthrough, Lady Cynthia. In fact, anyone can break through into the Soul Transformation Realm straight away as well. In fact, I believe there should be many examples out there about it. It's just that you never met them. In the end, as long as you know what you really want in your cultivation path, the Soul Transformation Realm is probably the easiest breakthrough that exists."

"That..." Cynthia knew that they were telling the truth. After all, it shouldn't be possible to enter the Soul Transformation Realm if they weren't. "Even so, how did you find your path so soon?"

Rean pondered over it for a bit before saying, "You could say that ever since we started to cultivate, we had been thinking about what our path would be. To be honest, we didn't know if we would be able to break through until we did. After all, our choices might have been wrong. In that case, we would need to start from scratch once again. Fortunately, many years of careful consideration bore their fruits." 

In the end, Cynthia could only let out a long and loud sigh. "Whatever...at least your explanation makes some sense. However, how did all four of you break through at the same time? Was it also a coincidence?"

Rean shrugged his shoulders as he asked in response, "Would you believe us if we said it was?"

Cynthia understood the meaning behind Rean's words, eventually saying in response, "Well, that's true."

Chapter 964: News

Eventually, Cynthia turned around and gave an order. "Alright, everyone. Let's prepare for departure. We're over a week behind our travel because of the Divine Stream Lake. We can't extend our stay here any longer. We'll increase our pace along the way to make up for some of the lost time."

"Yes, Lady Cynthia!" All the guards, merchants, workers, and other people in the caravan accepted the order and began to pack everything up. In less than an hour, they already had everything ready to go.

"Let's go!" Cynthia's carriage took the front as the caravan departed the now dried-up lake. 

At the back, Rean asked a favor to Kentucky, saying, "Since we're acting as guards now, we need to do a good job. Kentucky, take flight and watch over the caravan from the skies. You're definitely the best suited for preventing ambushes or anything like that."

Kentucky nodded, responding, "Sure, leave it to me."

Although Celis was in his treant form, he was still quite big, so he didn't fit in the carriages. In the end, he had to follow the group on foot. While doing so, he could not help but mutter, "This kind of environment is quite hard for my race, you know?"

Rean shrugged his shoulders, offering, "I can carry you with my Divine Energy if you want. It will look quite embarrassing, though."

Celis shook his head, quickly saying, "Forget it."

"Hehe!" Rean chuckled in response before he entered one of the carriages. There, he saw Roan sitting in a corner with his eyes closed. "How is it?"

Roan opened his eyes for a moment and looked at Rean before closing them again, telling him, "Our Soul Power and Spiritual Energy were connected before. I thought there would be some problem now that we have Divine Energy instead of Spiritual Energy. However, Divine Energy took the place of Spiritual Energy and is fusing with Soul Power without any issues. In fact, I think it has gotten quite a lot stronger."

Sister Orb immediately explained. [Of course, it can fuse. The fusion was something made by the Soul Gem System. Naturally, it would count for the eventual change of Spiritual Energy to Divine Energy. However, although you've become a bit stronger with this change, you won't gain any advantage over the other cultivators of the Realm of Gods.]

Rean nodded, already understanding where Sister Orb was coming from. "That's because although the fusion of Divine Energy and Soul Power is better, the people and beasts of the Realm of Gods already use Divine Energy to start with. They're stronger than cultivators and demon beasts of the same level who use Spiritual Energy. This increase in our strength by using Divine Energy instead of Spiritual Energy simply filled that gap."

Sister Orb was happy to hear that. [Exactly!] Of course, Sister Orb warned the twins once again. [However, you must not forget the Realm of Gods' restrictions. The power that a Soul Transformation Realm cultivator can display in the Realm of Gods is only around a tenth of what a Soul Transformation Realm cultivator can do in the Realm of Mortals. When I say that a Soul Transformation Realm cultivator from the Realm of Gods is stronger, I mean in comparison to a Soul Transformation Realm cultivator using Spiritual Energy up here.]

[In exchange, if a Soul Transformation Realm cultivator goes down to the Realm of Mortals and uses the stored Divine Energy in his Dantian, they would probably be able to trash any being at the Saint Realm they came across. That's because the guy wouldn't be restricted by anything. Since Divine Energy is superior, they would obviously be superior as well.]

Sister Orb then finished her explanation with a piece of useful information. [Of course, there's still an advantage now that you have Divine Energy fused with Soul Power instead of Spiritual Energy.]

"Divine Sense, right?" Roan's Divine Sense could now extend up to 30 meters at once, which was far beyond what the fused Spiritual Energy and Soul Power allowed him to. Even with the breakthrough, it shouldn't have increased that much.

Rean agreed with Roan, saying, "That's true. I also can spread my Divine Sense to around 30 meters. Even though Senior Cynthia is at the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm, I believe our Divine Sense doesn't lose to hers at all."

It was then that Roan remembered something. "By the way, Rean. How about your Spiritual Sense bending skill? Does it work with Divine Sense as well?"

Rean nodded, explaining, "It isn't exactly the same. However, they have their similarities. I just have to make a few changes to the skill, and I should be able to bend Divine Sense. Of course, the same restrictions still apply to it. If the Divine Sense is too strong, it'll pass through my bending skill. I'm using Senior Cynthia's Divine Sense to test the changes at this very moment. She's keeping her Divine Sense active all the time, so it's quite convenient for me."

As Rean could imagine, Cynthia was quite confused. 'How come he keeps disappearing and reappearing inside my sense all the time? Is he a ghost or something?' Then again, her priority was the caravan's safety. Besides, she had already decided to not pry into what the twins' group was doing. After all, they probably wouldn't see each other anymore after reaching the city.

As Cynthia mentioned, their caravan increased their pace to reach the city faster. Their group did encounter a few demon beasts on the way that didn't know better, but other than that, nothing had happened so far. Cynthia and the twins' group didn't even have to come out and help.

However, as much as the caravan was lucky to find the Divine Stream Lake, that extra time also made things ahead more difficult.

*Bzzzzz...*

Cynthia felt something reacting in her bag before opening it. 'A message?' It was a Thoughts Transmission Talisman. Cynthia put it on her forehead and checked the contents before the talisman burnt out. 'I knew the window time was small. That's why I left early that week. However, I didn't expect to find a Divine Stream Lake. I couldn't possibly leave the lake behind, right? Sadly, that made me lose that safe window created by the last clean-up.'

Cynthia now had to make a decision.

Chapter 965: Alright

Cynthia pondered in silence over the situation for a bit before coming out. "Everyone, stop the caravan for now. Come and see me after that."

The caravan soon stopped, and the travelers quickly gathered around Cynthia. Obviously, Rean and Roan did the same.

Seeing that everyone was there, Cynthia began to talk, explaining, "I just received news that Ukilas Valley has already been occupied by bandits again. Our travel was based on the window created by the Royal Army's clean-up, but we decided to stop for the lake, so we lost it. Now, we have two choices ahead of us. We can either go around the valley, which will increase our travel time to at least three more weeks, and there's no guarantee we won't find bandits on the way either. Or we can go through the valley and fight our way if we get attacked. The good thing is that the army has just passed by there, so there shouldn't be many enemies. Perhaps we won't even need to fight at all."

Cynthia then looked at the merchants who paid for the protection with a serious expression, asking them, "So, which one do you want? The long route or the short route?"

The merchants began to discuss with one another through Divine Sense before they finally came to a decision. "We must take the short route as our goods can't wait that long anymore. If we take the longer path, we will lose most of them. We might as well try the valley and abandon the caravan's goods if things really go south."

Another merchant then spoke with a smile on his face, saying, "In any case, the Divine Stream Lake alone was already worth more than the profits we could get from the sales. Even if we do lose everything, we won't end up on the losing side anyway."

The guards couldn't help but laugh as they agreed. "Hahaha! Well said! We wanted a good challenge to get used to our new cultivations anyway, so this will be a nice opportunity."

Rean and Roan didn't really care that much. If anything, Roan agreed with what the guard said. 

Cynthia nodded in the end, accepting their decision as she said, "Well, Ukilas Valley it is."

Sure enough, they didn't encounter many obstacles on their way to the valley other than a few random attacks from demon beasts. Along the way, Rean and Roan saw the arid environment gradually turn green and lush. Eventually, they arrived at the valley's entrance.

Ukilas Valley was anything but small. The mountains surrounding it were innumerous, and each one of them was too tall for one to see the top with their eyes alone. As for the path in between, that was who knows how many times longer than any other valley Rean and Roan had seen in the past. 

Well, in fact, they hadn't seen anything yet. It was Cynthia who explained to them how big it was when she was inquired about the distance to pass through.

'Can this even be considered a valley? If she's telling the truth, the total distance should be at least five or more thousand kilometers! Holy shit!' Rean couldn't help but comment on it through Divine Sense with the others.

Sister Orb knew what everyone was thinking, so she explained. [You can't judge the Realm of Gods by your planet's standards. Divine Energy affects everything in the Realm of Gods, just like how Spiritual Energy did in the Realm of Mortals. For example, did you notice how much 'bigger' everything in this half of Universe with Spiritual Energy was compared to the other half that doesn't have it?]

Sister Orb continued. [Take Rean's Earth for comparison. Sunkan Planet alone would be enough to fit over a hundred Earths. Now we're in the Realm of Gods, where Divine Energy exists. As a higher type of energy, it's only proper that most things get even bigger. They have the support of Divine Energy to turn out like that.]

Rean and Roan had been to the other half of the universe before in their previous life, so they had to admit Sister Orb was right. Especially Roan, who had seen many planets and races. There wasn't a single planet on the side of the universe without Spiritual Energy that could compare to Sunkan alone.

If Rean and Roan were still in the Realm of Mortals, they wouldn't care that much about such a distance. After all, they could fly, and the power they could display was ten times bigger or maybe even higher than what they could do in the Realm of Gods. One must not forget that the restriction on everyone's power due to the Realm of Gods' environment made them much weaker.

'Even if we fly on Kentucky's back all the way, we would need at least three or four days.' Kentucky's flight speed was obviously affected as well.

'Cynthia said that the caravan will move at a higher pace to try and clear the path in two to three weeks at most,' Roan said. 'Though, it isn't as if this is a lot of time.'

Celis also pointed something out. 'That explains why there are so many bandits here. Many caravans probably try to pass undetected due to the valley's size. It's just that Cynthia wanted to use that Royal Army's clean-up or whatever to bring a much bigger caravan in a single go. That's where the problem resides as the numbers here will make it quite hard to hide.'

'Don't worry, I can at least prevent us from being ambushed.' Kentucky looked very confident. 'After all, I can scout from the air for any dangers.'

Roan nodded as he looked at everyone. 'We haven't had the chance to fight under the Realm of Gods' rules since only small amounts of weak demon beasts have appeared so far. This is probably the best chance to test it against sentient enemies, and we'll most likely bump against them. I've been trying it out, and I believe the power we can display at the moment is equivalent to what we unleashed when we were at the Core Formation Realm or Stage Three. Fight with that in mind.'

Rean, Celis, and Kentucky nodded in response. 'Alright.'

The caravan traversed Ukilas Valley until...nothing happened.

Chapter 966: What Did You Say?

Rean and Roan looked behind them as their mouths twitched.

During the first week, everyone kept their guards up, but nothing...

During the following week, they decided to increase their pace a bit, but nothing...

As for the third week, the caravan began to think that most of the bandits had probably gathered at the end of the valley...but nothing yet again!

The twins could see the mountains starting to gradually disappear behind them. They also saw how the merchants cheered nonstop together with the guards. Nevertheless, the twins still had some hope, so they looked at Cynthia and asked, "Ahem...those mountains behind us couldn't possibly be the exit of the Ukilas Valley, right? There must be some continuation ahead. Yes, definitely! There's almost no way we could have avoided all the bandits with a caravan of this size...wasn't it you who said that? Where are our bandits?!"

Cynthia had a bitter smile on her face as she nodded. "It seems like...we were lucky?"

Indeed, everyone felt that they were lucky to not have encountered anything...except for the twins' group. Rean couldn't help but curse out loud, exclaiming, "Fuck that! Goddamn fucking pieces of shit! Are the bandits of the Yukirrom Region really that bad that they didn't find our location until the end?"

It was then that Rean thought about a possibility, muttering with a hint of doubt, "Wait, could it be that you used a hidden path inside the valley to avoid them?"

Cynthia looked away as she scratched the back of her head, saying, "In fact...I wanted to test out my strength now that I've reached the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm. What I want to say...is that I purposely took a very open path, hoping to get some action."

The twins couldn't believe that, with Rean asking her, "So, we made it this far while taking the most dangerous route without finding a single living soul?"

Cynthia nodded in response, finding it hard to believe as well.

At that moment, an idea popped into the mind of Rean, Roan, and Cynthia. "Perhaps...the bandits thought that the caravans would try to take safer routes and decided to ambush them on those paths. However, all of them just so happen to have had the same idea..."

Those three couldn't be any more correct. Because of the Royal Army's clean-up, the bandits took some time to return to the valley. They thought that the caravans or any other group traveling through the valley would definitely take the safer routes, so they all headed to those places. In the end, Rean's caravan happened to be the only group to pass through Ukilas Valley without ever encountering any obstacle since the clean-up was over.

Celis then arrived on their side before asking, "This went completely off tangent." Right after, he pointed back to the valley and asked, "Should we simply turn around and enter the valley alone? Since we passed the most dangerous place for the caravan, it's not like they need our help anymore."

Cynthia heard Celis's words, reminding herself that she still couldn't get used to seeing a demon tree talking. However, she quickly put those thoughts aside before saying, "Your friend is right. We should be fine from here on out, even if we haven't had the breakthroughs in the Divine Stream Lake. You can head back there to battle if that's what you wish. Just the fact you followed through the valley without going back on your word is more than enough of a payment for the favor of me explaining to you guys about the Divine Stream Lake. As for me, I was hired to protect this caravan, so I have to see it to the end until we reach Cosec City."

As soon as Cynthia finished her words, Kentucky came down from the skies and landed on their side, asking, "Rean, I can't see any more mountains. Are we still inside the valley? I haven't seen a single bandit yet."

Rean shook his head and gave Kentucky a quick explanation through Divine Sense. After that, Rean, Celis, and Kentucky looked at Roan. He was always responsible for the combat training, after all.

Roan, obviously, was the most disappointed one in their group. His hand itched as he held the White Star's hilt during the entire journey through the valley. However, he gave the mountains far in the distance one last look before giving up. "Sigh...forget it. Maybe it's just fate that we missed them." Naturally, the twins believed in fate. Their Soul Gem System basically worked on that, after all.

"We still know too little about this place, so Cosec City will be a good place to start." Roan then looked at Cynthia and asked, "You said that you were hired to protect this caravan, right? Is there some mercenary organization or place to take missions, or were you hired by the merchants directly?"

Cynthia understood what Roan wanted and took out a badge from inside her clothes as she explained, "There are indeed organizations for mercenaries. But in my case, I'm part of the Lukimira Sect. Simply put, I got this mission from the Mission Hall of my sect."

"Is the Lukimira Sect a big sect in the Yukirrom Region?" Roan asked back.

Cynthia laughed in response, remembering that the twins weren't from this place. "Hahaha! Not at all. In fact, we could be said to be one of the weakest sects, far from being considered average. Our Sect Master, for example, is only at the Late Stage of the Saint Realm. I'm an elder there, by the way. Isn't it hilarious? We have to even send our elders out to do some missions to help with the sect's finances." 

Cynthia then pointed ahead and said, "This is my return journey and my job, by the way. You can find my Lukimira Sect a few hundred kilometers south of Cosec City if you want to join us. Hahaha!" Cynthia was basically being courteous. She could tell how young the twins were, definitely still in their thirties. On top of that, they also had their demon beast and tree friends. Although one couldn't say they were heaven-defying talents with their current cultivation and age, they were definitely far above average. There were many better options for them to choose from later. 

"Alright, let's join the Lukimira Sect then," Roan said without even thinking.

Cynthia nodded with a smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "Hehe! It's fine if you refuse. I was jus-" However, her smile froze right after as she muttered in shock, "What did you say?"

Chapter 967: Questions and Answers

Roan repeated his words, even going so far as to say it one by one. "We'll join your Lukimira Sect. Could it be that you didn't really plan on inviting us?"

Cynthia immediately shook her head, responding with, "Of course not! You're definitely more than welcome! But...why would you join such a small sect like my Lukimira Sect?"

Rean was the one to answer that, explaining, "It's quite a simple reason, which is you. At the very least, it didn't seem like you were trying to deceive us or anything. You could have totally refused to tell us about the Divine Stream Lake, showed us the wrong path to the city, or simply attacked us while we were still in the Nascent Soul Realm. However, you shared everything, and time proved that you were telling us the truth."

Kentucky was also happy with that decision, continuing from where Rean left off as he said, "Indeed. In our eyes, if the elder of the sect is already that trustworthy, the sect this elder is from shouldn't be much worse, right?"

Roan nodded in agreement with Kentucky's words. Then, he told her, "We're basically lost travelers without a place to head to or stay in. As far as we know, our Turin Region could very well be on the other side of the Realm of Gods. After all, you said that no region around us has demon beasts or trees that can talk at Stage Five. In that case, we can join your sect so that we can establish a foothold. And then, we'll start our investigation from there."

There was another reason as well. One must remember that Roan was very good at detecting lies. However, Cynthia hadn't told a single one until now. At the very least, Roan hadn't noticed it. Besides, since she already knew about Kentucky and Celis, that would be of some help inside her sect.

Cynthia was obviously happy with their explanation, saying, "I won't say that everyone in our sect is like me. After all, a cultivator's nature is different from another. However, I can at least say that you can trust the Sect Master and the few elders we have there." It was then that she thought about something, asking, "By the way, how would you like to be accepted in the sect? With your cultivations at the Soul Transformation Realm, even giving you the title of elders wouldn't be an issue."

Rean immediately shook his head as he replied, "Better not. Just let us join as normal disciples. Don't forget that we will temporarily stay until we decide what to do, so we might leave at any time. Of course, we will follow the sect's rules and help out with its tasks as long as it's beneficial to us."

"Normal disciples?" Cynthia bitterly smiled when she heard that. "Not trying to be rude, but I don't think anyone would believe you two to only be simple disciples with your cultivation. Just so you know, we do have some low-ranked elders that are still in the Nascent Soul Realm. Our strongest disciples are only in the Core and Soul Fusion Realm, and we don't have a lot of them. The majority are either in the Core Formation Realm or in the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Indeed, it would be too weird to suddenly accept two humans at the Soul Transformation Realm as common disciples. "Hmm...do you have the rank of guest elders, then?" Rean asked as he thought about it a bit more.

Cynthia immediately nodded, replying, "Of course. I was also thinking that since you don't want to be elders, being guest elders would be the best choice. There are a few limitations, like not being able to access a few restricted areas, but that's more or less it. Your opinions won't mean much in the sect's meetings, but I guess that's what you want, right?"

Roan nodded, saying, "Yes. We prefer to keep some distance from such things."

Kentucky and Celis couldn't help but ask, "What about us?"

Cynthia scratched the back of her head in response. After all, no sect would have a place for Stage Six Demon Beasts or trees to be guest elders. They shouldn't even be able to think, after all. "Well...we do have a beast taming hall in our sect... but most of the demon beasts there are only Stage Three or Four. Only the Sect Master was able to tame a Stage Five Demon Beast."

"Tame?" Kentucky couldn't help but ask after that, "Then, are we going to pretend to be a tamed demon beast and tree?"

Cynthia shook her head, responding, "Well, it wouldn't be of much use as everyone in this caravan already knows that you can think and talk. The news will definitely spread to the sect at some point. It's just that I don't know how I should deal with you."

Rean shrugged his shoulders as he came up with a quick solution. "Just tell them that Kentucky and Celis are our responsibility. I guess that's the safest way to go about it. After all, their situation is very peculiar in this place."

Cynthia nodded in response as she replied, "Then, we'll go with that."

With that decided, Roan changed the topic. "Alright, you said that the Royal Army did a clean-up of bandits in Ukilas Valley, right? For a Royal Army to exist, that means there's a country behind them. Am I right to say that Yukirrom Region is part of a country?" 

Cynthia nodded and then shook her head right after. "It's half right. We are indeed part of a country. It's called the Kamos Kingdom, obviously ruled by the Kamos Royal Family. However, it's not the Yukirrom Region that's a part of Kamos Kingdom. Instead, it's the Kamos Kingdom that's part of the Yukirrom Region."

Rean and Roan easily understood what she meant by that, with Rean saying, "So, Yukirrom Region is much bigger than the country itself."

"Exactly," Cynthia confirmed. "Yukirrom Region is composed of seven countries. The Kamos Kingdom is located on the southeast side and is considered the fourth biggest of the seven."

"I see..." Roan pondered in silence for a bit before asking something else. "Are we part of some bigger power? An empire or anything like that?"

Cynthia thought about it for a moment before saying, "I wouldn't say that we're part of some bigger power like an empire. But the seven countries of the Yukirrom Region are considered an allied power, the Yukirrom Alliance. Maybe that fits your description somehow."

Roan nodded as her words did indeed fit his criterion. "Indeed."

Chapter 968: Cynthia can't be serious

Rean asked something else, following up on Roan's question. "Does that mean we're fighting other powers around Yukirrom at the moment?"

"Yes," Cynthia answered without showing much concern. "But that's a very common thing in this small part of the Realm of Gods. The regions are always fighting each other for resources and things like that, so you shouldn't worry too much about it."

"Are there recruitments to participate in those battles, or does the alliance use a reactive approach?" Roan obviously took the opportunity to learn more about it.

"They take the reactive approach. Each country in the Yukirrom Region has its own armies, but they're far from enough to cover all the borders. In the end, the Realm of Gods is too big, and so is each region, continent, and other types of territories inside it." Cynthia then looked at Rean and Roan and asked, "Could it be that it was different from where you came from?"

"Not really," Rean answered. The last planet they had been at was covered in ice most of the time before Celis was taken away. They still remembered how most cities were located really far away from each other. The situation would probably improve now that the ice is gone, but that would still take a very long time. 

Roan could not help but think to himself, though. 'In any case, the distance between the area we arrived at and the closest city is definitely several times bigger than the distance between most cities back then.'

"Anyway, our Kamos Country is bordering the Furueru Region on the east side. Well, to be more specific, the Banxove Country that's located there. Every now and then, we attack their territories, and the same happens vice versa. When that happens, the Royal Family sends news to all cities of the country. You can enlist yourselves to participate in the defense or offense during those times," Cynthia explained.

Roan couldn't help but narrow his eyes and ask, "Why does it feel useless? From what you're telling me, both sides rarely, if ever, succeed in conquering the other's territories. Aren't both countries simply sending their cultivators to die for nothing?"

Cynthia laughed in response as she said in full honesty, "Hahaha! Yes, that's definitely the case! However, there's a reason for that as well. The problem is always the alliances. Every time one country is about to succeed in achieving a huge victory, the alliance always sends out reinforcements. The same is valid for all the countries in Yukirrom or in the other regions. Naturally, that single country attacking the other can't cope with the reinforcements of the other six countries at once. In the end, they're forced to retreat and would usually conquer a few small parts of the territories, which would be conquered back when the other country strikes back."

Roan began to get a picture of the weird balance kept in this place. Simply put, everyone does that, so they kept most of their territories in this situation where no one gained anything. On the other hand, they also didn't lose anything and kept their own. Considering the size of each country that far surpassed any country Rean and Roan had been in the Realm of Mortals, it wasn't a bad deal.

"Now that I think about it, it's more probable that none of the regions around us want to conquer anything to start with. Otherwise, it's easier to simply wait for a region to reinforce a specific country and attack them during that time. Although they wouldn't conquer everything, they definitely could take a huge chunk of territory every time."

Cynthia shrugged her shoulders, saying, "Exactly. It's just that it also means the same can happen to you. That's how complicated things are. No one wants to become a target because they took the initiative to exploit someone's weaknesses."

After that, Cynthia narrowed her eyes as she continued, "However, I heard a few rumors in Huvol City where I was before. Oh, right! You aren't from here. Huvol is a much bigger city, and also the city where I first accompanied another caravan from Cosec City. Cosec City is quite small in comparison. This caravan we're now in is the second one I'm protecting while we head back to Cosec."

Cynthia went back to her original topic after going off on a slight tangent. "Anyways, I heard rumors of a new alliance being created with the intention of attacking and fully conquering an entire region. It's just that the sources of this information aren't exactly trustworthy. I tried to inquire in the City Lord's residence, but they seemed uncertain either."

Celis couldn't help but say, "So, those rumors can't even tell who are the regions allying to each other and who's the target? That sounds a lot more like a facade than anything else."

Roan agreed with Celis. "Indeed. However, we don't know how things here work, so it might really be the case."

Cynthia then shrugged her shoulders once more. "Well, that's not something you should concern yourselves about anytime soon."

Kentucky immediately asked in response, "Why?"

"Because of the impact of such a move like this," Cynthia replied. "Think of the time necessary to talk with all parties involved, agreement on the spoils, the size of each region, all that bullshit. This is something I've just heard of, so such a move would take many years to come to fruition. For now, not even the royal families would care too much, let alone small fries like us."

"That's true." Roan agreed with Cynthia. In a medieval realm where technology didn't exist, any huge movement would take way too long to happen. Let alone in the Realm of Gods, where distances were blown up to greater proportions.

Rean, Roan, Kentucky, and Cynthia continued to talk on the way to Cosec City. Ukilas Valley wasn't too far from Cosec City to start with, so they already noticed the number of cultivators from various different races gradually increasing in the next two days. On the third day after leaving the valley, the caravan finally spotted the city wall far in the distance.

"Lady Cynthia." A guard quickly came to pass the news. "We've arrived in Cosec City."

Rean also noticed that and asked Kentucky to fly a little for him to see. However, Rean's mouth twitched once he reached a high altitude. 'Cosec is a small city...? Cynthia can't be serious!'

Chapter 969: Sight to Behold

It was a clear day, so Rean could see really far away. However, it was still impossible to see the end of the city. 'This city might very well be as big as the Sasamil Empire's capital, which was already enormous with it spanning 50 kilometers. No, perhaps it's even bigger!'

Even Kentucky couldn't see its ends either. "What an enormous city. It should span what? A hundred kilometers? No, definitely more! How could Senior Cynthia say this was a small city?"

Rean then remembered something, telling Kentucky, "Well, she said that Cosec was small when compared to that Huvol City she had been in before. Perhaps Cosec isn't really small. It's just that Huvol is even more ridiculous."

Without wasting time, Kentucky descended from the skies to ask Cynthia exactly that.

"Hmm? If Cosec is a big city in general when not considering Huvol?" Cynthia couldn't help but laugh again. "Hahaha! No way! Huvol itself is just an average-sized city to start with. Cosec would be...let me see...a big city between the small ones...I guess? From its two furthest extremities, the gap is only 220 kilometers or something." 

"Th-Then...how big is Huvol? No, better than that, how big would a really big city be?" Sure enough, Rean's group couldn't help but ask that question.

"I see...it seems like the cities back in your region aren't as big as ours." Well, Cynthia wasn't wrong. It's just that she thought that they were still from somewhere in the Realm of Gods. "Anyways, I'm not too sure how big Huvol is, but it's definitely more than double of Cosec's size. As for a real big city, I think I'll take Kamos's Royal Capital as an example, then. I visited it once, and as far as I know, it's around 1300 kilometers in diameter, not counting the area outside the city walls, of course."

Rean found it ridiculous. "How the hell do you guys even go around in cities like that? A person might live their entire life without ever going to the other side of the city they're born in like that."

Cynthia shrugged her shoulders, telling them the obvious, "How else? All cities have teleport formations all around to be used. If you want to use them, just select the right one according to the destination, and that's about it."

Roan couldn't help but ask, "What about the people who can't afford the teleports?" Even back in Sasamil Capital, which was obviously much smaller, the twins had to pay to use the teleport formations to move around.

"Afford the teleports? Could it be that the cities back in your home charged to use the city's teleport formations?" Cynthia asked with a surprised expression.

Rean, Roan, Kentucky, and Celis looked at each other before nodding.

Cynthia felt somewhat sad for the residents of the twins' home. "Sigh...your city lords were quite the mercenaries, then. As far as I know, you don't need to pay for any of the teleport formations in any of the cities in the Yukirrom Region. Unless, of course, you're planning to teleport from one city to another. In that case, the environment's Divine Energy isn't enough to teleport you over, so the city charges you with Divine Stones."

Cynthia continued, "Just so you know, there are really thousands of teleport formations everywhere in Cosec, and so is the case in other cities. It isn't anything uncommon for a person to work on the other side of a city by simply using those formations. The Divine Energy in the air is more than enough to keep them working all day and night. In fact, it would be disastrous for a city to charge for them as the city itself needs constant movement for its own businesses."

Rean, as the only Formation Master in the group, then asked something else. "What about the maintenance of those formations? Isn't it expensive to keep?"

Cynthia pondered over the question for a bit before saying, "Well, I'm not a Formation Master. However, I know teleport formations of that level aren't worth a single Divine Stone, so it's really cheap to maintain. Not to mention that they rarely show problems even after years of constant use. Of course, I know that because our sect uses quite a few of them. The Formation Masters there rarely have to touch them. After all, we aren't even close to having as many people as the city has."

Rean could only imagine how much higher the quality of the formations in the Realm of Gods were compared to the Realm of Mortals. "I'm already getting excited just thinking about the formations of this place."

Kentucky became curious about something else, though. "Then... how many people live in the city? Also, how many races?"

Cynthia shook her head. "How would I know? Do you think someone would stop to count? Well, I guess we should have some two to three million people here. As for races? Humans, Guras, Junqas, Lakures, Vrados...take your pick. You'll probably find them while walking through the city. There should be a few thousand of them, I guess? Just look at our caravan. Here alone, we have twenty-two different sentient races."

Cynthia also added, "Of course, we're only talking about pure bloodlines. If you count the mixed-bloods, it should count for at least half of the city. If you try to put them into a specific race, you'll just go crazy. After all, we're all variations and mutations of the same initial race. Pretty much any race can have kids with another, and most of them won't care as long as they like each other. Well, at least not those with low positions within their own bloodlines. You will find those who are proud of what they are and won't mix their blood with others."

Rean's group nodded after hearing that. They came to the conclusion that Lakures and Zasfins were variations of humans a long time ago, even before leaving Sunkan Planet. Cynthia's words just confirmed that. They had noticed it ever since they joined the caravan. Rean had even talked with the Lakure race guys to know a little more about them but simply found that they didn't consider themselves anything different. 'The Realm of Gods is really a sight to behold.'