Chapter 129: The Sacred Dimension Pearl and a Desperate Alliance
Chapter 129: The Pearl's Price, The Pearl's Promise (Revised)
Back in the hidden lodge, the air was thick with strategic contemplation. Kael had just confirmed Demon Empress Vanessa's terrifying power level, a tier he and his wives were currently far from reaching. The reality of their situation for the SSS+ quest settled heavily.
"Even with our recent upgrades and the Soul-Forged Armament, our current realms are too low," Kael stated, addressing his wives. His gaze swept over them, a deep concern etched on his face. "Worldpiercer Tier 2, even with our unique traits, is a gulf away from the Eternal Crown Realm (Peak Tier). The Elder himself likely wields similar, if not greater, power."
Selene nodded, her usual serenity tinged with realism. "Direct confrontation against the Elder, or even a sustained conflict with his top lieutenants, would be suicidal at our current stage. We need to bridge that gap, and quickly."
"This is precisely why I believe we need to speak with Demon Empress Vanessa," Kael continued, his decision firming. "Her neutrality isn't born of weakness, but a calculated self-preservation, a desire to transcend the very realm the Elder occupies. If we can approach her with an offer that aligns with her ultimate goal, she might provide crucial insights, or even, a temporary alliance against a common enemy."
Valeria, ever practical, voiced a concern. "But how do we prove our worth to a being of her caliber, beloved? And how do we grow strong enough to even have a meaningful conversation, let alone fight alongside her?"
As if in answer, a notification flashed within Kael's system, a previously dormant function now illuminated by the escalating challenge and his own desperate need for power.
[Sacred Dimension Pearl — Upgrade Available!]
[Cost: EXP (Overflow allowed)]
[Warning: Upgrading the Sacred Dimension Pearl will permanently alter its inherent rules and capabilities.]
Kael's eyes widened. He had forgotten about the Sacred Dimension Pearl, a relic he'd acquired long ago, rarely used since it limited entry. But an upgrade option? And it used overflow EXP, which he had in abundance, even though his cultivation was capped by his upcoming Heavenly Tribulation.
Without hesitation, Kael initiated the upgrade. The System confirmed the action, deducting 10,000,000,000 (10 Billion) EXP from his overflow. The Sacred Dimension Pearl pulsed in his inventory, a soft, ethereal light emanating from it. The system whirred, channeling that immense power, and when it finished, a comprehensive data panel flooded his vision, outlining the Pearl's new, astounding capabilities.
🌌 Sacred Dimension Pearl Rules (After Upgrade)
The Sacred Dimension Pearl now grants enhanced access to a private, sealed dimension governed by these fixed rules:
🧭 Ownership and Control:
The dimension is fully owned and controlled by Kael. He is its new master, able to manipulate terrain, spawn rates, and entry permissions. Only Kael can bring others in.
🌀 Time Dilation:
1 day inside = 10 years outside.
This allows near-endless grinding, training, and recovery time without significantly affecting the outside world.
🧍♀️ Entry Restrictions (REMOVED after upgrade):
The previous one-companion limit has been abolished. Any number of bonded wives or pets can now enter with Kael at any given time.
Exception: Evelyne, who remains permanently bound to the dimension and doesn't count toward any theoretical limit, even if she were to temporarily leave and re-enter.
🐉 Infinite Monster Spawning:
The realm continuously spawns monsters based on realms and tier levels from the outer world. They range from weakest to strongest, tailored to Kael's current level and realm progress.
🧠 Experience Gain (EXP) Rules:
Monster's Realm Compared to Kael | EXP Gained
1 Realm Higher | 1000% (Because difficulty of monster will also increase as he levels up)
Equal Realm | 50% EXP
1 Realm Lower | 20% EXP
Lower than that | 0% (No EXP reward)
These rewards still apply even if Kael is at max EXP cap—overflow EXP is stored but advancement is locked until he undergoes his Heavenly Tribulation.
💫 Cultivation and Bonded Wives: Wives brought into the dimension can cultivate or battle monsters, gaining EXP rapidly thanks to their exponential growth scaling. The Harem Bond Trait remains active inside. Kael now gains 50% of each bonded wife's passive stats, whether they are physically present in the dimension or not. This is a direct, substantial boost to Kael's personal power. Additionally, for every monster defeated by a bonded wife within the Sacred Dimension Pearl, Kael receives 50% of the monster's base EXP and 50% of its base Sin Points.
A collective gasp filled the lodge as Kael finished reading the new rules aloud. The implications were staggering.
"Ten years for every day?" Aelisa breathed, her eyes wide. "That's... an eternity to train!"
"And the entry restriction is gone!" Nysera exclaimed, her hex-infused senses already calculating the exponential growth potential. "All of us can enter, and our growth directly boosts Kael's stats, even when we're not with him!"
"And we gain EXP and Sin Points from every kill we make for you, beloved!" Thalaria added, a fierce grin spreading across her face. "This is beyond anything we could have imagined!"
"This is it, beloved," Valeria said, her face alight with renewed hope. "This is how we bridge the gap. This is how we prepare for the Elder."
Kael felt a surge of exhilaration, a powerful sense of destiny. The Sacred Dimension Pearl was no longer a mere artifact; it was a boundless training ground, a direct path to rapid, exponential power growth. His path to confronting the Elder, and perhaps even allying with or surpassing Vanessa, had just become immeasurably more viable.
"First," Kael declared, his voice firm, "we prepare. We enter the Sacred Dimension Pearl. We will train, grow, and hone our powers until we are ready. Then, and only then, will we approach Demon Empress Vanessa. We will not ask for help from a position of weakness, but offer an alliance from a position of undeniable, formidable strength."
The air in the lodge crackled with anticipation. The gears of their ambitious plan had just been granted an engine of incredible power. With Kael leading, they stepped through the shimmering portal.
The world shifted, and they found themselves in a vast, ethereal landscape. It was a realm of perpetual twilight, bathed in the soft glow of a distant, unseen star. Floating islands drifted silently through a sky streaked with nebula-like clouds, connected by bridges of ancient, moss-covered stone or winding, glowing vines. The air was thick with pure mana, far richer and more potent than anything they'd felt in the outside Veridian Expanse. This was a dimension crafted for cultivation, a perfect crucible.
Evelyne, permanently bound to the Pearl's core, shimmered faintly, a beacon of starlight in the dim expanse. She seemed more at home here than anywhere else, her connection to the dimension palpable.
Almost immediately, the ground began to tremble. From the shadows beneath floating landmasses and the depths of mana-rich canyons, creatures began to emerge. They were monstrous, terrifying, yet perfectly suited to their current cultivation. Beastly forms rippled with raw energy, their eyes glowing with predatory intent.
"They're coming," Thalaria growled, her Stormheart Valkyrie essence thrumming, eager for the fight.
Kael grasped the hilt of his newly awakened Soul-Forged Armament, the Shadow-Flame Broadsword, as it materialized in his hand. It hummed, eager, a dark, hungry intelligence residing within. "Let the training begin," he declared, his voice echoing across the ethereal plains.
The roar of battle soon filled the dimension. Kael fought with a newfound ferocity, testing the limits of his Soul-Forged Armament. The blade moved with an instinctual connection, its shadowy edge cleaving through foes, its fiery core burning away their essence. With every monster felled, Kael felt the System registering immense EXP gains, even though his own realm advancement was locked by his upcoming Heavenly Tribulation. The overflow piled up, ready to fuel further upgrades or breakthroughs once his cultivation path was cleared.
His wives, too, plunged into the fray. Selene unleashed torrents of lunar energy, freezing and shattering foes. Evelyne's starlit attacks incinerated opponents with explosive force. Thalaria became a whirlwind of axe and martial prowess, her physical might unmatched. Nysera wove intricate hexes, debilitating and manipulating enemies, while Valeria commanded the very flora, ensnaring and crushing. Aelisa, with a wicked grin, drained the life force of her foes, empowering herself with every dark kiss and shadow strike.
The effect of the Sacred Dimension Pearl's time dilation and EXP/Sin Point rules was immediate and profound. They fought for hours, which translated to years of growth within the Pearl. Monsters fell, replaced by new, stronger ones. Their movements grew sharper, their spells more potent, their understanding of their own powers deepening with every passing moment.
Kael felt his own body strengthening, not just from his direct EXP, but from the incredible boost provided by his wives' exponential growth. The Harem Bond Trait now funneled 50% of each of their passive stats directly into him, creating a symbiotic surge of power that rapidly closed the gap between his current Worldpiercer Tier 2 and the higher echelons of the Eternal Crown Realm. As his wives tore through legions of monsters, his own Sin Points, once at zero, began to rapidly accumulate, a dark reservoir of power building within him.
This was the crucible. This was their shortcut to power. Days blurred into weeks, and weeks into what felt like eternities of relentless combat and cultivation within the Pearl. Outside, the Veridian Expanse would remain largely unchanged, but inside, a formidable, unstoppable force was being forged.
STATUS WINDOW: KAEL VIREN
System Level: 49
EXP: 25,000,000,000/80,000,000,000 (Overflow EXP now accumulating rapidly from this new base)
Realm: Worldpiercer Realm — Tier 2/9 (Advancement locked until Heavenly Tribulation)
HP: 105,000/105,000 (Rapidly regenerating from training, underlying stats are increasing)
Mana: 118,000/118,000 (Rapidly regenerating from training, underlying stats are increasing)
Stats (with buffs applied - rapidly increasing due to Harem Bond's 50% passive stats from wives' growth):
Strength: 5,488↑
Endurance: 2,660↑
Willpower: 2,716↑
Charm: 3,024↑
Intellect: 2,436↑
Dexterity: 5,488↑
Sin Points: 0↑/100,000,000,000 (Rapidly accumulating from wives' kills)
Sin Tier: Warlord Rank
SKILL WINDOW
Active Sin Skills:
Sovereign Flame Crush [+Max]
Wrathflare Lance [+Max]
Flamebind Chains [+Max]
Abyssal Dominion [Tier 1]
Soul-Forged Armament [Tier 1] [+NEW]
Passive Traits:
Crown of Dominion → Throne of Ascendancy [+Mythic]
Sovereign Union [+Ascended]
Nullfire Core [+Enhanced]
Phoenix Mantle [+Enhanced]
Worldpiercer's Will [+New]
Vision Beyond the Veil [+New]
Verdant Sovereign's Heart [+NEW — Mythic Trait] (Passive regeneration aura for all party members within 500 meters)
Shared Bloom [+NEW — Passive Trait] (Increases Charm and Intellect of bonded partners by 8%)
Void-Walker's Intuition [Tier 1] [+NEW]
Sacred Dimension Pearl [Upgraded!]
Bloodline / Physique Traits:
Carnal Sovereign Core [+Primeval]
Sin Catalyst Matrix [+Enhanced]
[Skill Upgrade Available — Spend Sin Points to enhance or evolve active/passive/bloodline skills]
[Bonded Partner Skills Eligible for Sin Point Upgrade]
Bonded Wives (Mythic Bloodlines/Physiques Active - rapidly increasing their own cultivation):
Selene — Skyshatter 9/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Mythic Eclipse Matron) ↑
Evelyne — Skyshatter 9/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Starlit Ember Empress) ↑
Thalaria — Skyshatter 8/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Stormheart Valkyrie — Advanced 11 tiers) ↑
Nysera — Skyshatter 9/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Scarlet Hexmistress) ↑
Valeria — Skyshatter 8/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Verdant Windborne Queen) ↑
Aelisa — Heaven's Echo (Peak Rank) (Succubus Duskkissed Queen) ↑
Pet Panel:
Emberfang — Infernal Flamebeast Cub (Tier 5) ↑
Vira — Sky Serpent Hatchling (Tier 2) ↑
Cultivation Realms:
Initiate → Essence Drawn → Veinwoven → Soulroot → Starforged → Sunbound → Moonglade → Skyshatter → Worldpiercer ← Current (2/9) → Heaven's Echo → Celestiaflame → Worldbreaker → Eternal Crown → Primordial Ascendant
Next: Heaven's Echo (Unlocks at Worldpiercer Tier 9/9)
With Kael and his Union now deep within the Sacred Dimension Pearl, rapidly growing in power, how long will they train, and what significant milestones will they achieve before emerging to confront the Aetherial Dominion and potentially approach Demon Empress Vanessa?