Heaven, Earth, Me

At the top of a tall mountain separated from the rest of the world, a massive temple stood with gorgeous architecture. The tall pillars and stone buildings surrounded the top of the mountain, and the insides were carved by the mountain itself, making it a work of architecture that could transcend ears and cultures, shining with an imposing and holy presence.

At the heart of the grand temple, there was a room large enough to house thousands and not feel crammed. This place was similar to a cave, with dark grey stones and many different plants growing on the walls and edges. In the middle of this cave, a massive lake shone with gorgeous lights scattering around light spots that illuminated the otherwise dark room.

The room had no accessories, as everything inside was natural and with hardly any traces of human activity. Only the path leading into the transparent lake had a form carved not by tools but by people walking back and forth for thousands of years. 

In the middle of the massive lake, a man was sitting cross-legged on top of the water. His figure was perfect, his skin immaculate and without any blemishes, and his face angular and handsome enough to make anyone take a second look. His long black hair reached below his shoulder blades. Even with the long hair, his masculine beauty was nothing but enhanced. 

A woman wearing a pure white and simple robe walked inside without shoes. Her posture was subservient and reverent, and her steps echoed gently around the empty and silent cave. With her hands clasped in front of her chest and her eyes closed, the woman walked until she reached the edge of the lake. Then, she waited.

The sacredness of this place was not one to be interrupted by her voice, only the person in front of her had that authority. The Supreme Lord of all worlds, the being that stood above all and controlled who entered this place to gain superhuman strength and lifespan. 

The meditating man opened his eyes slowly and looked indifferently toward the gorgeous woman. There was not a single ripple in his dark eyes. His lips parted, and his low and commanding voice spread around the cave. “Speak.”

The woman raised her head and opened her closed eyes. Then, she communicated her message. “Lord Velamir asks for assistance. There has been a problem, and a creature of immeasurable power is said to have appeared. Her strength is such that Velamir could do nothing as he guided them towards his treasury and gave her several of his possessions.”

The Supreme Lord’s eyes faintly moved, fleeting surprise in them. However, he quickly recovered his calm and pondered. The woman was still looking at him, so he knew that she had more to say. It was a custom for the messenger to lower their head and close their eyes when their message was done. After digesting the information, the Supreme Lord spoke. “Continue.”

The woman’s lips opened, and her melodious voice spread in the cave. “The foreign power has forced Velamir and the other lords of the world. They will be guided here in five days' time, arriving on the morning of the sixth day. It seems that the objective of the foreigners is to take the enlightenment manuals and take a look at our [Nascent Spring].”

“Take a look…” The man scoffed once. He didn’t answer the woman, and instead, he observed that the messenger was still looking at him. “Continue and finish your message.”

The woman spoke, her voice echoing pleasantly. “The foreigners have spoken a few words that are unknown to the general public—secrets of the Supreme Lord’s family. The words are Dantian, Meridian, Cultivation, and Energy. While there are others, these are the most significant ones. Their group consists of around 65 people. According to Lord Velamir’s report, each of them should have the strength of a World Lord or above. Moreover, there are non-humanoid races between these, with the leader seemingly being a Dragon-”

This time, the man’s face changed slightly. He pondered and looked ahead to the void. In front of him, a few words were floating.

[Main Quest Is Being Modified.]

‘Hm. This is unexpected.’ The man looked at the words in front of him for a little while and then the message stopped.

[Main Quest changed from ‘Revival Of The Soul Heavens’ to ‘Survival Of The Soul System’]

[Survival Of The Soul System]

[A group of creatures has arrived in the Solar System before you could complete the revival process of the Soul Heaven. Survive the encounter so that you can continue the revival process.]

[Rewards: Increase in cultivation. Seven “Soul Star Grass” Soul Alchemy will be unlocked. Enhance the “Nascent Spring” to “Soul Essence Spring.”]

[Failure: ?????]

After those messages popped in his eyes, his heart shook slightly. He had been living in this place for several centuries already. He still remembered the time he stepped into the Nascent Spring with his mother; the memories of another life drilled themselves into his mind. This place had technology that he couldn’t comprehend, and so, using that knowledge and the Nascent Spring, he built an imperium across the following several thousand years. 

At first, these seven worlds were just one and quite primitive. The printer was the most advanced piece of technology, and the rest was similar to a medieval society. However, using the system and his knowledge, he managed to transform society into a multi-planetary empire. They were also about to make their first star travel and become an interstellar society. 

However, even with the help of the [Soul Revival System], he still had a long way to go until he could complete the main quest. Over the years, he had transformed the [Nascent Spring] into the core of everything, and his strength had also reached heights that allowed him to stomp everyone in this place without shedding a single drop of sweat. 

He naturally didn’t fully focus on the quest, as he built a large family and used it as a proxy to control the Empire while he gathered personal strength. The women who could enter while he was meditating were actually his wives, the one standing in front of him being one of them. 

Of course, even if they were his wives, the sacredness of this place differentiated no one. Hence, she needed to follow customs like the rest. 

“Hm. Send the Hidden Soul Daggers to test the waters…” The man paused and frowned slightly. “You didn’t tell me where they are.”

The woman realized and raised her head, looking slightly guilty. “I forgot, Supreme Lord. They are in the middle of the Garaha Desert, waiting for the deadline.”

“Garaha…” The man nodded. “That’s a perfect place for the [Hidden Soul Daggers] to do their job.”

The woman opened her mouth but then closed it. The Supreme Lord noticed and smiled faintly. “Speak. This event is out of the norm, so breaking the formality is not a big deal.”

The woman smiled faintly and nodded. “I wanted to ask, My Lord. What if they are defeated or eliminated? You’ve poured many resources into the 300 [Hidden Soul Daggers]. Losing them would not be something you could shrug off.”

The man hummed and shook his head. “Even if they can’t test them, escaping shouldn't be a problem. They have practiced cultivation properly, unlike those fools that use the [Nascent Spring] to brute force their cultivation. Each of the Daggers is stronger than a World Lord, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”

The woman frowned slightly and sighed. “Sorry, My Lord. I just have a bad hunch about it.”

The Supreme Lord stood up and stepped forward, crossing the distance of the lake in an instant and appearing in front of her. He lifted her chin and smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. My family is not weak. Even if these people are cultivators from other star systems, I am sure that we are not too far off.”

The woman smiled gently. “I hope you are right, My Lord. After so many years and having just a few steps left, failing would be heartbreaking.”

A day later, a single spatial ship left the [Nascent Spring World] and shot toward Feldur World like a streak of light. Inside the ship, the leader was looking at the images on the screen with a serious expression. He spoke coldly. “As you’ve seen, Yasenia Dravory and the other targets are not ordinary. They have enough strength to fight in space, so they should be in the Mind Core Realm.”

“All of them?” A woman asked, surprised. “How is it possible? Even the World Lords are just at the peak of the Soul Physique Realm. Only The Supreme Lord’s family has the ability to reach the fifth realm, the Mind Core Realm.”

The man spoke sternly. “Don’t classify them with our standards. These people come from outside of our system, and we don’t know what kind of resources they have out there.” He then warned. “Young Miss, you are the Supreme Lord’s child, and you decided to join us. However, this mission is dangerous. Hence, you should take it into account and always listen to my orders. The risk of death is ever-present in this mission.”

The woman frowned slightly and snorted. “Let’s see if they dare. Grandfather will kill them with a single slap if they dare touch me.”

The man looked at her and sighed. ‘I understand that the Lord wants to sharpen his children, and most of them are not a problem. However, this one is too wilful… Is it because she is the first granddaughter of the Lord?’

He was Blade, the leader of the daggers. He had been the leader for several hundreds of years, substituting the previous leader who died in a tragic spatial incident related to defending the Dyson Sphere’s creation. Blade looked at the rest and at a man with unparalleled looks. “Little Lord, please make sure that your niece doesn’t endanger the entire operation. We will approach, take a look, and if we evaluate that they are too strong, we will retreat.”

The person he spoke to was one of the Supreme Lord’s direct descendants, a man Blade had respect for. The man nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, I’ll control Little Hala.”

Hala pouted. “Uncle Remir!”

“Hala.” He lowered his tone and warned her. “This time, our opponents might be on the level of your grandfather. You must not be arrogant.”

Hala blinked twice and then burst into laughter. “Right, as if that’s possible! Even if the enemies have infinite resources, grandfather basically lives in the [Nascent Spring]. His strength is unfathomable!” 

“Hala.”

The tone, this time, carried a hint of anger, making Hala pout. “Whatever. Sure, I’ll listen!”

Blade nodded toward Blade and commented. “Speed up. We must reach Feldur’s desert, Garaha, in a day.”

The spaceship accelerated further and streaked through the emptiness of space.