For a long second, the entire universe seemed to shrink down to just the two of them.

​Myria leaned back against his solid chest, her trembling body completely enveloped by his overwhelming warmth and absolute strength.

​The pressure of the altar also faded into the background.

​She looked up over her shoulder, her charming silver eyes locking directly onto his deeply intense gaze.

​His face was mere inches from hers, close enough for her to feel his warm breath against her cold cheek.

​In that fleeting second, the oppressive aura he usually projected completely vanished, replaced by an undeniable sense of safety.

"Ba-dump!"

​Her heart skipped a beat.

​Deep within her chest, a warm flower bloomed, completely defying the icy laws she honed.

​Everyone felt the romantic exchange, and none of them disturbed it.

​Even the sphere did not want to disturb them. It radiated one final time, confirming her eight star marks, and released its magnetic grip on her hand.

​Then, a Celestial Seed materialized, sinking deep into her chest.

​The sudden freedom broke the delicate moment.

​Myria broke contact with his chest.

​The warmth he left behind on her skin suddenly felt like a burning brand.

​In the next second, memories of her other timeline crashed into her mind.

​This was the same man who had conquered her empire, the ruthless tyrant who had brought absolute ruin to her world.

​Her flawlessly crafted face twisted with hate.

​"Do not ever touch me again! I did not ask for your help. I do not need your pity."

​Neo smiled wryly.

​"I don’t have no such intention, Princess. keep your pathetic pride in check. You should know dead women cannot rebuild empires."

​After saying that, he went up to the altar.

​It was finally his turn.

​All eyes fixated on his figure, as he was the most enigmatic person of them all.

​Myria looked at his back. Despite her burning anger, she desperately wanted to see his absolute limit. She needed to know exactly how wide the gap in their power truly was.

​Noir licked her lips.

​Zestia stood nervously.

​Neo raised his hand and placed his palm flat against the cold surface of the sphere.

​He did not bother channeling ordinary cosmic energy. The Mirror of Truth had already forced him to reveal his hand, so there was no point in hiding his true nature from this ancient mechanism.

​He let a single, concentrated drop of his Primordial Demon Physique bleed into the altar.

​The reaction was instantaneous and violently terrifying.

​BUZZZ!

​The bright blue stardust inside the sphere stopped spinning. In a fraction of a second, the energy turned pitch black.

​It became a devouring void that began to consume the starlight around them.

​The first crystalline pillar ignited with abyssal darkness, almost blinding their eyes.

​Buzz, buzz, buzz.

​The second, third, and fourth pillars followed almost instantly, shaking the very foundation of the stone platform.

​The dark light was so dense it felt like a physical force pressing down on everyone’s body.

​Five, six, seven, eight.

​The crowd gasped in shock as he effortlessly matched Myria’s supreme record without breaking a single sweat or showing any sign of strain.

​But the dark energy did not slow down at all.

​Nine. Ten.

​All ten massive pillars roared to life.

​However, the altar did not stop shaking.

​Because Neo possessed not only the standard cosmic force in his body, but he also had the Primordial Nether Force that existed before the first stars were ever born.

​From the center of the vortex, a figure descended.

​It was not a creature of flesh and blood, but a manifestation of pure, condensed consciousness.

The entity possessed a towering majestic form, draped in robes of starlight. His face was obscured by a blinding celestial radiance, but his eyes glowed like twin supernovas.

HUMMMMMM!

​The pressure in the area rose exponentially.

Every single Beyonder and Dominator, including Princess Myria, was instantly forced to their knees by a godly authority.

Only Neo remained standing.

It spoke directly inside his mind,

​"Eons have passed since someone shattered my manifesto. You possess the force of the beginning, young conqueror. Come with me."

​Before Noir or Zestia could cry out, the Celestial God waved his hand.

​The world fractured. Neo felt a sudden, pull at his very soul.

The ruined courtyard, the terrified participants, and the dark space vanished instantly.

​----

​Neo blinked, finding himself standing in a realm of absolute nothingness. There was no floor, no ceiling, and no ambient light.

The Celestial God stood beside him, no longer looking down like an untouchable deity, but standing like an old teacher observing a talented student.

​"Where are we?" Neo asked.

​"This is the Void of Origin. This is what the universe looked like before the first spark of creation. I have brought you here because a mind like yours cannot learn through mere words. You must witness it."

​The aeonic being suddenly raised his right hand.

​"Look closely.... The Art of Star Creation is not about gathering energy. Any fool can compress cosmic force until it explodes. True creation requires intent, balance, and absolute control."

​With a gentle flick, the speck of light expanded rapidly.

Neo watched in awe.

​He witnessed the birth of a galaxy.

The white light separated into billions of distinct elemental particles.

Fire, ice, gravity, and space danced together in a chaotic symphony.

The Celestial God moved his fingers like a master musician, merging the disparate forces together, compressing the core with gravity while stabilizing the outer shell with cosmic laws.

​Within moments, a massive, burning golden sun materialized right before them, radiating vitality and warmth.

​"You possess both the standard cosmic force and the Primordial Nether Force. You have the power to destroy everything I have just built. But if you learn to balance the void inside you with the spark of life, you can forge worlds that no ordinary Celestial could ever dream of."

​Neo closed his eyes, replaying the exact movement of the laws in his mind.

​[ System Notice: You have witnessed the Primal Act of Creation. ]

[ System Notice: Unique Talent ’Art of Star Creation’ has been successfully acquired. ]

Neo learned it fast because of his Universal Synthesis talent.

​"I do understand the method. But why pass this to me? A god does not hand over his life’s work to a stranger out of pure generosity."

​

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