Xuan’s expression darkened.

"Tell me..."

The man sighed, turning his gaze away.

"The good news is that your companions are alive. As for the bad news, they are currently fighting one of the people from the Heavenly Faction. Two of those women are holding on pretty well, but it’s only a matter of time before they die."

Noticing Xuan’s look of determination, the man added:

"You can’t stop a tribulation once it’s begun. You have to see it through. Half-assing it will only cripple your future potential."

"You expect me to sit back while they are fighting on my behalf?" Xuan asked, but upon realizing that the man wouldn’t budge, he said, "How do I finish this tribulation?"

The man smiled.

"I’m glad we’re finally getting somewhere. Good. However, this might take a while. The only way to pass a tribulation is to absorb a certain amount of Qi from the atmosphere. Since this is my realm, and naturally, this realm is far superior to yours, you will have to absorb much more Qi to finish the tribulation."

Hearing that, a faint frown appeared on Xuan’s face.

"How much more?"

The man thought for a moment, then raised three fingers.

Xuan’s eyes widened.

"Three times? Shit..."

However, as if this whole thing was a joke, the man let out a chuckle and said, "Not three times, not thirty, nor three hundred, but three thousand times. Just who do you think I am? Do you even realize what place you’re in?"

Before Xuan could express his shock, the man took his apron off and introduced himself.

"My name is Adam, and I am acting as the temporary Lord of the Outer Void Domain."

His lips curled into a grin.

"And if you want to make it in time to save your friends, I suggest you start cultivating right away..."

.

.

.

"Hmm..." Adam rubbed his chin, staring at the sight through the window at the boy from earlier, who was aggressively absorbing the Void Qi from the surroundings. He was injuring his body by going so fast, but Adam knew that enduring suffering oftentimes leads to unexpected boons.

To that end, the new arrival was far more promising than he had expected. He also had a caring side, which was something Adam could appreciate.

He gazed beyond the starry cosmos and spotted a massive shrine that was almost the size of an entire galaxy, yet was unseen by most prying eyes.

"Just what is your will?" Adam stared. "You tell us one thing, then do another. You sabotage your own, and then you compensate us. Where does this boy fall in your plans, and why have you sent him to me?"

[...]

After a brief moment of silence, an ethereal voice rang in his mind, washing away the fatigue he’d accumulated.

[A will unknown is a mercy. Remain as you have, and all shall be answered in due time.]

"You say that, but what’s my role in all this?" Adam asked, focusing on the shrine even more intensely.

It lit up in a bright purple light, causing the shrine to slightly shake. The glow quickly dimmed, blending among the trillions of stars as it swiftly traveled through the cosmos. Within just a few minutes, the previously dim glow was as bright as a star, lingering right above his domain.

The amount of Void Qi in that purple light was minuscule to him, but to the boy down there, it was more than enough to change his life. And so, after a slight gesture, Adam allowed the purple light to enter his domain.

It compressed to the size of a marble and slowly floated over to the boy, eventually landing on his forehead. The purple light lingered for a few short moments before finally fading.

"..."

Adam sighed, glancing back up to the cosmos. However, the shrine was long gone, and so was the presence of the person behind the shrine.

"How unfortunate... If only you had arrived ten years ago, we would’ve accepted you with open arms..."

Shaking his head, he turned away from the window and strode across the hallway, his thoughts amiss.

But there was one thought that made him feel a slight bit of compassion, and that was the lie he had told the boy.

"The desire to protect those you care about is a strong motive... and it’s not like I told a complete lie."

The Heavenly Faction owned most low-tier worlds by default, but only after the third ascension. The boy’s world was still on its second ascension.

Even still, Adam wasn’t looking to get on the boy’s good side. He wasn’t prepared to be a mentor, but he could at the very least guide the young boy to a path of power.

He stopped, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Hmm~ Though your companions might give you an earful if you don’t hurry up and finish the tribulation."

.

.

.

<+58,044,948 Void Qi | 858,822,955,110 / 1,000,000,000,000>

[Ding!]

[There is no more Qi left to absorb!]

[You have finished your Tribulation to Spirit Master.]

[Congratulations, you have entered the Spirit Master realm.]

[All stats +10,000]

Xuan heaved a relieved breath, having finished gathering all the Void Qi he could. He was a bit disappointed, however.

I only got a little over 800 trillion Void Qi. It’s good and all... But with such an opportunity, I expected so much more.

More importantly, his physique went up a stage, causing his body to feel much lighter and more attuned to the environment.

—

<Boundless Void Physique>

<Rank: Supreme>

<Mastery Level: 3 → 4>

<Description: (NEW) Description: Your connection to space deepens. Once per moment of crisis, you may return to your position from moments ago. Formations weaken within your presence. Void Qi gain is moderately increased.>

<Note: All previous Mastery bonuses are included.>

—

I’m finally starting to get effects of my other Qi Types other than Space. Return to my position means Time Qi, I bet. Still, there’s no time for me to check everything out, I need to—

A loud clapping broke him out of his thoughts, and when he turned around, he spotted Adam sitting cross-legged, an amused expression on his face.

"Bravo. You’ve really proven yourself, haven’t you? That only took six days."

Xuan’s expression darkened, but before he could even say a single word, Adam let out a chuckle.

"Now here’s the tricky part..."