Alex stood alone in the training ground, his fingers tracing the air as if reading invisible text.

[Time stop: You can stop time in 1 km around you. This would apply to beings who are 5 times stronger than you and below.]

He had known this already. When his talent was awakened, as he had read many novels where time stop was an ultimate technique weilded by both hereos and villains. But seeing it written so plainly, so officially, still brought a sense of satisfaction that he could not deny.

"Now I am undefeatable," he whispered to himself, and for a moment, arrogance bloomed in his chest like a poisonous flower.

Then he shook his head rapidly, almost violently, as if trying to physically dislodge the thought from his mind.

Arrogance was the death of every genius. He had seen it happen too many times. He had read about it in the histories, witnessed it in the arena, heard the elders speak of fallen prodigies who believed themselves invincible right before their destruction. He would not become one of them.

He took a deep breath and steadied his thoughts. The arrogance faded, replaced by cold calculation.

"Grandmaster, I am ready," he said softly.

The air beside him rippled like disturbed water, and Igris materialized from nowhere.

"Are you sure?" Igris asked, his voice carrying the weight of genuine concern.

"Yes, I am," Alex nodded without hesitation.

"Good. Good. Good."

Three times the grandmaster said it, and each repetition carried more weight than the last. This alone showed how expectant he was about Alex. Igris was not a man who repeated himself lightly.

"Stand here," Igris said, pointing to a circular platform in the center of the ground. "I am opening the portal. Enter very quickly. Then everything depends on you after entering."

The grandmaster raised both hands, and symbols began to form in the air before him. They were ancient characters, older than any language Alex had ever seen, glowing with a deep purple light that seemed to drink the illumination from the blazing realm.

"First you must find the willow tree," Igris continued as he worked. "There are ten willow trees together. Nine are small and green colored, ordinary in every way. One is huge with golden color, radiating power like a small sun. If you can obtain the seed of the golden one, it would give you five times more strength."

Alex’s eyes widened slightly. Five times. That was not a small increase. That was the difference between life and death in the battles.

"Oh, before I forget. Take this."

Igris waved his hand, and the air shimmered. A battle suit materialized in front of Alex, floating at chest height as if presented by an invisible servant.

It was red, a deep crimson that reminded Alex of fresh blood, with black lining that traced patterns across its surface. The patterns were not merely decorative. Alex could sense the energy flowing through them, intricate pathways of power that made the suit look ferocious and gorgeous at the same time. It was the kind of armor that demanded attention, that made enemies hesitate just by its presence.

"This is a galactic level battlesuit, the highest level allowed in that realm," Igris explained. "It would give you defense from galactic realm attacks. Even a galactic overlord would struggle to hurt you while you wear this."

Alex reached out and touched the suit. It was warm, almost alive, and he could feel it responding to his presence, adjusting itself to his energy signature.

"And if you decide to burn down its full fuel, you can gain galactic realm strength for two minutes," Igris added. "Use that wisely. Two minutes is not much time, but in battle, it can be an eternity."

Alex’s eyes lit up. He had been lacking defense. His martial soul was powerful, overwhelmingly so. He could fight galactic realm beings with his attacks alone. But his body was still mortal, still vulnerable. Every punch he threw, every technique he unleashed, would leave him exposed. One good hit from a galactic realm opponent and he would be finished.

Now with this suit, he could fight without that fear. He could commit fully to his attacks, knowing that his defense matched his offense.

"Thank you, Grandmaster," Alex bowed deeply, from the waist, holding the position for a full three seconds as a sign of respect.

"Go. Return with a seed. If you can, I will give you a weapon as well," Igris smiled, and for just a moment, the ancient eyes showed something that looked almost like pride.

Alex nodded and began to put on the suit. It flowed over his body like liquid, conforming to every curve and muscle, tightening in some places and loosening in others until it fit perfectly. He felt the power immediately, not just the defensive capability but also the way it enhanced his movements, making him faster, more precise.

The portal opened behind him with a sound like tearing silk. Purple light spilled out, illuminating the chamber with an otherworldly glow. Alex could see the other side, a place of lush greenery and drifting mist.

Without looking back, he stepped through.

The transition was instantaneous and disorienting. One moment he was in the familiar training ground, the next he stood in a forest that seemed ancient beyond measure. The trees around him were massive, their trunks wider than houses, their canopies blocking out most of the sky. What light filtered through was soft and green, cast by leaves that seemed to glow faintly from within.

Mist drifted between the trees, white and thick, reducing visibility to only a few dozen meters. It moved in strange ways, not like ordinary mist but almost as if it had a will of its own, swirling around him, testing him.

Alex began walking, each step careful and deliberate. He did not know where enemies might be lurking, but he knew they were there. The mist felt hostile. The trees felt watchful. Even the ground beneath his feet seemed to listen for his movements.

He had taken perhaps fifty steps when the warning came.

His spatial senses, sharpened by his eternal grade space talent and further enhanced by his comprehension of the law of space, screamed at him. Danger from the right. Something fast, something sharp, something aimed directly at his head.

He did not think. Thinking would have taken too long. Instead, he activated his teleportation, vanishing from his position and reappearing ten meters to the left.

The weapon that would have taken his head flew past, an axe with a blade that seemed to drink the light, and embedded itself in a tree behind him. The tree did not simply get cut. It disintegrated, turning to ash in an instant before the ash itself vanished into nothing.

"A space talent user. What a hassle."

The voice came from the mist, annoyed and disdainful. Alex watched as a figure emerged, a man who walked with the easy confidence of someone who had never truly known fear. He was tall, well built, with golden hair and eyes that held a cruel light.

The man reached the tree where his axe had landed, and the weapon floated back to his hand as if pulled by an invisible string.

Alex focused his attention and the information appeared before him.

[Name: Rowan Balzard

Species: Immortal Human

Martial Soul: Heaven Cleaving Axe (Genesis)

Rank: Martial Emperor level 9 (Void Realm)

Combat prowess: Star level 9 (without battle suit)]

Immortal Human. Alex’s expression darkened. These bastards always tried to kill him the moment they met him. What kind of curse entered his body after killing those in earth? They were not even real immortal humans, just followers of an exiled one.

"Someone from the immortal human race," Alex said quietly. "Are you from our multiversal world or another? How far are the immortal humans spreaded?"

Alex looked the man and asked, "Can you also sense that I have killed immortal humans?"

"Yes," Rowan replied. "You are reeking of their blood."

This species is rather dangerous, Alex thought. He had never put much thought into it before. The immortal humans he had encountered had always been weaker than him, easy to defeat, easy to dismiss.

But if he ever encountered a truly powerful one, someone at the galactic level or above, they would try to kill him simply because of what he was. He needed to ask the grandmaster if there was a way to remove this curse, to stop these people from sensing his blood.

"Why do you want to die?" Alex asked, keeping his voice level. "Go and search for the seed which you came to find. I am far too superior than you. You do not stand a chance against me."

He did not like to kill without reason. He had done it before, many times, but never without cause. If this man walked away now, Alex would let him live. But if he continued to push, if he forced the issue, then Alex would end him without hesitation.