Chapter 160: The guardian sacrificed himself

Alex stood silently within the endless void of his newly created Inner World while countless stars revolved slowly around him. The miniature solar system floating before his eyes radiated a sacred brilliance that seemed almost unreal.

The golden sun burned steadily at the center.

Earth rotated peacefully nearby while oceans shimmered beneath clouds of white vapor. The remaining planets moved according to the laws Alex himself had established moments earlier.

Then the system notifications suddenly exploded inside his mind one after another.

[Ding! Host has successfully created a new world.]

[Ding! Host has embarked on a completely new cultivation journey.]

[Ding! System’s cultivation function has been restored.]

[Ding! Every day, Host’s Inner Universe will expand automatically by one million light years.]

[Ding! Host can accelerate expansion speed by absorbing living planets into the Inner World.]

[Ding! The stronger the civilizations within Host’s Inner World become, the stronger Host himself will become.]

[Ding! Host’s total combat capability is now directly linked to the collective strength of the inner world and all it’s lifeforms residing within the Inner Universe.]

Alex remained stunned briefly after hearing the endless notifications.

Even after everything he had experienced, this development still exceeded his expectations completely.

When he observed the countless stars slowly forming beyond the original solar system, he realized the system was not exaggerating.

His Inner World was genuinely evolving into a real universe.

The Lotus of Creation floated calmly at the very center of the solar system while radiating ancient divine light endlessly. Tiny streams of cosmic energy flowed outward from it continuously, causing new celestial bodies to begin forming naturally in the distant void.

Alex could already sense faint outlines of additional solar systems slowly taking shape.

A faint smile appeared on his face afterward.

"So this is my new path."

He clenched his fist slightly.

His current base strength alone had already reached nearly fifty million Galactic Level units without even accounting for his absurd genetic potential. If his Inner Universe truly continued expanding endlessly, then eventually his strength would become impossible to measure through conventional standards.

However, one problem still remained.

"System," Alex said calmly. "My previous leveling system no longer seems compatible with ordinary cultivation realms. How will my future levels be determined now?"

The system responded instantly.

[Ding! From now onward, every ten million light years of stable Inner Universe expansion will correspond to one cultivation level.]

[Ding! Host’s official realm will only stabilize after the Inner Universe itself becomes fully stabilized.]

Alex narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

That meant he would need approximately fifty million galaxies before achieving complete foundational stability.

The scale was utterly terrifying.

Still, compared to ordinary cultivators, Alex already possessed an absurd advantage. His universe would continue expanding automatically every single day.

Then another thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"What about the synchronization function?" Alex asked immediately. "Previously, every three levels I gained would help my contracted beasts level up as well. Does that still function under the new system?"

[Ding! Synchronization function remains fully active.]

Alex finally released a quiet sigh of relief.

That was important.

Under the new system, he would roughly gain one level every ten days through automatic universal expansion alone. That meant his beasts would continuously evolve alongside him every month without needing additional effort.

The implications were terrifying.

"Good," Alex muttered softly. "Then it is time to return."

His eyes turned cold afterward.

"We will continue hunting after Earth is relocated."

The secret realm around him distorted immediately afterward.

Space folded inward silently before Alex vanished from the Inner World entirely.

Moments later, he reappeared above Earth.

The familiar blue planet floated quietly within the vast darkness of space while countless satellites continued orbiting around it normally. From afar, nothing appeared different.

However, Alex immediately summoned the Guardian.

Space fluctuated slightly.

The fully armored Guardian appeared beside him instantly. His towering silver armor radiated ancient pressure powerful enough to suppress stars themselves.

Alex looked toward him calmly.

"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked.

The Guardian shook his head slowly.

"No. There is not."

Alex nodded afterward.

"Then I am going to absorb Earth into my Inner World."

Then both Alex and the Guardian stepped outside Earth’s atmosphere completely.

However, the moment Alex properly observed the solar system, confusion immediately appeared on his face.

The Earth had become enormous.

Far larger than before.

Its current size was almost comparable to the original sun from centuries ago. Meanwhile, the current sun had also expanded tremendously alongside the remaining planets.

The entire solar system had increased proportionally in scale.

Alex frowned slightly. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Why did the universe enlarge the solar system itself?" he muttered. "There was no reason for that."

The system answered immediately.

[Ding! Enlargement occurred naturally due to the enormous energy released after Earth’s awakening.]

Understanding flashed across Alex’s eyes instantly.

"So that is the reason."

Then he slowly raised his head.

A colossal projection of himself suddenly manifested across Earth’s skies.

Every single human on the planet saw him instantly.

His gigantic figure towered beyond the clouds like a divine being gazing upon mortal civilization. Golden light radiated around his body while stars seemed to revolve faintly behind him.

The entire world exploded into chaos immediately afterward.

"It is Alex Moriarty!"

"The Messiah!"

"Our Savior!"

Statues of Alex already existed throughout nearly every nation after humanity’s survival crisis. To countless humans, he had already become a legendary existence surpassing ordinary heroes entirely.

Now they were witnessing him personally.

"Your Highness!"

Countless voices echoed simultaneously throughout the world.

Alex raised one hand calmly.

The planet instantly fell silent afterward.

"People of Earth," he said slowly. "Today, I have something important to announce."

His serious tone immediately caused the cheering crowds to calm down.

"I am relocating Earth to a remote location beyond this universe."

Shock spread globally.

Many people stared upward in disbelief.

Alex continued calmly.

"You may remain on Earth if you wish. However, if you desire another place to live, I can relocate you safely to a different habitable world."

He paused briefly.

"You have three hours to decide."

The entire planet exploded into panic and discussion immediately afterward.

Meanwhile, Alex turned toward the Guardian beside him.

"Go," he ordered. "Transform Mars into a habitable planet."

The Guardian nodded once before vanishing instantly.

Moments later, he appeared above Mars.

Then he waved his hand.

The entire planet began transforming violently.

Ancient barren landscapes split apart while oceans formed from condensed moisture instantly. Massive forests erupted across the surface while breathable atmosphere spread throughout the planet rapidly.

Within minutes, Mars resembled a second Earth completely.

Three hours passed afterward.

Humanity finally reached a decision.

Most people chose relocation.

Only a very small percentage wished to remain on Earth itself.

Alex nodded calmly after learning the results.

Then he raised one hand.

Billions of humans vanished from Earth instantly and reappeared safely across the newly terraformed Mars. Cities, infrastructure, and essential resources followed afterward through spatial transportation.

Then Alex turned toward another group entirely.

The ancient humans hidden secretly within Earth’s depths.

With another wave, he transported all of them into an enormous space vessel alongside a final warning ordering them to leave permanently.

After handling everything, Alex finally focused entirely on Earth itself.

The gigantic awakened planet floated silently before him.

Then a massive black hole suddenly appeared within Alex’s chest region.

Terrifying gravitational force erupted outward instantly.

Space itself distorted violently around him.

He was about to absorb Earth directly into his Inner World.

However, at that exact moment, the sky above the solar system suddenly tore apart.

BOOM!

A gigantic crack spanning millions of kilometers opened across space itself.

Then a colossal hand emerged from within the dimensional fracture.

The aura radiating from that hand vastly surpassed even the Guardian’s pressure.

Alex’s expression changed immediately.

"Not good."

He recognized the danger instantly.

It was likely that ancient vampire existence.

The gigantic palm descended directly toward Earth with terrifying speed.

However, before it could reach the planet, the Guardian suddenly appeared in front of it.

The Guardian raised both arms and blocked the incoming hand directly.

BOOOOOOM!

The collision shattered surrounding space instantly.

Entire regions of the solar system cracked apart beneath the impact.

The Guardian’s armored body trembled violently.

Yet that single moment of resistance gave Alex enough time.

The black hole inside his chest expanded instantly afterward.

Earth vanished.

The entire awakened planet disappeared directly into Alex’s Inner World.

The gigantic hand paused briefly afterward.

Then it crushed downward mercilessly.

The Guardian’s body exploded apart almost instantly beneath the overwhelming force.

Alex’s pupils contracted.

Without hesitation, he activated the Great Dao of Dimensional Dominion completely.

Space folded around him instantly.

The gigantic palm attempted to seize him as well, but Alex escaped narrowly before the attack connected.

The enormous hand stopped afterward.

It seemed slightly confused.

How could such a tiny existence escape its grasp?

However, Alex had already vanished completely.

Far away, deep within hidden dimensional layers, Alex reappeared inside the Prime Sanctuary realm while breathing heavily.

His eyes remained cold.

That existence was incomparably terrifying.

If not for the Guardian sacrificing himself, Alex would have died moments earlier.

Meanwhile, within a far higher plane of existence beyond ordinary universes, an ancient man slowly withdrew his gigantic hand from the dimensional crack.

His expression was dark.

"He entered that abandoned realm?" he muttered coldly.

Several terrifying figures immediately knelt nearby.

The man spoke calmly afterward.

"Send our troops."

His eyes turned icy.

"We must find him immediately."

A terrifying pressure spread throughout the higher plane afterward.

"Father’s sword is on that planet."