Duality of Shadows-Chapter 969: No Conspiracy

"Sir, I see you brought a child... I must warn you, since we are both humans. You bought a room in the center, but that place is overcrowded and chaotic. Also, there are many demons with disturbed minds over there... bringing a little girl to that place... I would advise you to pay a little more for a better room."

A tall man, with a dignified expression that hid his mockery well, said this. From what they had noticed, and from the fluctuations of that man, he was at the early stage of the King Realm in cultivation.

The whale snorted dryly: "You think I can’t read? It’s clearly written that I bought a room on the top floor, I paid the highest fee for the two of us."

Hearing this, the man’s expression darkened: "The rooms on the upper and middle floors are all occupied. Now, the people who bought rooms there can only go to the lower floor, understand?" He said coldly, glaring at the whale with ferocity. "You don’t understand what I’m saying, or should I be more direct?"

Bruno chuckled inwardly. It seemed like this kind of situation was really common. They had already paid for the tickets before, then they were brought onto the ship. Afterward, the guide who led them in exchange for a crystal had left them directly to be extorted.

With the synchronization and lack of shame acting so openly, it was clear that this wasn’t an isolated case. The people of that clan, upon selling the tickets, had noticed that he didn’t have powerful fluctuations and directed him straight to that thief.

They had bought the most expensive ticket, but now they were forced to accept going to the lowest level? The intention was clear: since they had already paid part of it and showed they had extra resources, they would be pressured into spending more to avoid falling into a deplorable condition.

Suddenly, Alm and Bruno sensed something and held Meru, who was on his shoulder. She had already gripped her sword hilt with a cold look.

They sighed. Like mother, like daughter. Both, when younger, were explosive and didn’t tolerate insults.

’Control yourself, kid. What are you going to gain from this? If you use your weapon here, people on the ship and in line could be affected. Remember, no one here is a cultivator.’

Alm spoke seriously to her through the array. Meru had just been added to the array, and she was now their probable and final general.

Meru gave a slight apologetic nod but seemed to understand something different. Alm and Bruno didn’t notice, as they turned back to the man, replying casually:

"What if I say no?"

"No? You think you have that privilege? If you don’t want to get on the ship, then get out. I’ve seen many people like you. Don’t try to act like you’re important here!" The man yelled fiercely, "Get out of the way. If you don’t have money, then don’t embarrass yourself here."

At that moment, a line started forming behind them. A demon passed without lining up, walking straight.

That demon showed a golden plate, and the guards immediately let him pass. He arrogantly looked at the others before sneering and entering.

"See that? That’s real power, the flaunting of the rich. Those who don’t have money should accept their fate and behave," the man mocked, looking at the whale.

The ship was divided into three levels: lower, middle, and upper.

When buying the ticket, someone had explained how luxurious the upper floor was: huge, private rooms that were safe to relax in without interruptions. It was a symbol of status and position.

Since they weren’t without crystals, they bought the upper floor without thinking much. However, now, thinking about it, staying isolated didn’t seem interesting; it would be good for Meru to meet people. As for those people, they were too old to act explosively—being too quick would make them miss something.

Not that they would just leave it at that, of course—they weren’t just thieves. Observing that man and other clan members behind, a dark karma surrounded them. This meant that eventually, something shady would happen. They would deal with everything in one go.

"You stupid ogre, let me warn you: don’t cause me trouble. Either get in, or get lost." The man became even more impatient, his tone now threatening.

"Sister, I’m scared..."

The whale heard a soft voice behind him and, turning around, saw a little boy hiding behind a young woman, looking terrified at the threatening man.

The woman quickly comforted her brother but was also tense. Still, she kept calm because of him.

The whale noticed Meru watching them, but didn’t argue and waved at the man. Seeing him submit, the man looked at him with disdain. He took the whale’s two entry tablets and replaced them with lower-level ones. He had paid a hundred times more for a deplorable place. Worse, he did this for two people.

Meru’s explosive anger was evident. She was smart and understood everything quickly. ’Just wait...’ she thought, sighing to calm herself. She knew her father wouldn’t let this go.

Not bothered by what had happened, the whale walked to the back of the ship. The place was open, a single flat surface, with no separate rooms or shelters. Millions of people were packed like refugees, sitting on the ground in small groups, talking. They had to squeeze together for a journey of more than a month.

Upon entering the ship, Meru was surprised by the size—it was much larger than it seemed on the outside. The whale explained that this was due to the spatial inscriptions used in the construction.

With no Qi available in the universe, it was natural that the inscriptions had been developed. However, spatial laws were high-level knowledge, making it clear why that clan was one of the seven largest in the universe.

When they arrived, it felt like they had entered a real beehive. All sorts of noise flooded their ears, a cacophony of voices discussing dreams, hopes, and plans for the future. The excitement was palpable, and the loud voices reflected the collective enthusiasm.

There were millions of people there. Some were very young, jumping with excitement, while the overall atmosphere of the lower level seemed more vibrant than problematic. Even though it was the cheapest space, the environment wasn’t unpleasant.

Most of the people present didn’t have an internal elemental rune or any advanced cultivation from this universe. A few were Commoners, and there was only a single Noble among them.

Seeing how crowded that level was, people were looking for a place to sit. At that moment, a warm voice called to him: "Sir, if you don’t mind, you can sit here!"

The one who called him was an elf woman, who, upon seeing Meru on his shoulder, seemed comfortable with the presence of someone who appeared to be a father taking care of his daughter. The whale nodded in thanks, but his eyes ended up falling on a bald, muscular man occupying a large space alone near the woman.

The bald man seemed to be surrounded only by women, scaring away any man who got too close, as if he were a young master pervert. Alm and Bruno rolled their eyes, feeling tired of dealing with idiots at this level.

The man growled, "Get out. Anyone who gets close will...!"

*Slap!*

A small hand appeared like a ghost and immediately slapped him. The bald man didn’t even finish his threat before he was sent flying and smashed into the mast of the ship. The noisy world instantly fell silent.

Although he had a robust body, he seemed like a mass being thrown, hitting his head against a metal bar and fainting, then falling to the ground without moving.

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This was the powerful and only Noble present, whose appearance was as threatening as that of a demon. No one dared provoke him.

"Hmph... thank me later for scaring him off. My father would have thrown him off the boat," Meru said, puffing out her chest before turning to the whale, who put his hand over his face in disbelief.

’Why the hell did Ruri teach her this... so that’s what she was secretly talking about before we left...’ Bruno thought mentally.

Alm nodded. ’She didn’t use her sword and solved it cleanly. I’m speechless... such pride...’

Everyone around was shocked by Meru’s words and actions. Sending a man flying with a slap was enough to leave everyone speechless. Obviously, the slap didn’t cause any significant damage; he just hit his head and fainted. However, everyone witnessed the little girl climbing on the whale’s shoulder—if she was this strong, imagine him. Now, everyone was trembling with fear as they faced that huge, rounded figure.

’There goes our girl’s interaction with people...’ Bruno murmured mentally, a little disappointed.

After snorting, he gave Meru a mental scolding, and she looked a bit down. Then, they moved to a quieter spot and sat down.

Right behind them was a pair of siblings. The little boy was trembling. He seemed to be about the same age as Meru, but he was very innocent and, by the looks of it, had never witnessed something like this before.

"If you want to sit, then sit. I don’t need this much space for myself," Bruno said, smiling slightly at the scared little boy before glancing at his sister beside him.

The young woman hesitated, but eventually, she brought her little brother to sit next to them. "Thank you so much." The place was crowded, and finding a good spot was difficult. Since they didn’t want to separate, and this figure had invited them, they sat down directly.

Seeing that the whale didn’t reject people from his space, other newcomers began to walk up to him without hesitation, politely thanking him before settling down.

Bruno was a bit confused. Hadn’t they been scared of them just a while ago?

’You’re underestimating her. She has a cute face and is powerful and smart enough to use it to her advantage,’ Alm spoke mentally, like a proud father.

Only then did Bruno notice that the newcomers were looking at them, and on the whale’s shoulder, they saw a little girl smiling sweetly, which seemed to warm their hearts. Meru waved at them, and that made them move closer.

The place gradually returned to its noisy state. People started talking again, and many who hadn’t known each other before began introducing themselves. Everyone was excited.

Listening to their conversations, it was clear they came from that same galaxy. It was an average place, where no one could properly cultivate an elemental rune.

They had spent all their life savings to buy a ticket and be accepted into that clan. That wasn’t just a ticket, but an opportunity they had dreamed of—the chance for a new world where they could cultivate, something they only knew from legends.

Most of the people there had good talents; after all, getting that many crystals wasn’t easy. Even the cheapest place cost a dozen crystals; just getting a single crystal was a challenge. But the confidence they had in their own eyes was still limited.

’The most important thing for a cultivator is their will and Dao Heart. Cultivating is going against the heavens. Look at everyone here. They even have some potential, but if they don’t have the courage to fight, conquer, and survive, they’ll never get anywhere.’

The whale’s words echoed in Meru’s mind, and her eyes shone. Seeing with her own eyes was worth more than any teaching.

To sum it up, everyone was full of hope and expectation for the future. They believed that by reaching a different place, their lives would change. That helped, of course, but organizing your own room and changing yourself was the only thing that truly solved anything. In the world of cultivation, in the mortal world, in the sky or in hell, it all came down to an inner journey, not an external one.

Seeing the excited expressions around, Meru sighed. She already understood that the stronger the place, the harder the competition. There would be more opportunities, but also more cruel traps, ready to devour people without leaving a trace. Thinking they could just grab a falling opportunity from the heavens and fly in that clan was unrealistic.

"Big brother, where are you from?" Bruno was surprised to see the little boy take the initiative to speak to him.

"Rian!" The older sister scolded him seriously, giving him a harsh look. It was extremely rude to ask about someone’s origins right after meeting them. "Sir, please forgive my brother. He doesn’t know how to behave. Please, don’t take offense."

Bruno smiled slightly. "It’s fine. The journey is long. We can talk to pass the time. I came from this same boring planet we’re on now. Not much to say. But Meru seems quite curious about where you came from."

"Oh?" Little Rian looked at Meru, excited. His sister, on the other hand, had a clearly tense expression.

Alm and Bruno internally snorted at the woman’s reaction. They had thrown the bait, and she took it way too easily. These two seemed to have a deep past, and the young woman was so innocent that it became obvious now. Anyone more observant would notice and take advantage of them.

Especially because, even though this young woman didn’t seem particularly beautiful, there was something about her that radiated nobility. Her posture was impeccable, and both she and her brother were wearing disguises on their faces, trying to look like simple peasants. However, to experienced eyes, a person’s true origins became clear through their eyes, their fluctuations, and even how they behaved.

Despite that, the young woman was too innocent and clearly had no conspiracy in mind. Humans this pure were rare. Because of that, Alm and Bruno couldn’t help but feel a good premonition about these siblings.

"I’m Rian, and this is my sister, Zian," the little boy introduced the two of them to Meru, who waved cheerfully.

Meru continued to chat and listen about where they came from. Strangely, only Zian spoke. Her descriptions were limited to a very large city, but her fluctuations hinted that she was referring to something that belonged to a distant past, something she could barely remember.

Little Rian, on the other hand, listened to the conversation with excitement. It seemed like he hadn’t witnessed what his sister had seen, as if he had lived hidden in a dark and dull place.

As time passed, more and more people began to arrive, and the place got more and more crowded. After a few hours, the ship started to tremble slightly, and a chorus of cheers echoed.

"We’re leaving!"

The gigantic ship began to move slowly. First, it rose, leaving the planet behind, and then it accelerated more and more, cutting through space at great speed. That was the last stop; now they were heading directly to the clan in another galaxy.