Chapter 163: The Universe
Chapter 163: The Universe
The woman’s figure blurred.
In the blink of an eye, she was standing right in front of Leon.
"Master... you’re back." She said with a warm smile.
Unlike the last time they had met, there wasn’t a trace of coldness or distance in her expression. She looked like an ordinary young woman greeting someone she had longed to see.
Her smile...
The glitter in those green eyes of hers...
The combination was so breathtaking that Leon almost felt his heart skip a beat.
"You’ve been calling me ’Master’ ever since we first met outside the river." Leon looked straight into her eyes. "Do you know me? Can you tell me why you’re calling me that?"
The first time she had addressed him that way, Leon had simply found it strange. He had assumed it was either the way she addressed everyone or that she had mistaken him for someone else.
But after meeting Frenrir and Noira...
He had begun to suspect that there was something about himself he didn’t know.
Something they all understood... Even that man from his dream.
Yet he didn’t.
His question slowly erased the smile from the woman’s face. "You... still don’t remember me?"
Leon let out a helpless sigh. "That question again? Am I supposed to? If I had met a gorgeous woman who could transform into a gigantic white serpent... I’m pretty sure I would’ve never forgotten that."
The woman lowered her gaze before letting out a quiet sigh. "It seems you were even crueler to yourself than I imagined, Master."
Leon frowned. ’I was cruel to myself?’
The woman looked back at him, a gentle smile returning to her face. "But it’s alright. One day... you’ll remember everything. I’ll simply wait until then."
The woman thought of something and asked. "But since you’re here... Does that mean you’ve awakened your Soul Domain?"
Leon blinked. "Soul Domain? I have something called the Soul Sanctuary now. Are they the same thing?"
"Yes." The woman nodded. "They’re the same. If you’ve awakened your Soul Sanctuary, then you can now form a soul bond with me. Once that happens, I’ll be able to travel alongside you."
She smiled faintly. "Otherwise, my cultivation is far too high. The laws of the Dao won’t allow me to set foot in a lower world like the Detached Heaven."
"The Detached Heaven?" Leon looked confused. "You mean... Earth?"
The woman nodded again. "Yes."
Leon couldn’t help but ask, "What’s with that strange name?"
He looked at her seriously. "I know there are probably things you can’t tell me about myself, but I really need to understand what’s going on. At least tell me the things you can."
The woman remained silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts. Finally, she began explaining.
"Okay, master. I can tell you about the vast universe. It will make many things clear without hampering your progress.
The whole universe is divided into two parts. One is the astral river. The part where eternals dwell. Another is the Stary Way River. The Stary Way River has different worlds. And among those worlds, the one where countless races coexist in harmony is called the Heaven.
This heaven was initially divided into ten segments.
The First Heaven.
The Second Heaven.
The Third Heaven...
All the way to the Tenth Heaven.
Because of an incident that I cannot reveal to you yet, the Tenth Heaven was severed from the other nine.
It drifted far away into the Starry Way River and became an independent world.
The world you call Earth...
Is that detached Tenth Heaven."
Leon couldn’t hide the shock in his eyes.
The woman continued.
"The place where we are standing now is called Nexar. It is one of the countless worlds scattered throughout the Starry Way River.
It is the homeland of magical beasts.
Although... the people of the Heavens usually call us monsters.
A very long time ago, during the beginning of everything, a few races from Nexar had entered the Heaven.
Dragons.
Phoenixes.
Serpents.
Lions.
Gorillas.
And several others."
Her expression then turned solemn. "But the overwhelming majority of magical beasts were never permitted to enter.
Our bloodlines are naturally violent.
Most magical beasts possess little regard for life.
They thrive on instinct.
Battle.
And chaos.
To prevent Nexar’s inhabitants from invading the Heavens freely, an enormous barrier was erected between the two."
She paused briefly. "That barrier became the beginning of a war. A war that has continued for countless years."
Leon remained silent, listening carefully.
"Now that the Tenth Heaven has become detached... It lies directly between Nexar and the Ninth Heaven. To the magical beasts of Nexar... The Detached Heaven is the perfect bridge. If they can conquer it... They will gain a forward base from which they can launch a full-scale invasion of the Ninth Heaven."
"Conquer it?" Leon frowned. "You mean..."
The woman’s expression turned solemn. "Yes, Master. Conquer it. They want to turn the Detached Heaven into a part of Nexar... a land where magical beasts can live and thrive freely."
Leon’s heart sank. "What about us? What will happen to humanity then?"
Instead of answering immediately, the woman asked a question of her own. "Other than the Primals... have you seen a single human living in Nexar?"
Leon’s expression turned pale. "No." He already knew why she had asked.
The woman nodded. "Then you already know the answer."
Silence fell between them.
After a moment, Leon looked at her again.
"Then why do you call me ’Master’? I’m human. You’re a magical beast. Aren’t we supposed to be enemies?"
The woman smiled faintly and slowly shook her head. "Not all magical beasts are bloodthirsty, Master. If that were true, how could several magical beast races have coexisted peacefully in the Heavens for countless generations? It’s true that many of us possess a sense of racial pride. But we don’t slaughter humans simply because they’re human. Not unless they cross a line they shouldn’t."
She paused before continuing. "Humans kill other humans too, don’t they? Our stand isn’t much different. We fight when it’s necessary. Not merely because killing is entertaining... or because instinct demands it."
Leon fell silent. "I see..."
He lowered his head, deep in thought. For the first time... He had begun to understand the bigger picture. The answers weren’t about his own self.
But they had broadened his understanding of the world tremendously.
At last...
He finally understood the true purpose behind the dungeon gates.