While Kaelan's clone battles within the world, his true body moves through the endless void. His eight massive tentacles sweep in wide arcs, scattering waves of silver mist as he faces the man rushing toward him.
The man's sword burns with searing light, each swing cleaving through the darkness like a blazing comet.
Kaelan lets out a deep, resonant roar—the sound alone ripples through the void, shattering fragments of space.
The waves of destructive sound crash against the sword light, the collision birthing storms of energy that tear open silent rifts around them.
Kaelan retreats a few spans, pulling the fight away from the golden-glowing world below. Their battle is too fierce; even a stray strike could wound that fragile sphere—and he has no intention of losing his investment.
At a distance, they continue to clash—void energy swirling like a silver ocean around them. Kaelan begins to gain the upper hand, his enormous body weaving through the chaos with unnatural speed.
His golden eyes gleam with hunger as he stares at the swordsman, intent on devouring him whole.
Then, suddenly, another aura flares in the distance—powerful, cold, and unmistakably similar to the swordsman's. Kaelan's heart tightens. The aura of a Fifth Stage cultivator.
Fear floods him.
After finally attaining a new life, he has no desire to risk it here.
His tentacles lash once, and his vast form dissolves into shadow, vanishing into the depths of the void.
The trails of his passing twist into ribbons of silver energy that slowly fade into stillness.
Moments later, the second presence reveals itself.
A ship of dark metal drifts into view, its hull etched with glowing runes that hum faintly in the emptiness. As it nears, its overwhelming aura weakens—falling to that of a peak Fourth Stage.
The swordsman lands lightly on the deck, his fiery sword dimming. Inside the ship's control chamber, a man with silver hair smirks. "I thought it would be a hard fight."
The swordsman shakes his head. "The aura of another Fifth Stage scared the void monster off. It fled before realising it was a decoy."
Their eyes turn to the world below—small, yet glowing with golden light, radiant against the surrounding darkness. Greed flickers in every gaze aboard the ship, the faint hum of the void echoing like a heartbeat, amplifying their desire.
One of the men speaks, voice tinged with anticipation. "Master, when will you break the world's barrier? Then we can enter and spread our Sword civilisation."
The swordsman's expression remains calm, but his tone is firm. "It's a small world. Breaking its barrier for the void ship to enter will be difficult, and the void monster may still be watching. We must spread our civilisation by other means first."
They fall silent, greed sharpening their focus on the golden-glowing sphere below. At a distance, Kaelan watches them, eyes gleaming with the same hunger.
I need a way to hide my aura, he thinks, or anyone will attack me. This time, it was someone weaker. Next time, if I encounter someone stronger… I'll be doomed.
His gaze snaps to the void ship drifting through the darkness. They intend to invade that world.
That world is mine—I cannot let them succeed. Rage surges through him. His eight tentacles lash outward, slicing through the void, scattering arcs of destructive light in every direction.
A sudden scent of prey reaches him. Kaelan freezes, scanning the surrounding void. Nothing is visible—only the swirling currents of void energy.
He swings a tentacle toward the source. A crack fractures the emptiness, and through it, the faint trace of the scent becomes clear.
Here it is… hidden in the folds of the void.
Kaelan shifts, slipping into the crack, and emerges before a world that gleams with golden light.
He approaches cautiously, his tentacles brushing against the world's barrier.
Swallowing the world directly would alert that swordsman. I have to destroy it from the inside, just like I am planning to do with the first world.
A tentacle detaches from his body, and in its place, another grows instantly.
The detached appendage sharpens, its tip radiating destruction energy like a knife, hovering outside the first world.
Though motionless, Kaelan is training, honing his control over destructive energy.
The severed tentacle shrinks, transforming into a small, spherical eyeball. Carefully, he slices a tiny opening in the world barrier and sends the eyeball through.
Inside the world, Kaelan's second clone wastes no time observing—he needs a body to conceal his aura.
As he descends toward the golden land below, a thunderbolt strikes without warning, slamming him into the ground. Pain explodes through him, and for a moment, death feels near.
A second thunderstorm crackles above, but Kaelan sees no life nearby; the desert around him stretches empty and harsh.
Spotting a massive rock, he dives inside, pressing against its shadowed interior, and suppresses his aura with manic precision.
The second thunderbolt passes harmlessly above. Exhausted from the effort of hiding his presence, Kaelan slips into a deep, forced sleep.
-----
First World
Unaware of what is happening outside the world, Kaelan consolidates his cultivation inside his room. After winning the battle and announcing the new realm of martial arts—the Holy Fetus Realm—he returned straight here. Only a few hours before his duel with Ke Xin, he had broken through into that realm.
He named it Wizard–Martial Art Cultivation: Holy Fetus Realm, because his wizard cultivation alone could never have allowed him to reach it.
Before entering the human world, Kaelan had altered the foundation of his wizard cultivation method. The same modified technique he later passed on to Lin Zian.
Within his mind, he had already constructed a three-dimensional image of his true crow form—an intricate structure of 8,100 runes, more than half of which were repetitions of nine primary runes, each with subtle variations.
According to his plan, reaching the second stage required burning one's life force to imbue that image with life energy, giving birth to an alternate spirit.
When Kaelan performed this process, however, he went beyond life force alone—he fused it with the power of darkness within heaven and earth, along with his mana.
The three-dimensional image came alive, transforming into an alternate spirit. He named it Holy Fetus.
Now, as his cultivation stabilises, Kaelan exhales slowly. "Now," he murmurs, "let's see what benefits the new realm brings."
Without using his demon cultivation method, relying solely on his martial art foundation, his overall strength increases threefold.
His physical and spiritual bodies both strengthen as well, though, since they already are in the second stage, the improvement is limited.
The most noticeable change is his control over spiritual energy—especially dark elemental energy—it increases nearly tenfold.
"Now to check the most important thing," he whispers.
He focuses on his sensitivity to the laws of the world and closes his eyes. Inside his spirit space, the small half crow–half man figure, his Holy Fetus, flutters out and hovers above his head.
Immediately, Kaelan's perception sharpens; the fog that once dulled his senses clears away.
The laws of the world swirl around him—most remain obscure and distant, but the laws of darkness and death gleam sharply, vivid and alive beneath his perception.
When he draws the Holy Fetus back into his body, the clarity fades. The fog returns, and discomfort settles over him. Opening his eyes, he sighs.
He wants to stay and continue his comprehension, but he knows he cannot. His announcement of a new realm must have stirred quite a commotion outside.
Kaelan leaves his room. In the corridor, he finds Chen Wei waiting for him. The young man bows slightly. "Sir, an elder from the Demon Hunting Association is waiting for you in the living room."
Kaelan nods and walks toward the hall. Inside, a middle-aged man in dark silver robes waits with a cold expression. The elder stands as Kaelan enters. "I am Elder Tang Wuheng of the Demon Hunting Association," he says, his tone measured but heavy with authority.
Kaelan takes a seat without bowing. "What does Elder Tang need from me?"
Tang Wuheng's smile is thin. "The association has taken great interest in your Holy Fetus Realm announcement. Such a discovery must not be left to personal ownership. If you join our association and hand over your cultivation method, you will be rewarded with a high position and vast resources. If not—" his voice drops, "you may find life outside our walls… complicated."
Kaelan's lips curve into a faint smirk. "Threats?"
Tang Wuheng's eyes harden. "Consider it advice."
Kaelan leans back, amusement flickering in his gaze. "I've heard the Demon Hunting Association's famed Holy Weapons can slay demons from miles away. Why don't we skip the talk? I've been wanting to experience one firsthand." His tone is calm, but the pressure in his words makes the elder's expression tighten.
Tang Wuheng's composure cracks for a moment before he turns sharply. "You'll regret this arrogance." He storms out, his sleeves snapping in the air behind him.
Kaelan watches him go, his smile faint but sharp. "I doubt it."
Moments later, the door opens again. The princess steps in, her movements graceful as moonlight. "Congratulations on your victory," she says softly.
Kaelan nods. "Thank you, Your Highness."
There's a pause—then, without preamble, she says, "I wish to marry you."
Kaelan's eyes widen. For a heartbeat, he freezes, half expecting thunder to crash from the heavens or the world itself to resist the change. But nothing happens—no storm, no rejection.
He had once planned to ask for her hand after the competition, but the thought had faded once he broke through to the Holy Fetus Realm.
Now, fate—or the world—seemed to have reversed their roles. And since the heavens stayed silent… who was he to say no to a beautiful woman?
A smile curves his lips. "Yes."
The princess rises, her expression serene. "We'll be married at the end of this week."
Kaelan blinks. "That's five days from now. So soon?"
"I can't wait," she replies simply, and turns to leave.
Kaelan watches her go, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. "This world," he murmurs, "never stops surprising me."
Moments later, Chen Qi enters the room and bows. "Lord, many people are requesting an audience with you."
Kaelan stretches his fingers, his tone calm. "Tell them I'll meet them after three months. By then, I'll preach the cultivation method."
Chen Qi bows again. "Yes, Lord," he says and hurries out to deliver the message.
Kaelan turns and walks back to his chamber, the faint smile never leaving his face.
Sitting down, he begins to organise the cultivation method—preparing to strip every trace of martial art from it, reshaping it into a pure body-strengthening path built on the foundation of wizardry.
He intends to create a new civilisation within this world—his civilisation—the Wizarding Civilisation.
Because a world bearing the fruit of a thriving civilisation tastes far richer than an empty one.
His plan to devour this world has never faded; all his actions are threads in a larger weave—to fatten the world, enrich it, and make its eventual consumption effortless and rewarding.
The world, to Kaelan, is no different from a pig raised by a farmer—fed, nurtured, and fattened before the harvest.
Returning to his bed, he licks his lips, eyes gleaming faintly. "I wonder," he whispers, "what flavour a ripened world will have."
With that thought, he closes his eyes and sinks into cultivation, his mind already shaping the road ahead.