Chapter 125: Astral Realm
Victor closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to sink into the ancient ritual formation beneath him. Space seemed to distort and twist around his soul form, pulling him away from the physical world. In the next instant, his awareness materialized inside a vast, pitch-black void that stretched into infinity.
Before he could even examine his surroundings, an intense, blinding light abruptly gushed out from every corner of his body. Because Victor possessed infinite mana, the realm registered his potential as completely endless.
The sheer radiance erupted like a newborn star, illuminating the entirety of the first astral realm. The endless darkness was completely banished, replaced by a radiant glow that covered millions of miles in every direction.
He looked around the vast plains of the first realm and saw ordinary beasts scattered across the terrain. Dogs, cats, ants, cows, and various common animals cowered in sheer terror, trembling beneath the overwhelming light that bathed them. Some of the small creatures buried their heads into the dirt, while larger herds fled in utter panic. Not a single creature dared to approach him. Victor stood in the darkness like an unyielding sun, casting a shadow that none could bear.
Recognizing that these creatures possessed abysmal talents, Victor did not waste a single second. He focused his mind, circulated the Astral Communication Technique, and immediately ascended to the next floor.
The second realm was similar in structure, but populated by far more formidable entities. Ancient creatures resembling massive dinosaurs, giant antelopes, and wild armored beasts roamed the land. Yet, the moment Victor materialized, his immense light flared anew, terrifying them just as instantly.
A massive tyrannosaur-like beast that was hunting a herd of armored deer immediately fell to its knees, letting out a pitiful whimper as the divine light pierced through its scales. While these creatures were far stronger than those on the first floor, they were still far from extraordinary on a grand scale.
Victor shook his head and pushed higher, ascending through the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth realms in rapid succession.
On the third realm, he passed through floating islands filled with elemental creatures and stone guardians, all of whom froze in place the moment his blinding aura swept over them.
On the fourth realm, spiritual beasts made of pure ice and fire shrieked as his presence disrupted their natural domains. By the fifth realm, massive void whales swimming through clouds of stardust veered away in panic, unable to withstand the pressure of his soul light.
On the sixth realm, ancient thunder griffins and armored behemoths bowed their heads, acknowledging a presence far beyond their comprehension. By the time he was passing through these middle layers, his light had grown so intense that the boundaries between the floors seemed to ripple with raw cosmic energy.
Deep within a huge palace somewhere in the astral world, a shadowy subordinate bowed low before an ancient throne carved from pitch-black starry stone.
"Your majesty, that human is an anomaly. We cannot figure out his potential at all. It is as if he has no limit whatsoever."
"Oh? Is that so? Do you think finally someone from that poor universe might be able to get past the seventh realm?", an ancient voice echoed through the darkness, carrying a subtle tremor of curiosity that had not been present for millennia.
"We do not know", the subordinate replied cautiously, keeping his head bowed. "But he sure is extraordinary. The lower realms are currently experiencing massive energy surges just from his presence."
"Then let us see. Who knows, he might even be able to form a contract with one of you?" The ancient voice sounded with slight amusement.
The subordinate let out a boisterous laugh that echoed off the high walls.
"Hahaha! We are gods. How can a mere mortal have the ability to form a contract with us? Besides, he cannot actually reach this place."
"Hahaha. Who knows", the ancient voice murmured softly before falling silent, its gaze fixed on the shimmering ripples of space in the distance.
By this time, Victor had already arrived at the seventh realm.
The pressure here was noticeably higher, and the number of creatures was significantly lower than in the previous floors. The atmosphere felt heavy with ancient power. Although the entities here were still cautious of his blinding light, they were not completely paralyzed with fear like the weak beasts below.
"So this is the limit of our universe?", Victor muttered under his breath, looking across the vast expanse.
He observed gigantic creatures moving across floating continents and shattered moons. Huge serpents glided through the void, their scaled bodies radiating distinct colors.
Using his evolved Astral Communication Technique, Victor could clearly see the color spectrum of potential surrounding every living being. The lowest potential started with gray in the first realm, progressing through red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and finally violet.
Here in the seventh realm, most creatures glowed with a deep blue aura, indicating incredible talent capable of reaching high realms easily. For the first time, he spotted a few magnificent beings radiating a rich purple light, such as a three-headed celestial lion sleeping atop a floating mountain. However, no violet aura was present anywhere in this floor.
"Let us see what is waiting for us in the eighth realm", Victor said to himself, gathering his soul force and pushing his consciousness upward once again.
As his soul body broke through the spatial barrier of the seventh floor, shockwaves echoed into the deeper reaches of space.
Somewhere deeper in the universe, ancient observers sitting around a table of starlight watched cosmic waves ripple through the astral fabric.
"Someone just passed the eighth astral realm. Do you think he is the messiah we were prophesied to meet?"
"Do not be in a haste to make a decision", another stern voice replied, its tone cold and measured.
"Let him come out first. The eighth realm creatures are very, very hard to contract. Many geniuses throughout history managed to gaze upon them, only to be rejected and left empty-handed."
Meanwhile, Victor materialized inside the eighth realm, his eyes widening in genuine wonder.
Spread out before him were ancient beasts straight out of cosmic legends. Magnificent dragons with scales forged from star metal soared through nebula clouds, phoenixes trailed golden fire across the sky, arch demons and arch angels stood in silent vigil atop opposing peaks, and majestic kirins stepped gracefully across space itself. Each one radiated a terrifying, divine aura that could crush ordinary souls into dust.
Nearly every creature here shone with a bright purple light, marking them as entities with supreme potential. Far off in the distance, a massive violet-colored potential beast walked across the dark ground, causing the entire floor to shake with heavy thudding sounds. It was an enormous ape with golden fur, whose shoulders brushed against the clouds.
"They are majestic", Victor thought, admiring their incredible aura as he took in the breathtaking sight.
Back in the high palace, the subordinate spoke once more, his voice now filled with utter disbelief as he monitored the astral floor readings.
"Your majesty, do you think he can actually break the record of the astral realm and reach the ninth level?"
The ancient being burst into loud laughter that shook the entire palace.
"Hahaha! Those nine noble beasts have been bored for countless years. I would really like to see how they react when they see someone who actually has the potential to reach them."
The ancient ruler paused, watching the distant projection of Victor’s soul body through the cosmic pool. He shook his head in sheer amazement as the blinding light continued to swell without showing any signs of diminishing.
"But why is this bastard still glowing this hard?", one subordinate asked with frustration.
Victor looked up at the ceiling of the eighth realm. While the purple and violet creatures here were undoubtedly powerful, he could feel that his soul light had not dimmed in the slightest. The instructions from Sofia echoed in his mind, reminding him that as long as his soul body radiated light, he had not reached his true limit.
Smiling to himself, Victor took a deep breath, gathered his infinite soul energy, and took a decisive step toward the uncharted sky of the eighth realm, aiming directly for the legendary ninth floor.