Would they appreciate Eternity like him, or would they curse it?
He stared at the flower.
A screen, Detailed Inspect, appeared before his eyes. It was a sub-skill of the Sphinx's blessing.
[Effect: Heals all injuries, ailments, and negative status upon consumption. Additionally, the legends have it that anybody who consumes this flower will become Immortal.]
Neo clenched his jaw.
Should he use it on Elizabeth?
"Can I find a powerful healer in this world?" Neo asked Ava.
"No," Ava replied bluntly. "Almost everyone here is a Darkness user. No one has Life and Holy elements. As for the ones who do, they aren't above Expert mastery, just like other element users."
Something about her words was off.
However, Neo was focused on something else.
'A flower that grants Immortality. Why didn't I realize it can be a curse to others?'
He finally understood why Life had been so vehement about not helping him.
Logically, Life should've helped him, since healing others was in its basic nature.
But it hadn't done that.
'The reason was that it knew Immortality can be a curse.'
'It must be why Life doesn't see Death as an enemy. Because Death helps everyone to pass on. It does that before living can become a curse for them.'
Neo's thoughts continued to churn.
What about asking for a Grim Reaper's help?
In Tartarus, its world of the living and Underworld were one and the same.
Earth's Grim Reapers should be able to exert influence here, unlike Earth where they couldn't act in the world of the living.
Neo held his Grim Reaper badge.
Without being able to open the portal to the Underworld, he couldn't ask Grim Reapers to help.
"Dammit," he murmured.
'The only way left out is the Executioners.'
Percival had Holy Affinity, and Olivia had Life.
'The problem is Percival. He is far too weak to purify Elizabeth's corruption.'
'In the first place, would they even help me?'
Elizabeth, for better or worse, was an enemy for most, if not all, Exalted on Luminera.
A plan started to form in Neo's mind.
He went over it repeatedly.
It should work. In theory, at least.
'If everything works out, I should be able to save Elizabeth without using the flower. If not…'
Only 19 days remained until the timer to save Elizabeth ended.
Neo had to make his choices fast.
"Neo?" Ava said when he remained silent for a bit too long.
"Sorry. I was focused on my bloodlines," he said. "Can I get a free space? I need to make a breakthrough."
Empathic Transcend had reached a whopping 100% after his last stunt, and Crownless King was at 40%. Training until he reached the edge of death always had its advantage.
This was without fusing the Bloodline Fragments into Mind Invasion, which was the bloodline of Empathic Transcend.
"Yes, the incident with the Elementals helped me reach the limit."
For a moment, Ava thought about letting him break through where they stood, but she decided against it.
The Pond wouldn't provide any benefits to Neo's breakthrough, and it would be rude to her ancestors if he did that here.
She took him to another mountain, this one much larger.
Its peak was shrouded in mist, and the air carried the faint scent of damp earth and ancient presence.
A powerful barrier surrounded it, shimmering faintly under the sky.
"I use this place mostly for training. It should be enough to contain the aftermath of your breakthrough," Ava said, her voice steady as she gestured toward the rugged terrain.
Neo nodded, stepping forward before settling onto the ground in a cross-legged position.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he focused inward.
The World Energy within his body began to churn.
It surged through his veins.
A faint hum filled the air, and then—white flames materialized around him.
The flames flickered wildly, casting ghostly shadows across the rocky landscape.
The ground beneath him cracked, sending fine fissures spiderwebbing outward.
Trees groaned in protest as the force of his aura sent powerful shockwaves rolling through the valley.
A flock of birds erupted from the trees in a panicked frenzy as they tried to run away, their cries drowned out by the growing storm of energy.
Then, all at once, his presence underwent a terrifying transformation.
It expanded violently, slamming against the barrier like an unrelenting tidal wave.
[Empathic Transcendence, Grade 5 → Grade 4]
[Crownless King, Grade 5, Progress: 40% → 70%]
Neo had grown considerably stronger, but he didn't stop there.
'Fuse the bloodlines.'
A sudden pulse surged through his body as his Monarch of Death bloodline bubbled with energy.
The power condensed, flowing through his veins before merging into the depths of his Mind Invasion Bloodline.
A flood of knowledge and understanding surged through his mind.
[Empathic Transcendence, Grade 4, Progress: 0% → 100%]
[Crownless King, Grade 5, Progress: 70% → 100%]
Ava had thought Neo had completed his breakthrough.
It surprised her that this amount of energy was released from someone who was a Paragon.
She had barely taken a breath when Neo's presence swelled once more—this time, a thousand times stronger.
A look of shock appeared in her eyes.
The cracks in the mountain's barrier spread like shattered glass.
The land beneath them heaved, splitting apart as the mountain trembled violently, its foundation quaking under the sheer force of his growing presence.
His muscles condensed, packed with a density rivaling the core of a collapsing star.
The power within him brimmed with endless potential—each fiber of his being capable of shattering worlds with a single strike.
A portion of his scars disappeared.
His appearance improved.
His bones, now infused with endless World Energy, resonated with power beyond comprehension.
And then, with one final, shattering pulse—the barrier surrounding the mountain collapsed.
The explosion of energy sent debris flying, carving deep trenches into the land.
Neo exhaled, his breath misting in the cool night air.
He stood, his figure silhouetted against the backdrop of a sky now shimmering with residual energy.
His breakthrough was complete.