Lein examined his status panel intently, until his gaze finally fell upon the promotion section, which was glowing brighter, indicating that all the requirements for the promotion had been met.
[Promotion to Master Level]
- Soul Essence: 10 (Ready)
- Power Essence: 10,000 (Ready)
- Energy Crystals: 100 million (Ready)
- Soul Formation (Complete)
"Ah... so the soul altar wasn't active before, which delayed the promotion," Lein muttered, glancing at the word "Ready" beside Soul Altar. Now, without hesitation, Lein pressed the promotion button.
[You will advance to Master level, using: (10x Soul Essence), (10,000x Power Essence), (100 million Energy Crystals). Proceed?]
As Lein confirmed, a tremendous power surged from within him, like a dam breaking, releasing energy with overwhelming intensity. The wave of energy radiating outward was so strong that the soldiers guarding the main gate of the Teleportation Hub felt its impact.
The soldiers collapsed, kneeling, unable to stand due to the sheer force emanating from him. They struggled to stay in a ready stance, but it was futile.
"Incredible… I can't even stand…" murmured one of the soldiers, awed and fearful.
"Lord Lein is advancing! What level could he be reaching, I wonder?"
Despite the oppressive sense of awe, they felt proud. The leader of the island they served had grown stronger, and even as simple guards, their status in society would surpass that of wealthy merchants.
Around Lein, a vision of the cosmos formed. Tiny lights spun like miniature galaxies, spreading in every direction, with stars and celestial forms floating aimlessly, creating a marvel only achievable at this power level.
In the center of the city, residents gazed at the astonishing sight. The cosmic image looked so real that a woman attempted to reach out to one of the tiny stars, only to realize she was touching empty air.
"Hey, look… what is this? It's so beautiful!" exclaimed a woman, filled with wonder.
"There's a galaxy! It's so cute… and so tiny," said a young girl who tried to chase one of the stars.
"Hurry, where's my phone? I need to capture this!" said a man in trendy clothes, quickly pulling out his phone for a selfie.
The same scene was unfolding across the entire island of Lein—in Lein's City of Life, Laras' City of Light, Haikal Emanuel's City of Calamity, and the cities of other core members of the world market trade alliance. Vehicles stopped, and passengers stepped out to witness this rare moment.
"What's happening? Are we about to teleport again, like back on Earth?" someone asked, sounding concerned.
"You mean… we're about to move to another realm?" another person replied in disbelief.
Inside a car, a child yelled to his father, "Quick, Dad, take a photo! This has to be a rare moment!"
Along the streets, people stopped to capture the moment. They might not fully understand what was happening, but the cosmic display around them was captivating.
On a city street, a luxury car with neon blue lights beneath it stopped by the roadside. Beside the car, four women were discussing the galaxy-like illusion surrounding them.
The four girls were Laras and her friends, who had been on their way to a five-star restaurant a moment before. When the cosmic phenomenon appeared, their curiosity was piqued.
"What is this? What's happening?" Hana asked the others.
"No idea, there's no official info," Nita replied quickly. As one of the most influential people on Lein's island, she was equally baffled.
Laras, standing next to them, narrowed her eyes, trying to guess what was going on. She was also quite shocked by the appearance of the cosmic image.
"Could this be related to the next event? Is the Celestial Sky realm evolving?" Laras mused, contemplating various possibilities.
"Nit, where's Brother Lein?" Elen asked. Though usually quiet, her curiosity was triggered by the phenomenon. She had a faint suspicion but needed confirmation from Nita.
Hearing Elen's question, Nita seemed to recall something. Shortly, she raised her finger. "Ah... I know," she said.
"Brother Lein seems to be promoting. He mentioned earlier that he was planning to promote," Nita explained to the others.
"The last update he gave was that he was in the soul formation trial phase. It seems he's completed it and is now promoting," she continued.
"What? Brother Lein is promoting to Master level?" Hana asked, mouth agape. As someone who frequently battled high-tier creatures in the outer realms, she knew the strength of those above tier-3. Only one word crossed her mind: "Powerful."
"It's not surprising, considering Brother Lein's strength and resources," Laras commented calmly. "If someone like Lein couldn't do it, that would be strange."
Nita opened her phone and checked the friend chat feature to contact Lein.
- cute cat: "Brother, where are you?"
- lein: "Teleportation Hub #1"
- cute cat: "We're coming over, wait for us."
With a wide smile on her face, Nita said to the others, "Let's go. Brother Lein is at Teleportation Hub #1, about three minutes from here."
Without objection, they immediately got back into the car and headed to the Teleportation Hub. On the way, they saw the cosmic image still spreading. Some people were engrossed in taking photos, and news media had started covering it.
Meanwhile, Lein, the cause of all this, stood firm with his eyes closed, as if gazing into the vast universe. In his view, he stood amidst the emptiness of the cosmos, becoming the center of everything. Before him, ten lights in the shape of monkeys appeared. In an instant, Lein knew these ten figures were manifestations of his soul.
"Ah... you're here," Lein said, looking at the souls.
The souls before him resembled statues; they floated without movement.
Lein observed his surroundings and found the same scene as the one emanating from his body when he activated the soul altar. He attempted to move in one direction, and in an instant, he was there.
"Whoa... so fast. Has my speed increased in this environment?" Lein murmured to himself.
From a distance, he saw a small star shining and continuing to grow. Various other strange objects were also visible, all of them perceivable, observable, and entering Lein's awareness clearly.
Lein continued exploring his surroundings and his own body. Suddenly, he sensed something emerging from within him, allowing it to surface. Shortly after, a human-shaped aura emerged from within Lein's body. He observed it in awe.
"Is this me?" Lein wondered, confused. The figure of light in front of him had a transparent body yet still resembled him, from his clothing and body shape down to his hair.