Ten years had passed, and Maximus's injury had healed.
Feeling his strength return, he couldn't help but sigh at his carelessness a few years ago.
Because of the commotion, more and more ships noticed the Shadow Oasis.
Seeing the Shadow Oasis only had tier 11 individual (disguise) with 10% mastery of river of law, many desired to possess the soul pool for themselves.
Fortunately, with Wanderer acting as a watchdog, the Shadow Oasis remained peaceful.
He also hadn't encountered anyone as strong as Alonsico while he was injured.
All enemies could either be killed by Wanderer or suppressed by the tier-12 soul-controlling array.
Due to multiple skirmishes, the reputation of the Shadow Oasis began to spread.
Passing void ships, nearby outpost residents, and various individuals around began regarding the Shadow Oasis as a powerful outpost.
With no strong enemies attacking him, Maximus returned to his regular life, successfully healing the damage to his origin.
As for the Masters of the River of Law attacking him—it was a low probable event.
Unless they were desperate, they wouldn't turn their attention to his small pond of soul pool.
The Masters of the River of Law had different territories.
If his soul pool was like a pond, their territory was like a sea.
With an almost infinite supply of soul pollution, they could train themselves for epochs.
If Maximus had the strength, he would also want such a sea of corrupted soul causality.
Unfortunately, even if he found an unoccupied one, defending it would be a problem.
The ones attacking him would not be weak tier-11 individuals but Masters of the River of Law.
Even if he could defeat one, what about two or even three?
Knowing his strength, no matter how many Masters of River of Law he defeated, they would only think he relied on some treasure or trick.
Thinking they were lucky, they would attack Maximus, hoping his means were exhausted.
With endless attacks coming his way, forget about training, he feared even his wives might be endangered.
"I can't think about this…" Maximus shook his head to dispel the thought.
He wasn't in a hurry to collect corrupted soul of causality.
Maximus mainly came to the Silent Void Expanse to temper his soul.
After all, no matter how many corrupted causality points he had, if he couldn't absorb and use them, they were useless.
Absorbing a thousand corrupted causality points every second was already remarkable.
His primary goal in the Silent Void Expanse was to strengthen his soul, spirit, will, and comprehension.
Once he reached a magnitude of trillions in these aspects, he would consider his trip to the Silent Void Expanse a success.
It would also forge the strongest foundation for their next destination: the Origin Source of the River of Knowledge.
After his journey in the Silent Void Expanse, Maximus estimated he would have collected over ten trillion corrupted causality points.
All that would be left was to absorb it and enhance his physique to rank 12.
To do it faster and more efficiently, he needed full mastery of the River of Knowledge.
Getting close to the source, Maximus's progress of mastering the river of knowledge would be thousands of times more efficient.
His wives could also begin comprehending the River of Knowledge in advance.
With their help, he could transform the River of Knowledge into an ocean of knowledge much faster.
As for it holding them back or distorting their paths, it wouldn't.
Knowledge is universal, encompassing various professions, techniques, skills, formulas, and the operations and information of everything.
Although it couldn't amplify their power like the Ocean of Killing, which made the Ashura Sect the top sect in terms of destruction and fighting.
Or generate free materials like the Ocean of Creation for the Sterling family, making them one of the wealthiest in the Aeon Plane.
The River of Knowledge could provide them with endless inspiration and enlightenment.
With sufficient will, one could create anything and everything.
Thinking of such a future, he couldn't help but smile.
However, as he turned his attention to the soul pool, his mood dampened.
All around were signs of the water diminishing.
With an output of thousands of units of soul pollution every second, the soul pool didn't have time to recover.
"Eighty more years before the soul pool is fully depleted…"
Absorbing over 30 billion corrupted causality points every year, he should be able to gather 2.4 trillion points before the soul pool was gone.
"No, I need to locate the closest soul pool now…"
Preparing early was better than preparing late.
Using millions of causality points, he easily located the nearest soul pool he could find, whether unoccupied or occupied.
"Thirty-five years away? That's too far,"
Because of Shadow's sluggish speed, the journey would take longer than he desired.
"I should've upgraded Shadow's thrusters before entering this place.
With over a hundred trillion, obtaining top-of-the-line speed thrusters should be possible.
By then, Shadow would be a hundred times faster.
"Hmm? Maybe I could create it myself?" Maximus thought, looking at the inspiration fed to him by the River of Knowledge.
Even if he could make it 2–3 times faster, Maximus would already be satisfied.
Considering the feasibility, he went back into seclusion to devise a speed thruster for Shadow.
Maximus and his wives had grown accustomed to the life in the Silent Void Expanse.
Forging their souls, training, eating, drinking, playing, and flirting.
Even Etheria, who had been separated from the Etherium Realm, lived like a normal individual, not as a dimensional will.
If not for missing their family, they could live this way forever.
While Maximus was busy with his research, Wanderer notified him with an alarm.
"Host, a signal from a dimensional void ship has been received."
"A signal? What is it?"
"A dimensional void ship will come near this place three years from now to conduct a business fair. All nearby bases are invited."
"Oh, a signal could reach this far even if it's three years away? Whose ship is it? From one of the top sects?"
"No, it's from the Interdimensional council, one of the overlords of the Dimensional Alliance."
"I see. I remember the Silent Void Expanse is one of their territories. It seems they have complete control here despite the lack of teleportation arrays."
A dimensional ship was a giant battleship that could roam rough places in the void like it was a smooth road.
Partially ruling over the silent void expanse, the Interdimensional Council had to station such ship all over the place to facilitate exchange and defense against the devourers.
"What should we prepare, Host?"
"Nothing. Since it's a formal organization, it's only right we attend the fair. Some of our materials are also running low; it's time to replenish them."
Three years later, in the dimensional ship transit, Shadow arrived grandly without stealth.
Since they were going to shop, Maximus and his wives couldn't appear secretly.
Around them, Maximus noticed others quietly waiting for the Interdimensional council's dimensional void ship.
Seeing the seal on their void ship, Shadow, they parted silently, allowing it to pass by.
"Who is that, and why are you letting it pass?"
The Shadow was like an ant among giants.
Letting it pass through as if it were a deity, couldn't help but made them curious.
"It's from the Shadow Oasis, the newly rising power in this area of the Silent Void Expanse."
"What? That's the Shadow Oasis? Damn! I didn't expect to see that legend here!"
The Shadow Oasis stronghold had been buzzing in the surrounding area over the past couple of years.
Having killed multiple powerful tier-11 powerhouses, invasive devourers, and strong polluted soul monsters, many had heard their name.
The Shadow Oasis even formed a temporary market, adding a little liveliness to the base.
However, others from farther away still doubted the Shadow Oasis stronghold's strength.
"Why do you idolize them so much? Aren't they just somewhat powerful?"
"What do you know? The Shadow Oasis is the guardian of this place. You don't know how leisurely our lives are…" bragged one of the nearby groups.
Beside the soul pool, there was also a soul stream.
Flowing from the depths of the Silent Void Expanse, these soul streams were more than enough for these tier-10 groups to consume.
Although small and lacking much soul pollution, it was easier to control and defend.
Usually, these soul streams were near a soul pool.
With the Shadow Oasis attracting the primary firepower, they didn't encounter attacks from devourers and only had to worry about their own kind.
If they were lacking materials, they could also go to the stronghold to exchange with other groups, or directly buy them from the shadow market.
Although there were an exorbitant fees and tariff, it was safe and convenient plane.
Knowing that state of other outposts from far away, where they live in oppression and couldn't even properly temper their soul, they were thankful to the Shadow Oasis existence.
While they chatted, sending communication signal to each other, the Interdimensional Void Ship arrived.