Stranger: Back Home

Aerum woke up early in the morning, her thoughts restless from the previous night. She changed into her training clothes and, with a simple will of intent, teleported from her house to the sect.

As she arrived at the sect, she heard Xenos's voice resonate in her mind.

"Use the token to locate the training hall for sect leaders and head there," he instructed.

Aerum glanced at the token in her hand, activating its GPS-like function to guide her.

Following its directions, she found herself standing before the training hall, which was positioned to the left of the sect leader's main hall.

Her steps were slow as she entered the hall.

Inside, she found Xenos seated alone, radiating an aura of calm authority. He looked up as she approached and gave a slight nod.

"You're early," Xenos observed.

Aerum hesitated before replying, "I didn't sleep well last night."

Xenos studied her for a moment but chose not to probe further. Instead, he stood and gestured for her to come closer.

"Since you're here early, we'll begin your training now," he said.

His tone carried a mix of encouragement and seriousness.

"I have no criticism regarding your fighting style. I've both experienced it firsthand and observed it in action. You've reached the peak of what can be achieved in the mortal realm."

Aerum raised an eyebrow. "Then why train further?"

Xenos's expression grew more somber. "Because the Negative Realm is unlike anything you've faced before. Your physical attacks may not work—or worse, they could backfire against the beings and creatures there."

Aerum frowned, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean by that?"

Xenos stepped forward, his gaze piercing as he began his explanation.

"To understand what I mean, you first need to grasp the origin Positive and Negative Realms. Only then can you comprehend the challenges that await you."

"Do you remember when I mentioned that we exist in one of the shadow planes of the true universe?" Xenos asked.

Aerum nodded, her expression thoughtful.

Xenos continued, "But the truth is, at the beginning of existence, there were no shadow planes at all."

Aerum tilted her head in curiosity as Xenos elaborated. "Think of it like a coin. It has two sides. In the beginning, there was only the True Universe. In a separate dimension, opposite to the True Universe, was the Underworld."

"The True Universe," Xenos explained, "is the positive side of existence, while the Underworld is its negative counterpart. They are opposites, yet interconnected. The True Universe thrived with the living, while the Underworld harbored the souls of the dead. Together, they formed an eternal cycle of balance."

Aerum leaned forward. "So how did the shadow planes come to be?"

Xenos paused, his gaze distant as if searching through eons of forgotten history. "I don't know the exact details," he admitted. "But I can infer that a war—cataclysmic in scale—might have occurred. This war must have caused the Underworld to shift, breaking the natural cycle and disrupting the balance."

Aerum's eyes widened. "The imbalance forced the universe to act?"

Xenos nodded. "Exactly. To correct the chaos, the universe began to adapt."

"And that's when the shadow planes were created?" Aerum asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Xenos replied. "The True Universe responded by creating four planes: three descending layers beneath it and one in the dimension of the Underworld itself. Similarly, the Underworld created four planes—three expanding outward in its own dimension and one crossing into reality."

He gestured as if tracing the intricate web of existence. "This unique configuration restored a semblance of balance to the cosmos. Each of these planes has its own set of rules, its own creations, and its own energy. And all beings within these planes cultivate their spiritual energy in pursuit of returning to either the True Universe or the Underworld."

Aerum frowned slightly, her brows knitting together. "But wait. You said each plane has spiritual energy, right? Then how come our plane—the Mortal Plane—doesn't have any? How is that even possible?"

Xenos: "It's a bigger conspiracy, orchestrated by the paragon clans of the true universe."

Aerum: "Why?"

Xenos: "Power, authority, stability—you can call it many things. But ultimately, they don't want the clans and sects of the shadow planes to achieve a standing similar to theirs. Another reason is to correct the imperfections."

Aerum looked confused.

Seeing her expression, Xenos elaborated. "When the true universe and the underworld were separated, it created a flaw in all living beings. Creatures like us, born after the separation, are inherently imperfect."

He continued, "This flaw affects cultivation, making it impossible for people to break through to higher realms. To counter this, the top clans combined their strength and adopted a different approach: they began devouring the origin energy from the shadow planes."

"In the past, on the immortal planes, people could reach transcendent stages of cultivation. Now, cultivation is limited to the first stage of transcendence, and further breakthroughs require access to the true universe."

Xenos sighed. "The Light of Dawn plane, which once had immortals walking its lands, now peaks at spiritual cultivation or, at best, the first stage of the immortal realm. And our mortal plane, which used to host spiritual cultivators, now only houses mortal beings."

"After devouring the origin energy, they redirected it to the fourth plane, strengthening it. They turned this plane into their own sanctuary. It filters negative realm energy, helping them correct the flaws they were born with."

Aerum nodded thoughtfully but asked, "I have two questions. First, why didn't they take all the origin energy from the shadow planes? And second, isn't there already a negative realm in reality? Why don't they use that realm to fix the flaws?"

Xenos answered, "For your first question, every shadow plane has its limits. Devouring more than its capacity would collapse the plane, destabilizing the universe and causing catastrophic disaster."

"As for your second question, all of them are living beings. They cannot remain in the negative realm for extended periods without suffering adverse effects."

He paused before explaining further. "Living beings require negative energy to correct their flaws at every realm of breakthrough. But prolonged exposure to the negative realm is harmful. That's why they created their sanctuary—the fourth shadow plane."

"The shadow planes within the underworld dimension is a positive plane, suitable for prolonged habitation. However, these planes have their own protective mechanisms against negative energy. Most underworld energy is blocked by this mechanism, with only 1% of it filtering through. This small amount is what people use for cultivation."

"On the other hand, the negative realm that exists in reality lacks this balance and cannot serve the same purpose."

Aerum nodded and asked, "I understand what you mean, but aren't we also born with flaws? Don't we need the Negative Realm's energy to correct those flaws? Couldn't the spiritual energy released from the space gates help perfect us?"

Xenos replied, "For your second question, the answer is no. Our shadow plane exists within reality, and even when the Negative Realm connects, all negative energy is filtered and transformed into positive energy. This filtered energy cannot be used to correct flaws."

"As for your first question, I do have a plan for that. Leave it to me."

Xenos shifted the topic. "Now that you understand the connection, you must also realize that the Negative Realm is essentially a shadow of the underworld."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing. "The beings you'll encounter there are undead, souls, resentments, and other metaphysical entities. Blades and physical weapons will be ineffective against them. While some entities have physical forms, they are rare in the lower planes."

Aerum frowned. "Then what do we need to fight them?"

Xenos answered in a single word: "Will."

Aerum repeated, confused. "Will?"

Xenos nodded. "Yes, will. Everything in the universe—whether living or non-living—possesses will. It is the force that binds existence together. Stones have will. Air has will. Water, humans, everything has will."

He leaned forward, his voice firm. "Similarly, the undead, souls, and other metaphysical beings also have will. Their will is what makes them persist, what makes them want to live despite their condition. To fight them, you must understand will and wield your own against theirs."

Aerum's brows furrowed. "How do we train our will?"

Xenos smiled faintly. "There are many ways, but they all have one thing in common: overcoming your inner demons, forge your beliefs and turn the belief into will."

He gestured toward the horizon. "I've created towers for you and my disciples. These towers are designed to train and temper your will. I will guide you step by step through this process."

Just as he finished explaining, Xenos sensed the arrival of his disciples. He turned to Aerum and said, "My disciples are here. Let's begin the training session."

Aerum nodded, determination etched on her face.

From the Author:

I hope all of you enjoy the chapter! Please don't forget to comment and share your thoughts—I'd love to hear what you think.

Hey everyone, just a quick update! the next chapter will be released on 23-11-2024. Stay tuned! 😊