Chapter 503: Chapter 503 - Country Bumpkins

The crowd continued their discussions, voices rising and overlapping as speculation spread like wildfire. Everyone was trying to guess the identities of the other eleven Dao Manifestation Realm cultivators. Names of reclusive experts, forgotten legends, and even rumored immortals were brought up, each theory more uncertain than the last.

But those who were keener picked up another hint from what Senior Raisho had said. He mentioned that all of them achieved the Dao Manifestation Realm through Qi cultivation. He also noted that Body and Spiritual Cultivation were lagging behind.

The underlying meaning behind this statement was clear. It was also possible to reach the Dao Manifestation Realm through Body and Spiritual Cultivation.

Does that mean all types of cultivation eventually lead to the same path?

They began to ponder this deeply.

Body cultivators and spiritual cultivators who realized this suddenly felt their paths widen. They too could potentially reach the Dao Manifestation Realm. They just had to find the way to do it.

Anda naturally picked up on this as well. Her gaze drifted slightly as she sank into thought, already considering what this could mean for their future. If all cultivation paths could ultimately reach the same realm, then there was no need for the family to be confined to a single system. Each person could walk the path most suited to them without sacrificing their potential. Ava immediately came to mind. As someone focused purely on body cultivation, this revelation could be especially important for her.

She decided silently that this was something worth investigating in depth once they returned.

Meanwhile, the pyramid continued circling the planet, its massive form gliding smoothly through space. After a few more rotations, it came to a gradual stop above the largest landmass, the Protogaea Continent. However, it did not descend. It remained suspended outside the atmosphere, as if deliberately pausing before the final step.

Divine Lord Raisho’s voice soon echoed once more.

"Everyone, wait here for a bit. Enjoy the view before you return home. After all, most of you will not have the chance to be outside your world again."

His words were direct, but no one found them offensive.

Instead, they rang with a quiet truth.

Most people here would never reach the Dao Manifestation Realm. They would never again witness their world from this vantage point, never again see the vastness of space with their own eyes. This moment, as fleeting as it was, would likely be their only encounter with the cosmos.

Some grew silent, simply taking in the view as if trying to etch it into their memory.

Others felt their hearts stir with newfound determination. The earlier spark of ambition that had been lit within them now burned more steadily. What was once distant and unimaginable had now been seen with their own eyes. That alone was enough to change a person.

Then Raisho spoke again, his tone lighter.

"While you do that, I will go have a few conversations with some people. Wouldn’t want to intrude and cause misunderstandings."

The next moment, a figure appeared outside the pyramid.

He stood in the void as if space itself was supporting him, his robes drifting slightly even though there was no wind. The moment everyone saw him clearly, the entire crowd erupted into chatter. This was their first time witnessing such a supreme expert up close. People stared in awe, whispering among themselves, trying to guess just how high his cultivation had reached.

Then, without warning, his aura unfolded.

It did not crash down on them like before. This time, it was controlled, restrained, as if an endless ocean had been sealed behind an invisible barrier. They could feel it, sense its vastness and pressure, but it never truly touched them. That alone made it even more terrifying, because they knew that if even a fraction of it was released, they would not be able to withstand it.

"So that’s Senior Raisho. He looks cool," Leyvi said, nodding in approval.

Earlier, he had tried to get a glimpse of Raisho somewhere in the pyramid by sending out his spiritual sense, but to his surprise, it was completely blocked. At first, he thought it was some kind of formation, similar to what Bellion once used, but the feeling was different. As a spiritual cultivator, he immediately recognized what it was.

It was another spiritual sense.

A far, far stronger one.

This was the first time Leyvi realized that spiritual sense could interfere with another outside the body, forming an invisible barrier. It wasn’t even mentioned in the cultivation manuals Dastan had given him, which likely meant even they hadn’t figured out how to do it yet. The thought intrigued him.

Of course, he didn’t dare probe any further. Senior Raisho might be friendly, but that didn’t mean he would tolerate disrespect.

"This prince couldn’t help but wonder... can we reach his level?" Dastan said, his gaze fixed on the figure outside. "How much higher is his cultivation realm above the Dao Manifestation Realm?"

Leyvi shrugged. "I’m not sure. All I know is that Senior Raisho has achieved Divinity and possesses an infinite lifespan. As for what achieving Divinity actually means... this country bumpkin has no clue. Hahaha!"

He had heard that term twice before. The first time was from Lilian when she mentioned her Divine Mentor, and the second was just recently from Lin Wei.

"What? Infinite lifespan? Isn’t that basically immortality?" someone exclaimed, unable to hold back their shock.

"Not exactly," another person replied after a moment of thought. "Infinite lifespan just means they won’t die of old age. It doesn’t mean they can’t be killed."

"But if they’re that powerful, who could possibly kill them? That’s basically the same as being immortal."

"Did you all forget what Senior Raisho said earlier?" a third voice cut in. "There are terrifying cosmic predators out there. If someone like him has to come here and set up countermeasures personally, then things definitely aren’t that simple."

The surrounding chatter gradually quieted.

"...Ah, you’re right."

The excitement cooled, replaced by a more grounded realization. The universe they had just glimpsed was far more dangerous than they initially imagined.

Dastan let out a breath and turned back to Leyvi. "Divinity... This prince has never even heard that term before. Not even my grandfather mentioned it. That probably means we know absolutely nothing about it."

Leyvi smirked and casually patted his shoulder. "Country bumpkin Dastan, welcome to my world."

Dastan’s expression darkened immediately. "Damn it, Leyvi! Don’t drag this prince down with your title!"

Leyvi only laughed louder. "Did you forget what Senior Raisho said? We’re at the outermost region of the galaxy. To people from where he comes from, we’re definitely just a bunch of country bumpkins from a backward planetary system."

He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting the entire crowd.

"Everyone here is a country bumpkin. Am I right, country bumpkin Dastan? Hahaha!"

Dastan’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t find a single word to refute that.

It wasn’t just him.

Many people from the Protogaea Continent who overheard this exchange also found their expressions stiffening slightly. For years, they had proudly looked down on the Cloud Continent, calling it backward and its people country bumpkins.

Now, that same label had quietly flipped back onto them.

In the scale of the galaxy, everything they had taken pride in suddenly felt... small.

The title they once used so casually now seemed almost meaningless.

Nearby, Anda couldn’t help but giggle softly.

She hadn’t expected Leyvi to silence so many people with a few simple words casually.

Anda’s gaze remained fixed on the figure standing in the void.

A quiet fire burned in her eyes.

Divinity...

Now that she knew it was possible, how could she let such an opportunity slip away? A lifespan without end, a path that led beyond everything they currently understood... more importantly, a future where she could remain with Leyvi forever.

The thought alone was enough to harden her resolve.

One day... the entire Leyan Family will reach that level.

She didn’t see it as a distant dream anymore, but as a goal worth pursuing no matter the cost. After all, what was the point of cultivation if not to grasp eternity with the people you cherished?

A faint smile tugged at her lips. Endless nights with Leyvi... doesn’t sound bad at all.

At that moment, a sudden change drew everyone’s attention.

From the surface of the Protogaea Continent, streaks of light shot into the sky.

One... two... five...

Twelve in total.

They grew brighter as they ascended, cutting through the atmosphere like meteors in reverse before slowing down abruptly and coming to a halt in front of Raisho.

Twelve figures revealed themselves.

Ten men and two women.

Half of them appeared elderly, their faces marked with the passage of time, while the other half looked youthful, as if frozen in their prime. The two women, in particular, appeared like great beauties in their twenties, their presence elegant yet powerful.

But despite their appearances, all twelve shared the same expression.

Fear. Wariness.

They were supposed to be the strongest beings in this world, the pillars that stood at the peak of cultivation. Yet just moments ago, they had felt an overwhelming aura descend upon them, one so vast that it reduced them to something insignificant.

Like ants.

And now, standing before the man who summoned them, that feeling only intensified.

The energy radiating from him was immeasurable. It wasn’t just powerful, it was something they couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It felt as though a single flick of his finger would be enough to erase all of them without effort.

All sorts of questions ran through their minds. Who was he? Where did he come from? What did he want? Were they safe?

Raisho looked at them casually, as if their tension didn’t exist.

"Wait a little," he said with a relaxed smile. "Eleven more will arrive soon."

For a brief moment, there was silence. Then the meaning of his words sank in.

WHAT?

The twelve Dao Manifestation Realm cultivators here could not help but feel shocked by this revelation.