Chapter 1003: The Curse of the Enlightened, Resolute Heart

At the entrance to the ancient ruins, a mighty procession of Ninth-Tier Enlightened Beings approached, entering the gates of the ruin’s market.

Rumble!

The extraordinary phenomenon created by the gathering of over nine thousand Enlightened Beings was breathtaking. Divine light from countless laws enveloped them, appearing vast and sacred, like a magnificent galaxy of white stars descending from the heavens, scattering brilliant colors.

This scene left everyone wide-eyed and stunned, their eyes practically popping out.

"Th-th-this..." The man with menacing pointed horns, who had just worn a humble and gentle smile, instantly froze, too astonished to utter a single word.

What kind of peerless figures were Ninth-Tier Enlightened Beings? They transcended cosmic laws, traversed star systems and galaxies, and many powerful civilizations might not even possess one. Yet, here stood nearly ten thousand such beings, densely packed! This was simply a divine, dreamlike vision of a civilization!

"May we enter now?" Caroline smiled.

"Yes, yes, of course, you may." The man with menacing pointed horns was terrified out of his wits, as if a rabbit had encountered a tiger, his voice trembling.

How could he dare to stop them? Even knowing that such a number might empty out the entire ruin, he wouldn't dare to offer the slightest resistance.

"So, we're really going in?" Caroline looked at him with amusement.

"We're just running a small business, a humble business, please be magnanimous, esteemed guests..." His voice trembled, and a chill ran through him.

These individuals were peerless figures who had spanned entire star systems, commanded countless advanced civilizations, and possessed profound foundations, dominating vast regions spanning light-years. Yet, before truly mysterious and forbidden civilizations, before higher-dimensional civilizations, they were like chickens waiting to be casually slaughtered.

"Very well, then, we shall enter." Caroline shook her head, saying, "If you abide by the rules, I naturally will too."

"Yes! Yes! Please!" He, along with everyone in the market, immediately bowed respectfully.

Emperor Qi smiled. He had not spoken before, but now he casually uttered a remark as he departed with Caroline, shaking his head and chuckling, "I took a look at their cultivation techniques; they're quite unremarkable, nothing outstanding."

With that, the group walked deeper into the cavern, disappearing inside.

"Th-this, *this* is what a true dignitary looks like!" The man with menacing pointed horns clutched the elemental gem in his hand, his heart filled with shock.

The other beings present also showed their shock. Even though they had witnessed the descent of beings from various super-forbidden civilizations, including the recently arrived Abyss Blue Civilization, none could compare to the grandeur of these new arrivals.

"This civilization is terrifying. There are thousands of Enlightened Beings, and although their individual bodies are incredibly tiny, like insects, each has an energy level of only about 0.001. However, their combined energy level is at least 3 or higher," the man with menacing pointed horns said, taking a deep breath.

An energy level of 3 was a terrifying number beyond their imagination. Their own energy levels ranged from 0.3 to 0.4. This combined level was already three times the energy of a complete Ninth-Tier Dao Foundation.

At that moment, a Ninth-Tier Enlightened Being nearby recovered and sneered. It was a four-legged beast-dragon. "What if there are many of them? What if their combined energy level seems to be 3? It's just a cumulative number. But they are too dispersed, too weak, like a swarm of mosquitoes... We could easily swat one to death... Yes, their numbers are indeed astonishing, but they're too weak... Perhaps we could..."

He showed a hint of ruthlessness. But the man with menacing pointed horns glanced at him, shaking his head. "Lava Dragon, are you planning to act? It's no surprise; your own civilization has already been destroyed by your hands, and you're constantly plundering resources. Your nature must be unbearable... You may go, but you must sever ties with our organization. In any case, I sense an extremely strong premonition of danger from this civilization."

He had a profound sense of awe and dread, especially regarding the silent man who seemed to be their leader. His eyes were clear, yet terrifying, as if they could strip him bare. For a fleeting moment, the other party even seemed to notice several weaknesses in his cultivation technique. This was his greatest secret, yet it felt as if it had been instantly seen through. The goosebumps and chilling sensation from that moment were unforgettable, planting a shadow in his mind for life.

The beast-dragon chuckled. "As the person in charge, you publicly maintain order in the market and oppose murder and plunder; I understand that... However, their energy levels are dispersed. A swarm of ants, no matter how much they conspire, cannot defeat a giant... Moreover, energy level doesn't mean everything; it's just an energy rating. True combat power depends on cultivation techniques and bloodlines."

"In reality, too many factors influence combat power. Your body might contain 100 units of energy, while your opponent has only 1, but if their cultivation techniques and bloodlines are powerful and extraordinary, they could even bridge a hundredfold energy gap and win! Does more energy mean greater power? Can you even fully utilize that energy? You'd just be a bigger sandbag, a large meat bun capable of holding a lot of energy, that's all. Extraordinary bloodlines and heaven-defying cultivation techniques are the most crucial factors in measuring combat power! The energy level contained within a body? That's merely a vague measure."

"Why does no one dare to challenge beings with a Perfect Dao Foundation? Their normal energy level is 1, representing completion. Is there a big difference between that and the incomplete 0.3 to 0.4 of an ordinary Ninth-Tier being? Not really! Based on energy level calculations, three ordinary Ninth-Tier beings should be able to collectively kill them. But that's simply not the case. Those beings have cultivated six systems, with four perfected genes. Don't let their energy level being a third of yours fool you; they could kill you in minutes with just a few blows. To collectively kill a being of that caliber, you'd need at least twenty ordinary Ninth-Tier beings or more to even stand a chance. And that's assuming their genetic cultivation techniques don't include more than two defensive bloodlines. If they have just one defensive technique, you might barely be able to break through. If they have two defensive bloodlines stacked, you won't even be able to breach their defense! However, any normal Enlightened Being will certainly have attack, defense, and other bloodlines in their four-gene cultivation technique combination. In fact, having two defensive extraordinary systems is not uncommon at all!"

"I'm going to make a move. Who's with me?" The beast-dragon's voice was simple and direct. "You should know this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. I've been here for over ten thousand years and see no hope..."

Some of the other powerful beings nearby were tempted. They had lost all hope and could be considered fallen Enlightened Beings. Perhaps, with this mysterious super-biological civilization, they could find some opportunity and astonishing gains.

"If you wish to go, then you must leave the market." The man with menacing horns did not try to dissuade them.

A few beings fell silent, showing their internal struggle, then stood up and bowed respectfully. "Leader," they said, "we are not like you. You have a powerful descendant with the potential for a Perfect Dao Foundation whom you are cultivating, frantically earning resources and finding cultivation techniques for. You still have some hope... We don't know if you genuinely wish to cultivate your descendant to surpass you and revitalize your race's civilization, or if you intend to leave a fallback plan, waiting for him to reach the weak Tenth Tier, then seize his fifth Dao Seed and follow his ultimate Grand Dao path... But ultimately, you have hope, and we do not."

"Yes, go on, go on..." he replied. "I have no reason to stop you. In the contention for the Grand Dao, opportunities are gained through struggle! Through killing! Through seizing! Along the Dao path, how many ancient and modern skeletons lie buried?"

"Even now, we are merely guarding ancient tombs from hundreds of thousands of years ago."

The man with menacing horns smiled, his expression complex. He sat directly on a chair in the market, looking at the departing few. "I've been here for sixty thousand years; you are not the first. But murder and plunder are not the rules of my market. You will no longer be considered part of this place. At the same time, since the other party paid the entrance fee, I have reason to notify them of the impending danger, as you are defectors from my establishment... I have an obligation to uphold tens of thousands of years of rules and reputation here; I will not break them."

The few beings exchanged glances, a flash of murderous intent in their eyes as they looked at the manager. However, the intent was fleeting. The other party was a Ninth-Tier being with three perfected genes, and an extremely formidable one at that; otherwise, he wouldn't have established and maintained the market for tens of thousands of years; he certainly possessed powerful trump cards.

"Let's go!" The beings, led by the beast-dragon, clasped their fists toward the man with menacing horns. "Death is merely fading into smoke. We are tired of these hopeless days, these days without progress in cultivation, repeating for thousands upon thousands of years... Thank you for your care over the years."

"We'll go to the nearby market entrances to find more people," they said, departing directly. "Since they've been notified, we'll need to find people to block all exits."

"I wish you success." The man with menacing pointed horns smiled, his expression gentle.

Only after all the beings had left did he slowly look outwards, gazing at the boundless, magnificent starry sky. He then sat down in his chair, feeling somewhat lost. "And so," he mused, "I said long, long ago that this is what we deserve... This is the universe's curse upon us, beings who transcend and distort its laws..."

"It curses us for twisting its greed. It curses us for wanting to leave our mother. And so, we broke through, only for it to deny us a future... This is punishment for children who have erred. Once, the glorious eighty-thousand-year contention of gods was our happiest time, but after breaking through, it will be a long, desperate hundred thousand years of darkness..."

"The Grand Dao is heartless, the Grand Dao is cruel." He closed his eyes in pain, tears streaming down his face. "If possible, who would want to fall? We, who have reached this step, were once the most devout, sincere, and pure seekers of the Dao." His voice was hoarse, almost choked with emotion. "A predetermined fate in the dark, yes, everything seems to be predetermined... A hundred thousand years of desperate darkness! I ask the ancient and modern heavens, all the lands, who can transcend it?"

"Is it the Abyss Blue? Perhaps. They transcended the hundred thousand years of despair, but merely extended their fate, waiting for seemingly hopeful despair within an even longer lifespan... turning a hundred thousand years of darkness into a million years of darkness, merely tenfold the pain and despair..." He sat gloomily in the market, his voice hoarse as he said, "You pursue, and I must pursue too... I can only wish you good luck..." As he sat in his chair, his expression gradually turned stern. He withdrew all sentimentality and said coldly, "It's time to contact those above. Things are about to get lively."