Discovery

What was Cole worried about? What was he afraid of?

Locke's gaze was sharp. Every fleeting change in Cole's soul emotions was sensed by Locke.

This close-range perception was even clearer than when Locke had entered the "Unity of Heaven and Man" state in the cultivation chamber.

And Cole's surging emotions gave Locke some ideas.

Why had he sensed so many negative emotions from Cole's soul, yet Cole had never told him about any problems he had encountered?

Why did Cole's emotions change so quickly in his presence?

After all, Locke had received the education of the Zhonghua Family. The Zhonghua Family's five thousand years of history had given Locke insights that surpassed those of this world.

Thus, from Cole's reaction, Locke easily realized that all of Cole's emotions might stem from himself.

With a soft sigh, Locke turned and entered the cultivation chamber.

"Cole, I came out this time because the next stage of my cultivation is extremely important."

"If there is nothing else, try not to disturb me during my seclusion."

"Alright, Big Brother."

Though Cole's words and expression made his reluctance plain to see.

Through his perception of the soul, however, Locke did not sense even the slightest reluctance from Cole's soul. Instead, there was more relief and delight.

Cole did not want him to come out of seclusion. He did not want him to appear!

Once again, Locke understood this.

After giving Cole a long, deep look, Locke finally shut the cultivation chamber door.

So be it!

A Rank 8 Warrior only had a lifespan of three hundred years.

At most, in a little over a hundred years, when Cole grew old, he would have fulfilled the promise he had made before his parents' graves.

Seeing his Big Brother close the cultivation chamber door, Cole immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

This was wonderful!

When his Big Brother suddenly emerged from seclusion today, he had thought that what he was doing had been exposed.

But unexpectedly, his Big Brother had only come out specifically to inform him that he would be entering a long period of seclusion.

Though this notice did strike Cole as somewhat strange.

After all, whenever his Big Brother had gone into seclusion before, he had never said how long it would last.

Still, the longer his Big Brother remained in seclusion, the more beneficial it would be for him.

"Now that it's certain Big Brother won't emerge for a long time, I can make bolder moves."

"After all, barring any surprises, I may need two sacrifices to break through to the Saint Domain."

"Cross and the others agreed to let me use the first sacrifice, but they won't give me any other sacrifices."

"It would be best if I found them myself."

Cole turned and left. After returning to the meeting hall, he immediately mobilized more people from Locke Territory for the task of finding those with pure souls.

For a time, rumors spread throughout Locke Territory that anyone who found a person capable of making a white bead glow could change their fate.

"Interesting..."

Frost Snow Empire, Imperial Capital.

Ceres, with his long blue hair, sat high upon his divine throne, a mocking smile curling at his lips.

As a Water Element High God, even in the Water Element God Plane, Ceres could barely be considered a "powerhouse."

However, with Lord Philo, the Water Sovereign, urgently needing Power of Faith, even though Ceres was a squadron commander in Lord Philo's Sovereign Legion, he still had no choice but to enter a Material Plane and gather Power of Faith for Lord Philo.

Ceres had operated in the Vakanda Plane for over ten thousand years.

When that Low-grade God from the Temple of Light appeared in the Vakanda Plane, Ceres had already known.

However, the dull millennia he had spent in the Material Plane had made Ceres decide to keep that Low-grade God around, to see what kind of amusement the fellow could bring him.

There was no helping it. Though Ceres himself had once been a powerhouse who rose from a Material Plane, he had never imagined that after growing accustomed to life in a God Plane, returning to a Material Plane would feel so—uncomfortable.

That was right, uncomfortable.

The elemental density in God Planes and Supreme Planes far surpassed that of Material Planes by dozens of times.

To gods accustomed to living in God Planes, the difference between a Material Plane and a God Plane was much like the difference between the sea and a pond.

Under such conditions, Ceres did not even have the mood to cultivate.

The "Temple of Light" established by that Low-grade God had given Ceres another way to pass the time.

In a Material Plane, Ceres's Spiritual Sense could practically cover the entire Vakanda Plane.

As long as Ceres wished it, the Vakanda Plane held no secrets before him.

Ceres even knew that every noble in the entire Frost Snow Empire possessed the means the Temple of Light used to seek out sacrifices.

As soon as someone found enough sacrifices to allow themselves to break through to the Saint Domain, they would quietly leave the Frost Snow Empire and enter the Temple of Light's sphere of influence, joining the Temple of Light and having the Light Pope conduct the ritual for them.

Yet after all these years, Ceres had never seen anyone like Locke of Locke Territory.

Those who wished to gather sacrifices and seek refuge with the Temple of Light were almost all people with little talent, stuck at Level Nine and unable to advance.

As for Locke, the Grand Duke of Locke Territory, in Ceres's eyes, his talent was practically comparable to his own.

Could someone like that really be gathering sacrifices as well, intending to rely on them to increase his strength?

Based on what he knew of that little fellow, he should not have been so shortsighted.

At that thought, Ceres spread out his Spiritual Sense and quickly sensed Locke's aura.

"Hmm?"

Immersed in cultivation, Locke suddenly felt a familiar sense of being watched.

"Is this the scrutiny of a God-level Expert's Spiritual Sense?"

This was not the first time Locke had sensed such a thing.

"Is it His Majesty Ceres, or the Pope of the Temple of Light?"

The thought flashed through Locke's mind, but he soon identified the visitor.

After all, this was Frost Snow Empire territory. The Pope of the Temple of Light would not have the nerve to extend his Spiritual Sense here.

Thus, Locke gave a slight bow. "Locke greets His Majesty Ceres. May I ask what instructions Your Majesty has for coming here?"

"Oh? Locke, you can actually sense my Spiritual Sense?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing Ceres's words, Locke was startled.

What was going on?

Could his assumption have been wrong?

Could other Saint Domain experts, while in a state of oneness with heaven and earth, not sense a God-level Expert's Spiritual Sense?

Though surprised, Locke still explained the truth to Ceres.

"Your Majesty Ceres, perhaps because I am currently in a state of oneness with heaven and earth, I can sense a trace of your aura through my soul's connection with the world, so..."