Yu Lian felt as though his bones and organs were groaning under an unbearable strain, as if even moving a finger would take every ounce of his strength.
In that moment, even he, an eighth-ring adept at the very peak of his realm, felt as though he couldn't breathe.
Of course, as he'd said before, he was in a vacuum. Breathing had never been an issue. For a psionic adept at his level, keeping the oxygen in his blood circulating through his body was basic practice.
Besides, this wasn't his first time.
Crossing a gravity well with his physical body was essentially the same as crossing the Imaginary Realm: seeking out the interplay between reality and unreality woven by gravity.
It was a basic maneuver. He was used to it by now.
Of course, the strain this time was heavier than any he'd ever experienced. But it was still a basic maneuver!
Yu Lian did everything he could to bear the burden and keep his mind clear. He'd put aside the doubts Little Gray had stirred in him earlier, focusing instead on resisting the strain, sensing it, and finally adapting to it.
How far could humanity and the universe go toward existing in harmony? That was probably the essence of psionic cultivation, and the direction all psionic adepts had been striving toward.
Yu Lian suddenly realized how precious the experience of crossing the void with his physical body was. It was no less valuable to his growth than fighting an Imaginary Realm Lord for eight hundred rounds.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
"I was merely fulfilling my agreement on Brunhild's behalf," the old Rainbow Dragon replied.
"You were bound to do this sooner or later. Better early than late," Little Gray said with a laugh. "Last time, you were late."