The Temple of Life

While Guen was still inside the room, he sensed two green-haired women approaching from a distance.

"Second Sister, the sound came from right here."

Though they were a long way off, Guen's physical abilities were now so exceptional that he could hear every word clearly.

"I wonder what all that noise was. It sounded a bit like a wall collapsing to me."

The green-haired woman they called Second Sister chuckled. "You must have heard wrong. This room was assigned to Mr. Guen, who just joined the Goddess Temple. He may be the second person in the history of the Aoyu Empire to complete the Fifth Stage trial, but he's only an Apprentice Level 8. Even the Apprentice warriors here would have a hard time damaging any of the Goddess Temple's buildings. It's only been a few days. Even if he's a genius, he can't be more than an Apprentice Level 9 by now. How could he—Oh my goodness, the wall really did collapse!"

Guen chuckled to himself and stepped out of the room at just the right moment. "Do I need to pay for the damage?"

The two green-haired women were startled when they saw him. "Of course not. We were only sent to find out what caused the noise."

"Oh, I've already advanced to the Planetary Level. Please tell the High Priest that I'd like to know what benefits come with reaching the Planetary Level." Guen nodded and got straight to the point.

The green-haired woman stared at Guen in astonishment for a long while before finally replying, "If you've advanced to the Planetary Level, sir, you can go directly to the Temple of Life."

"The Temple of Life?"

Guen looked thoughtful. He found its location in his memories, thanked the two women, and headed straight there.

Watching Guen leave, the younger green-haired woman stuck out her tongue. "Second Sister, is Lord Guen really at the Planetary Level? How could he advance so quickly?"

The older green-haired woman was just as uncertain. She shot her a glance. "How should I know?"

Then she grew serious. "But you know how sturdy the temple rooms are. Even if he hasn't reached the Planetary Level, he can't be far off."

"Come on, let's hurry up and repair the room. Whether he's at the Planetary Level isn't for us to worry about," the green-haired woman said sternly.

The younger green-haired woman gazed wistfully into the distance. "I want to reach the Planetary Level too..."

Guen paid little attention to what others said about him, and cared even less. He was still immersed in the extraordinary senses that came with the Planetary Level. Even if two people were whispering to each other a hundred meters away, he could hear them.

He could even hear bugs crawling underground.

The countless faint sounds formed a vast stream of information, but Guen didn't find it noisy. He could handle it with ease.

"My brain's ability to receive and process information has improved tremendously. No wonder the Aoyu Empire calls the advancement method the Transcendence Method. This transformation truly is transcendental."

Guen moved incredibly fast. He seemed to be walking at an ordinary pace, but after a few steps he was already dozens of meters away. Before long, he reached the Temple of Life.

The Temple of Life looked utterly ordinary. From the outside, there was nothing unusual about it.

But after becoming a Planetary warrior, Guen could clearly feel the difference between the Temple of Life and the other halls. A vast store of suppressed Life Energy surged within it.

Cosmic Energy came in many forms, but Life Energy had the fewest barriers and was the easiest to absorb.

Humans, ferocious beasts, even every plant and blade of grass could absorb Life Energy and gain tremendous benefits from it.

"Guen, you're here to receive the Life Baptism, aren't you?" As Guen studied the temple, a green-haired old man in a robe walked out. He examined Guen with interest. "I've heard that you reached the Planetary Level, but I still need to confirm it."

As the green-haired old man spoke, he became no more than a fading afterimage in Guen's eyes. Guen's expression didn't change. He moved even faster, appeared behind the green-haired old man, and threw a punch. A visible wave of air formed along its path.

How fast!

The green-haired old man exclaimed inwardly and hurriedly turned, barely managing to block the punch. He took a small step back and was about to strike back, but Guen used the same trick again, appearing behind him once more.

"Enough, enough. I admit it," the green-haired old man said, floating into the air to evade Guen's attack. "You're too fast. My strength and reflexes are still a little better than yours, but your speed is incredible. You control whether we fight or not. I hate fighting slippery opponents like you."

The green-haired old man regarded Guen curiously. "Is your special Planetary ability related to speed?"

Guen nodded. "Your reflexes are impressive too, senior. If I faced someone as fast as I am, I might not be able to react in time to block their attack."

The green-haired old man said proudly, "I'm a Planetary Level 3 warrior. I'm not in the same league as a newly advanced Planetary like you."

Planetary Level 3.

Guen paused, then his fighting spirit flared. "Then you'll be my first target."

The green-haired old man narrowed his eyes. "Young people are always so full of themselves. Go inside first. You already know what's in there. You must come out within an hour. You know what it'll cost you if you don't."

Guen nodded and walked straight into the Temple of Life.

Beyond the ordinary stone door lay a vast expanse of green lights. Each one contained an enormous amount of Life Energy, which any living thing could absorb without difficulty.

This energy could not only heal injuries and strengthen the body, but, most importantly, it could speed up cultivation.

Guen didn't even need to make an effort to draw in the vast Life Energy. It poured into his body on its own. His newly transformed body was ravenous, and the Life Energy flowed into him without pause. His body began to undergo another subtle transformation, which continued even after his cells had absorbed all they could.

Guen's body grew stronger and stronger, and he was able to contain more and more Origin Power.

"Dong!"

Just as Guen was greedily absorbing the energy, a tremendous bell rang out, interrupting him.

"Guen, your time is up." The green-haired old man's voice came from outside.

An unseen force bound all the green light, preventing Guen from absorbing any more. He could have broken through the restriction, but he could easily imagine what would happen if he did.

"Too bad. I've gained so much from just one hour. If I could stay for another nine, I'd reach Planetary Level 2." Guen left the Temple of Life with a regretful expression.

The cultivation speed had been so incredible that it was hard to stop.

"Hahaha, what a shame, huh? You really want to keep cultivating in there, don't you?" The green-haired old man looked at him as if to say, "Go on, ask me."

Guen's eyes lit up. "Please, senior, tell me how!"

The green-haired old man waved a hand and took out a thick book. "The first way is to worship our Goddess of the Forest with sufficient devotion. Not only will you be allowed back into the Temple of Life, but you can also become a Core Member. Core Members can exchange for Green Marrow and have the High Priest forge weapons for them at a very low cost."

Guen took the book. Ignoring the green-haired old man's attempt to entice him, he couldn't help feeling a little daunted.

It was a genuine religious scripture, crammed with all kinds of obscure phrases and preachy passages. Guen looked at the green-haired old man in confusion. "You really want me to join the religion?"

The green-haired old man snapped, "Of course! The great Goddess of the Forest gave us everything, blesses us in everything, and guides us. Of course we truly worship her. We don't force anyone, but the innermost circle of our order will always consist of devout worshippers of the Goddess of the Forest!"

Guen said sheepishly, "Is there any other way?"

"Of course." The green-haired old man gazed at Guen with a distant look in his eyes.