Watching the blue-violet figure merge with the meteorite and fly off into the depths of space until it vanished, Luo Zhiyuan slowly began to calm down.
He gave a self-mocking smile, his eyes fixed on the direction where the meteorite had disappeared. "I thought I could get through the Tenth Layer easily this time. I didn't expect to nearly fail at the Ninth Layer. It seems I've been getting a little too complacent lately."
After taking a deep breath and completely settling his mind, Luo Zhiyuan continued flying toward the Tenth Layer. As he flew, he reflected on what he had learned:
He still hadn't mastered the Universe Bead well enough. Even the guardian of the Ninth Layer had controlled it better than he did, so there was no point in thinking about the Tenth Layer. It seemed he would have to try using a Soul Secret Technique.
He didn't know whether he could get through the Tenth Layer, but he really wanted to see for himself how much harder it was than the Ninth Layer.
He carefully recalled how the blue-violet figure had controlled the Star-Suppressing Realm. That powerful suppressive force had been far beyond his expectations. He had assumed it was merely a secondary effect, but he hadn't imagined it could be so effective. Was it the combined use of several kinds of Law of Space?
Before he knew it, the surroundings of the Heavenly Bridge had changed. The cosmic starfield was gone, replaced by a bizarre space.
At the end of the Heavenly Bridge's Tenth Layer was a Black Sphere over a thousand kilometers in diameter. Its surface was uneven and pockmarked, while a layer of crimson lava drifted overhead. Even though it was still far above him, he could feel its scorching heat.
Ignoring the mechanical