The burly man who set out first stumbled as he walked.
His steps were unsteady, as if he had to fight against something with every stride, but he never stopped.
When he crossed an invisible boundary, the sap beneath his feet suddenly grew stickier, its color shifting from milky white to a faintly murky white—a sign that the Enlightenment Tree sap had grown in quality.
He managed to go another forty-odd meters before finally stopping. He slowly sat cross-legged and began absorbing the sap around him, making no attempt to go farther.
With this hothead setting an example, more people gradually followed him into the Sea of Enlightenment.
Some moved with ease, others with trepidation, and some stopped every few steps to spend a long time adjusting. Many cautious onlookers remained on the shore, standing with their arms folded or closing their eyes in concentration, as if using their senses to probe the changing density of the sap.
Some even spent days or longer observing, hoping to find the most suitable spot to settle in and get the best results.
The middle-aged man from the Cloud Ruins Alliance stood on high ground by the shore, hands clasped behind his back, watching the scene with bored detachment.
His gaze swept over those still struggling in the shallows as he silently assessed them.
Generally speaking, anyone who made it past the first boundary was merely passable. If they could go another forty meters, they were good enough; it meant they had a decent constitution and a chance of success.
He watched the burly man's back and shook his head slightly. At this rate, he might not even awaken a Star Vessel.
There probably won't be any surprises here, the middle-aged man sighed inwardly. *Only those who make it to the second layer