Teaming Up (Please Bookmark!)

As they walked and talked, Golden Horn asked about the origins of the Secret Realm.

Giant Axe told him that the Void Vortex Domain had more than one entrance. Similar passages existed in many places, and entering any of them would transport one to the vicinity of this continent. According to the Human Race's experts, this place had formed by chance at the birth of the universe, and the continent was gradually shrinking.

When entering the Secret Realm, violent spatial turbulence ravaged the route. Ordinary spacecraft would be battered and torn apart by the currents. If an expert guided and protected them, they could avoid the deadly turbulence and land safely at the continent's edge, greatly reducing the danger of entry.

"What is the highest cultivation level among those who enter the Secret Realm?" Golden Horn asked the question that concerned him most.

"The space is unstable. Sector Lord level experts and above simply can't enter." Giant Axe raised a hand and pointed overhead. "If a Sector Lord level expert enters, even a casual attack will cause spatial rifts to converge. Before they can hurt anyone else, they'll injure themselves first. So the ceiling of combat power here is Universe level ninth order. And it isn't just that one's own power is restricted. If experts slaughter each other without restraint, they can also easily trigger spatial disasters, so high-level experts are wary of fighting recklessly. Besides, with so many entrances scattered about, no race can completely control the entire Secret Realm."

Golden Horn felt a slight sense of relief.

Universe level ninth order was not something he could contend against, but at least it was not certain death. If he could not win, he still had a chance to escape.

As the two spoke, the space ahead suddenly began to tremble violently.

A dark blue ripple spread from the distance. Wherever it passed, broken stones on the ground floated up, while sharp tearing sounds filled the air.

Golden Horn's expression changed. "What is that?"

"A Spatial Rift Storm!" Giant Axe's pupils contracted abruptly as his gaze swept rapidly across the surroundings. "Run toward the area with more rocks! There are fewer spatial rifts there! Otherwise, those rocks wouldn't have remained intact for so long!"

Golden Horn had no time to think and followed Giant Axe as he charged toward a nearby region of jagged rubble.

The moment they rushed in, the space behind them exploded. Rifts spread like spiderwebs, ranging from hair-thin cracks to openings as thick as an arm, densely covering the entire sky.

Yet within this rocky area, the spatial structure was relatively stable, and the rifts were noticeably sparser. The occasional ones that swept through merely grazed the edges without penetrating deeper.

Golden Horn drew in a sharp breath. If they had still been outside just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"A Spatial Rift Storm comes once every day or two at the shortest, or every three or four days at the longest." Giant Axe lowered his voice and pointed to the wounds on his body that had yet to fully heal. His expression was grave. "I encountered a major one right after entering and nearly lost my life. This is only a precursor. The real storm is ten times more terrifying."

Golden Horn stared at the raging rifts outside, gaining a more direct understanding of the Secret Realm's dangers. He finally understood why the star map marked this place as having an extremely low survival rate.

About fifteen minutes later, the rifts gradually faded and space returned to calm.

The two emerged from behind the rocks and continued toward the depths of the Secret Realm in search of the Blue Fruit.

As he walked, Golden Horn processed the danger they had just faced. Although his physical body far surpassed those of the same level, he still lacked confidence against such indiscriminate spatial calamities. If he possessed a clone skilled in spatial escape, his ability to preserve his life in such situations would rise dramatically.

"Giant Axe, is there any Special Life here?"

Giant Axe glanced at him. "Yes. Most Special Life have spatial talents, and some can even be subdued as companions. But such groups are rare, so the chances of encountering them are low. Besides, encountering them may not necessarily be a good thing."

Golden Horn's heart stirred slightly. He had already broken through to the Stellar level. According to his inherited memories, he could nurture his first clone now. Before this, he had been busy fleeing and fighting, so he had never had time to consider what kind of clone to nurture.

Since leaving the deserted Chiyun Star, he had seen only a few kinds of lifeforms. The ones he encountered most were from the Demon Race, but most of their racial talents were mediocre and their life levels too low for him to care about.

He currently planned for his main body to follow the warrior path, focusing on close combat. His first clone therefore needed stronger survival abilities. A spatial type would be ideal. Golden Horn silently noted this down. If he encountered one later, he could observe the quality of their talents.

"Are you interested in Special Life?" Giant Axe asked.

"A little." Golden Horn did not elaborate.

The two got along rather well. Both followed the warrior path, and Golden Horn possessed extensive inherited memories. Having already asked Giant Axe for much intelligence about the Secret Realm—and having given him Blue Fruit—he now found some cultivation experience within his inherited memories to discuss with Giant Axe.

Though they belonged to different races, the principles behind physical strength and their understanding of laws were universal. They could learn from each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses.

Golden Horn shared methods for tempering his giant beast body, while Giant Axe reciprocated with foundational insights into domain control. Each drew on the other's strengths, and both gained greatly.

After their exchange, Golden Horn was astonished to discover that Giant Axe's comprehension was truly terrifying.

With only a little guidance from Golden Horn, Giant Axe could quickly grasp the concepts and even swing his giant axe on the spot to test them in practice. His cultivation speed was equally astounding. After only a few days of discussion, supplemented by the Blue Fruit nourishing his foundation, Giant Axe smoothly broke through from Stellar level, fifth order and firmly entered Stellar level Sixth order.

Golden Horn could not help praising him. "With your terrifying comprehension and cultivation speed, as long as you don't fall, you will surely become a powerhouse in the future."

Giant Axe was not modest in the slightest. "I'm a man who will stand at the pinnacle of the universe."

Golden Horn's mouth twitched.

During this time, Golden Horn was also rapidly digesting the Blue Fruit within his internal space. His cultivation improved swiftly, and his understanding of laws deepened continuously. Danger lurked everywhere within the Secret Realm. Only by growing stronger could he protect his own life and seize rare opportunities and treasures.

After several days together, their relationship grew increasingly harmonious. Golden Horn thought for a moment, then proactively suggested that they travel as a team. "How about we explore together from now on and split the spoils fifty-fifty?"

Giant Axe looked at him without immediately agreeing. He rose to his feet and drew out his giant axe with a backhand motion. "Fight me first. Let me see what you can do."

Golden Horn did not waste words. His body-tempering secret technique activated instantly. A golden membrane of light appeared over his scales, and his horn lit up with dazzling radiance.

"Come!"

Giant Axe attacked first, chopping down with his axe as dark red domain power rushed toward Golden Horn. Golden Horn did not take it head-on, instead twisting aside and sweeping his tail at Giant Axe's legs. Giant Axe leaped over it, then smashed down with the axe haft, striking Golden Horn's back. Golden Horn grunted and used the momentum to ram his head into Giant Axe's chest.

Clang!

Giant Axe held his axe horizontally to block, but the collision drove him back three steps and numbed his palm. Surprise flashed through his eyes. "What tremendous strength."

Golden Horn was secretly shocked as well. He had used eighty percent of his strength in that strike, yet Giant Axe had merely retreated three steps. The recoil from the axe even made his skull ache faintly.

The two exchanged more than ten rounds. Golden Horn relied on his powerful body to continually close in and apply pressure, launching attacks in succession with claws, tail, and head. Giant Axe, meanwhile, used exquisite footwork and domain power to maneuver nimbly, his axe techniques balanced between offense and defense. Golden Horn's savage strength suppressed his opponent several times, but Giant Axe's tricky axe techniques repeatedly forced Golden Horn into passive defense. For a time, neither could completely overwhelm the other. In the end, they tacitly stopped, with victory impossible to determine.

Giant Axe lowered his weapon and nodded in agreement. "Your strength is sufficient. We can team up."

Golden Horn nodded, feeling relieved.

He had proposed teaming up partly for safety, so they could resist the endless dangers within the Secret Realm together.

But he also genuinely thought highly of this Human Race youth. In Giant Axe, he saw something different from ordinary geniuses: a decisive, battle-hardened disposition that only grew stronger when facing stronger opponents. His future would surely be extraordinary.

The two sat down again and each cultivated to recover their strength. Dark blue flashes occasionally flickered through the distant sky. Those were wandering spatial rifts.

Clearly, such storms would come again. Next time, they might not be so fortunate.

Golden Horn leaned against a massive boulder and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. Within his internal space, dozens of Blue Fruit slowly released energy, and his cultivation increased bit by bit. He knew that the true challenges still lay ahead.

But at least for now, he had gained a teammate he could temporarily rely on.