Outside the hall, dense formation patterns extended from within the Void Crack, gathering into an altar-shaped "Dingwei Tuple Point."
At the center of the altar, Beo sat cross-legged, staring blankly at his palm. The dark green "Leaf Realm Divine Kingdom" floated silently there, just as it had nine thousand years ago!
He had sat in dry vigil for a full nine thousand years, waited for a full nine thousand years, and that damned leaf had not shown the slightest movement!
By all reason,
Nine thousand years was not much to him, but...
Hope!
He could not see any hope!
There had not been the tiniest shred of progress in the refining—only an endless wait stretching beyond the sight of his eyes!
"Lord Destiny said that as long as I completely refine this damned leaf, I can truly become an Ancient One and run rampant across the Universe..."
Beo muttered to himself as though bolstering his own courage, but paired with those lifeless eyes, he instead looked like a drowning man desperately clutching the last floating plank...
Awoo—!
A furious howl exploded. A ripple beyond comprehension erupted from the depths of the hall, transforming in an instant into invisible pressure that blanketed everything.
"What's going on?"
Beo was instantly crushed flat against the altar. Startled back to his senses, he hurriedly raised his head and looked up.
Above him, within that "blank Star Dome," there was now a savage head—covered in white mane, with a long snout, sharp fangs, and eyes flashing with feral light.
It was a wolf's head!
The white wolf head was embedded in the pitch-black sky, gazing down with its bloody maw wide open. Like a primordial fierce beast born in ancient times, it seemed ready to choose someone and devour them!
Just as Beo panicked,
"**Heh