The fiery celestial body projection crackled with energy as it spoke. "Gumo, there are three half-step third-realm powerhouses in my dominion. You'll be the fourth. If the two of us join forces, we can hoard at least half of the resources in the entire dominion."
Gumo's expression was stoic as he nodded. "If we join forces, we shall reign supreme in this dominion."
The flaming celestial body let out a booming laugh, causing the void to tremble, and said, "Haha, that's why I've been looking forward to joining forces with you."
The two had been through thick and thin together, exploring the abyss and conquering foes.
"Gumo, once the news of your migration leaks, the other two half-step third-realm powerhouses will definitely be on their guard," the fiery entity warned. "Therefore, I suggest that we take action immediately after confirming the migration today! We'll first seize the most important Bolan Forbidden Zone in the entire dominion. We'll split all the resources produced by the zone in the future!"
Gumo wasted no time. "Alright, I'll come over in person now."
They both knew that the future was uncertain and constantly changing. And Gumo's decision to migrate was no exception; it would alter the very fabric of what was to come.
The other half-step third-realm powerhouses couldn't constantly observe the future timelines. But the faster Gumo and company acted, the lower the probability of their plans being exposed.
In just an hour, Gumo's true body arrived in the dominion. He had invested a great deal of effort into the five legacies, and his Heart Realm lineage had reached the very pinnacle of the Eternal realm. He was faster than Xu Jingming.
Of course, Gumo held little hope of his Heart Realm ever breaking through to the half-step third realm.
The difference between the peak of the Eternal realm and the half-step third realm was like a hair's breadth, but it was enough to stop even the most powerful of high-dimensional lifeforms in their tracks.
In the Fengyi 97 dominion, for instance, there were over 10,000 Eternals, but only four of them had managed to achieve half-step third realm power. It was a daunting task, to say the least.
"Let's do it."
The towering Gumo wore a starlight robe, and his narrow eyes were cold and emotionless.
The flaming celestial body was even larger, comparable to 1% of a universe!
Boom! Boom!
The convergence of these two existences ignited an inferno, a battle of epic proportions in the dominion.
…
Huh? Xu Jingming also had a clone here in this dominion's Heart Realm. It had just absorbed an immense amount of Heart Realm Force, propelling it to reach the Eternal realm.
The breakthrough had taken the true body more than three days on Myriad Star Island, but with experience, the clones scattered in other dominions were able to establish their own inner universe in half a day, reaching the Eternal realm in no time.
It was a matter of seconds for him to split into clones at the Firstborn realm, but it was much more troublesome to split into new Eternal clones. This was because every clone had to establish an inner universe to become a true Eternal.
Huh? The newly-advanced Eternal clone felt a terrifying fluctuation, and Xu Jingming quietly approached the battlefield.
This is?
What he saw was the legendary Bolan Forbidden Zone in shambles. Amidst the chaotic airflow was an enormous flaming celestial body, and all Xu Jingming could see was a small portion of the flaming celestial body.
Such a huge celestial body should be the half-step third realm of this dominion, Bucarew Wolf, Xu Jingming guessed.
As a natural high-dimensional lifeform, Bucarew Wolf was born with an insatiable appetite to devour everything and had become an overlord of the dominion over time.
Gumo? Xu Jingming stared into the distance, instantly recognizing his neighbor, Gumo.
He was a relatively tiny starlight figure on the flaming celestial body.
The figure emanated starlight that destroyed everything in its path, including the various array formations in the Bolan Forbidden Zone.
"Gumo!!!" A furious roar from a huge beast with three pairs of massive wings erupted from Bolan, accusing Gumo of joining forces with Bucarew Wolf.
"Get out of Bolan." Gumo's voice sounded from afar. "You can't stop the two of us."
"Haha, Gumo and I will have the final say in this dominion from now on." The flaming celestial body laughed loudly.
…
In the Heart Realm, the area quaked and shook under the relentless aftershocks.
Xu Jingming could only vaguely make out the identity of the three terrifying auras that loomed over him. Bucarew Wolf and Gumo have banded together, and are making it abundantly clear that they hold the final say in this dominion. Gumo is planning to make this place his permanent abode?
So, the Void Celestials are going to migrate here, huh? Many thoughts flashed through Xu Jingming's mind.
He didn't mind too much.
Survivability rates for humans were close in the top three universes. The human race was more inclined to Rank 1 dominions.
A clash between half-step third-realm powerhouses is truly a battle of epic proportions. Xu Jingming couldn't help but feel a sense of awe wash over him. Even though he had just broken through to the Eternal realm, he could sense the vast gap in power between him and the warring giants.
For example, one could tell how terrifying a flaming celestial body that was comparable to 1% of the universe was just from its size. Even if it collided with the universe, the aftershocks could wipe out more than half the living beings in the universe.
******
Myriad Star Island, home dominion.
Xu Jingming strode out of his Myriad Star Island abode and caught sight of four figures standing outside. The four high-dimensional human lifeforms grinned widely as they caught a glimpse of him.
"Jingming," the dean exclaimed, his voice ringing with approval. "I knew you'd do it."
"He went from low-dimensional to high-dimensional in 3,900 years, and from the high-dimensional Firstborn realm to the Eternal realm in 7,000 years," Eternal Tower Master chimed in, his smile as wide as the galaxy itself. "Impressive."
Xu Jingming blushed, humbled by their praise.
"The Eternal realm barely gives me a foothold in high-dimensional space," he said modestly.
Before his breakthrough, he didn't dare mingle with other powerhouses in the Heart Realm lineage. He knew his Firstborn realm was too weak to contend with their might.
The Firstborn realm was too weak, so he was afraid that the other party would have malicious intentions.
"If you can barely find a foothold in the Eternal realm, as a Firstborn, I'd have to stay hidden at home," Redmond joked, a twinkle in his eye.
Xu Jingming backpedaled quickly, not wanting to offend him.
"That's not what I meant, Senior Brother Redmond," he said.
"Let's not waste any more time," Eternal Tower Master said, urging them forward. "Dean Chu has prepared a lavish banquet for us."
The five of them made their way to Dean Chu's residence.
Dean Chu had gone all out with his spread, scouring his prized collections for the finest wine brewed from Abyss materials. The high-dimensional fruits on offer were of five different varieties, each more exotic and delicious than the last. Xu Jingming's favorite, though, was the top delicacy named Snow Olives. It looked like white corn on Earth, but its taste was out of this world.
"Dean Chu, looks like you're not holding back this time." Eternal Tower Master laughed.
"Jingming broke through. This is nothing." Dean Chu smiled happily and reminisced, "When I first became an Eternal, I was the only one in the cosmic human race. My companions were merely Firstborns, but I was the sole Eternal."
Xu Jingming, Redmond, and the rest of the team listened in silence.
"That's right," affirmed Eternal Tower Master, "We were always cautious in high-dimensional space, worried that we would be captured and used in Abyss Sacrifices. We avoided dangerous territories, lest we lose our lives. It's alright if we die, but if we all die, the human race will be extinct."
Dean Chu added, "We lived in fear. The human race barely survived. Any disturbance would have been enough to decimate our kind."
"Brother Chu," Eternal Tower Master said, "the human race was worse off before you became an Eternal. The early high-dimensional lifeforms were all Firstborns, and many of them died before they could get stronger."
"Back then, we didn't dare to stay in the universe for fear of having all of us wiped out. After all, a group of weak Firstborn realm powerhouses is the best material for Abyss Sacrifices. We also hid in high-dimensional space and had to think of a way to grow. We had to risk our lives… just for an Eternal realm legacy," Eternal Tower Master said. "Thankfully you broke through."
Dean Chu nodded with a gentle agreement, and the weight of those dark days was palpable.
"With both of us breaking through," Dean Chu said, "the human race's situation became much better. Spacetime Island Lord was able to travel using the Mother Stream, allowing the human race to have something to rely on that doesn't fear the various species."
Spacetime Island Lord smiled as well.
"And today, Jingming broke through," Dean Chu continued with an air of excitement. "As long as one is in their right mind, they won't provoke an Eternal from the Heart Realm lineage. Our human race's foundation is even more stable!"
Xu Jingming and Redmond listened.
They hadn't experienced the dark ages, but they could understand the dean and Eternal Tower Master's feelings.
It was obvious… A low-dimensional species without any Eternals and only a few Firstborn realm high-dimensional lifeforms. Such a species was pitiful, and so were these high-dimensional lifeforms. Some species were completely wiped out in history.
The road for humanity to this point had been long and treacherous.
Dean Chu smiled as he spoke. "Like us, the Void Celestials are natives of our home universe. They were once weak and had to endure tough times, but after Gumo rose to prominence, they became the bullies themselves. And now, our human race is rising, becoming stronger with each passing day."
"In the future, half-step third realm powerhouses will appear in our human race," declared Spacetime Island Lord.
Xu Jingming and Redmond couldn't help but feel their anticipation growing as they heard her declaration.
"Oh right." Xu Jingming said, "Speaking of Gumo, he appeared in Extreme Rain 1209 dominion today. It's also a Rank 2 dominion for our experimental planets."
"Gumo appeared there?" The dean, Tower Master, Island Lord, and Redmond were puzzled.
"He has joined forces with the half-step third-realm powerhouse in that dominion, Bucarew Wolf, and is attacking the Bolan Forbidden Zone," Xu Jingming explained, relishing the shock on his colleagues' faces. "Moreover, according to the information revealed by Bucarew Wolf, Gumo might stay permanently in that dominion in the future."
The dean and the others came to a realization.
"From the looks of it, the Void Celestials have chosen that dominion," he guessed. "It won't be long before the Void Celestials migrate on a large scale."
"Back then, the information was that it would be absolutely safe for 10,000 years. But with time passing, the greater the probability of the calamity happening," Eternal Tower Master said. "The Void Celestials will definitely migrate within 10,000 years."
"We also have to do it in 10,000 years," Spacetime Island Lord said.
"Has everyone made their decision about which dominion to choose?" Xu Jingming asked.
"Rank 1. Unless there's a compelling reason not to, we'll naturally choose the universe that's most conducive to human survival." The dean glanced around the room, taking in Eternal Tower Master, Spacetime Island Lord, Redmond, and Xu Jingming, who all nodded in agreement.
"The future of our species lies in the South Pavilion 3609 Dominion," declared the dean. "And with no objections raised, we shall make it our new home."
"Alright."
"South Pavilion 3609 Dominion."
Xu Jingming and the others had a clear goal.
"There's still nearly 3,000 years until the deadline; there's still plenty of time. We can make adequate preparations," the dean reassured them, his gaze fixed on Xu Jingming. "And with your ascent to the Eternal Realm, you can come into contact with the ruins of the scientific lineage. This is also the greatest fortuitous encounter of our human race in high-dimensional space."
