Valeris nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. No need to rush if this world can help us reach new heights."
With that decision made, they scanned the horizon, looking for land. After a few minutes of flying over the endless ocean, they finally spotted a large continent in the distance. Towering mountains, lush forests, and sprawling cities dotted the landscape.
"Looks like civilization," Asher remarked. "Let's check it out."
As they descended toward the nearest city, they remained cautious. This was an unfamiliar world, and they had no idea what kind of powers or rulers awaited them.
As they descended toward the port city, they took in the sights—massive ships with glowing sails floated in the harbor, bustling markets filled with merchants selling exotic goods, and towering buildings with intricate carvings depicting ancient battles and celestial beings.
The city was lively, with people of various races moving about. Unlike the places Asher had seen before, this world seemed far more advanced, not just in cultivation but in civilization as well. Google search Novel~Fire. (n)et
As they landed just outside the city gates, a pair of armored guards stepped forward. One of them, a burly man with a lion-like mane, raised his spear.
"Halt! Travelers, state your purpose!"
Asher exchanged a glance with Valeris before replying, "We are wanderers looking for a place to rest. This is our first time here."
The guard eyed them suspiciously before nodding. "Very well. But be warned—troublemakers are not welcome in Astradale."
With that, they entered the city.
The streets were filled with floating lanterns, hovering platforms, and mystic runes embedded into the stone pathways. It was a mix of cultivation and technology, something Asher had never seen before.
They decided to blend in, listening to conversations and observing the people. As they wandered through the Grand Market, Asher overheard a merchant talking about realm rankings and recent conflicts between the major factions.
Curious, he approached a stall selling crystal maps and asked the vendor, "Can you tell me more about this world? We are new here and want to understand our surroundings."
The merchant, a sharp-eyed woman with blue scales along her arms, smirked. "Newcomers, huh? You must've come from a lower realm." She tapped one of the floating crystals, and a holographic map appeared. "This world is part of the Astral Ascendancy, one of the four dominant galactic empires. We are currently on the continent of Vel'Tharion."
Asher and Valeris listened carefully as the merchant explained the political landscape, cultivation levels, and the powerful figures that ruled this realm.
"This place… might be more interesting than we thought," Valeris murmured.
Asher grinned. "Yeah. Let's learn more."
With that, they continued their exploration, gathering information and preparing for whatever lay ahead.
The thing that Asher and Valeris quickly learned was that in this world, there is no concept of magic—or rather, in this entire universe, magic doesn't exist.
"This world… is entirely a different universe not just an different galaxy. We're fucked," Asher mumbled as he sat on the edge of the bed, his expression grim.
Rather than cultivating like those in the previous worlds he was familiar with, people here used a different method. They didn't condense a core inside their body; instead, they cultivated something called an Astral Heart, which functioned similarly to a magical pathways but was vastly different in how it absorbed energy. The realms were similar, but here also, one's talent was determined at birth—if you weren't born with an Astral Heart, you could never cultivate.
Valeris, sitting beside him, looked at the bigger picture. "Look at it this way—we just need to grow stronger step by step, and once we reach the peak, we can easily bypass the universe barrier and return to your little world. In fact, we might even return far stronger than before."
Asher looked at her with frustration. "I endured two decades in that other world just to return home. And now, once again, I'm in some foreign world, and the only way to leave is to reach the peak of the universe just to bypass its barriers? What the fuck is happening to me?!"
Valeris chuckled and gently leaned against his back. "Maybe it's fate," she whispered. "The strings of fate around you are strong."
Dragons were naturally greedy creatures, but they also had a sharp sense of fate and destiny. Valeris could see it—Asher wasn't just someone with power. He was meant for something greater.
Asher sighed, rubbing his temples. He could sense it too, ever since he absorbed the bloodline of the Dragon God. Fate was also seen by him too, that's why when he was sucked in that tunnel he didn't reacted much as his Fate flickered and increased, meaning something good was going to happen, yet...yet he is once again away from his goal.
"But there's a problem," Valeris said. "People here cultivate using an Astral Heart. Meaning, we can't cultivate using our cores. While we can still use our True Transcendent Realm powers, we won't be able to advance beyond it, no matter how much time we spend here. It's due to the different universal rules."
Asher let out a small laugh. "That's actually an easy problem to solve," he said confidently.
Valeris raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how do you plan to do that?"
"Leave that to me. I can easily solve this issue for both of us," he said with a smirk.
He had already thought of a simple yet effective plan. By fusing the Astral Heart of a native from this world with himself, he could extract and integrate its essence. This would allow him to acquire an Astral Heart of his own.
Then, using his Infinite Fusion ability, he would merge his Mana Core with the newly obtained Astral Heart, perfectly synchronizing them.
With this fusion, he would be recognized as the True Transcendent Realm of this universe, allowing him to cultivate here freely from there. And thanks to his Astral Heart merging with Valeris, she would also be able to cultivate just like him.