"Master, it's time for me to leave." William said from within Riyald's laboratory. Next to him was Atticus, who was as still as a stone statue while he worried about the dangers that awaited them outside the Ruins.
Three weeks had passed, and William's Cultivation Base was completely full. He spent six days of each week Cultivating, with a single day for rest, which was both exhausting and addicting at the same time.
Cultivation was much different from what William expected. It was more than just trying to sit still and perform rhythmic breathing for hours on end. Instead, it was as simple as eating and drinking, a natural process that filled William with energy.
Since he was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, he needed even less sleep than before, able to stay awake for weeks without rest if he truly wanted to, although his Cultivation efficiency would drop after more than six consecutive days.
Riyald nodded, "As expected, your growth is quite fast. How strong are you now?"
William shrugged, "I don't know for sure, but it shouldn't be weak. Where is Uri?"
A booming voice interrupted Riyald, "I'm right here, Master William."
Riyald looked at the Flame Dragon with a hint of worry. He shook his head as he said, "You're too conspicuous, you can't go with him. Also, why don't you greet me first? After all, I was your Master before."
Uri looked at Riyald and snorted, "Old man, you're too boring. Even at my age I like to go out."
William whispered in his Master's ear while holding his hand to hide his mouth, "I already tried convincing him, but he won't take no for an answer. It should be fine as long as I hide him when we leave the Ruin." Dıscover more novels at ɴovelfire.net
Riyald nodded, already knowing Flame Dragon Uri's character.
"I can hear you, Master William. I'm a dragon, remember?"
William placed his hands on his ears to shield from the booming voice. He replied in a slightly pained tone, "Yep. I remember. Let's leave before I lose my hearing."
He made sure he had an extra Gravitas Ruins Ticket on him, then created a long-distance portal to a random area with no presence of Cultivators. He didn't want anyone to go through the portal and end up in his Master's residence, although it would be funny watching them try to dodge the traps.
Immediately after exiting, he created a second portal to the entrance of the Gravitas Ruins. There was a group of four Cultivators near the entrance wearing sparkling yellow badges, so William had Atticus cover both him and Flame Dragon Uri with Illusion Magic to conceal their presence.
Given Atticus' upgrade to the Golden Core Realm, he had much greater control over the Illusion Mana, and was only slightly pressured when he had to cover Flame Dragon Uri's large frame.
Once they were all covered, they entered the portal one by one, while William went last, using the invisibility mode of the Stealth Talent to remain hidden.
The Cultivators near the entrance saw a portal form out of nowhere and stood up in surprise. One of the four pulled out a specialized communicator and relayed what they saw to the other six members of their team that were spread out across the Gravitas Ruins.
When William exited the portal, he was able to see the Cultivators more clearly. Their robes were a mix of pale yellow and white and inscribed on their foreheads was a blue diamond-shaped mark that served an unknown purpose.
Judging by the symbol on their badges, they must be from the Pillars of Justice. It seems they haven't forgotten about me, but why go so far for one person?
William didn't bother with the group and exited the main portal of the Gravitas Ruins, which was the only way to exit other than being automatically discharged when the time on the Tickets hit zero.
While the other six responded one by one on the communicator, three of the Cultivators at the entrance approached the portal. Unfortunately for them, William and the two Magical Beasts had already left the area, and the portal closed before they could reach it.
With no confidence that William had anything to do with the portal, the Cultivators were forced to label it as a random occurrence and return to their positions.
On the other side of the portal, Atticus was greeted by a group of twenty old Cultivators that were much too powerful for his current stage. While they couldn't see Atticus, the Illusion Magic couldn't perfectly conceal his presence and they could sense fluctuations from the portal that suggested something had moved through it.
Since the entrance wasn't open, that could only mean one thing.
"Who's there?" Wentor shouted while the others formed a circle around the portal. Is it the old Master of the Ruins coming out, or is it something else?
Flame Dragon Uri exited the portal next, covered in a haze of Illusion Mana that was quickly fading. Atticus committed more Mana to keep him concealed, but the old Cultivators were even more alarmed now.
Their senses told them that something invisible and very large had just exited the portal. Brackley covered his fists with Fire Mana and was ready for a fight. He pulled out an enchanted battleaxe that looked much like the one William dealt with in the trial tower, albeit more powerful.
No one sensed William when he left the Ruins, his invisibility effect perfectly concealing his presence. Even his own Beasts couldn't sense him.
The only downside was the Spirit Qi cost, so William was forced to replace the invisibility with Illusion Mana lest he empty his hard-earned Cultivation Base.
Feeling his Master's presence, Atticus funneled more Illusion Mana to better conceal William, then the three grouped together while the Cultivators searched for their opponents. While they knew something was close by, none of them had the Illusion Affinity so the group's presence disappeared the same time it appeared.
"Raise the barrier, we can't let this thing leave whatever it is! What if it's a demon?"
The mention of a demon triggered the alarm bells in the old Cultivators' minds, and their thoughts of dealing with William subsided in an instant. If a demon was truly here and they let it leave, it could spell disaster for any one Continent.
William cursed when a massive barrier appeared, creating a dome ten kilometers in diameter. The entire area was sealed, including the use of the Space Element.
William evaluated his opponents and cursed his bad luck. Among the group was Supreme Left, which told William everything he needed to know about their strength.
If the sole leader of the Continent was present and he wasn't giving orders, it spoke volumes of the rest of the group. As he inspected the others, William realized that their faces were similar to those that he had fought with in the trial tower. While some looked a bit older or carried different equipment, they were more or less the same.
How long have they been here? Do they not have better things to do than sit around outside a dusty Ruin?