Alex's mind was in turmoil as he processed the response from the Heavenly Spirit Stone. It was baffling how the stone seemed to be aware of his plans. The stone was already mysterious, its ability to delve into his intentions added another layer of mystery to its already impressive powers.
It has to be known that when he just broke through to the Spirit Martial God Stage, a giant shadow appeared. This was the shadow of a man sitting on a throne, like an emperor. Although the man's face could not be seen clearly, it gave Alex a familiar feeling.
A vast starry sky similar to an entire universe was rotating below the throne and a golden halo representing him as an absolute ruler was suspended behind the man's head, emitting a holy aura. The man wore golden armor filled with strange carvings on its surface.
The carvings were not of a beast, or a dragon, or an image, or words, they were strange lines intersecting and crisscrossing which gave the armor a living feeling, as if the armor was a separate entity on the same level as the universe itself.
And when the man opened his golden eyes, Alex felt that they were filled with boundless profoundness. He felt as if those pair of golden two were able to see through the very fabric of space and time, past and present, and even life and death.
It was then the man told him that the time had come. He should leave this universe within three years and go to a place called the Hall of Sin.
When the man said those words, the Heaven Spirit Stone was still placed somewhere in a corner of his Personal Space.
How did it know then that he had to leave this universe in three years?
This was the most astonishing truth that Alex struggled to accept. After all, once something is placed inside his personal space, its connection with the outside world is completely severed.
Since that's the case, how is it possible for the Heavenly Spirit Stone to know about the words that man's shadow told him?
"How could you..." Alex could not help but open his mouth to ask, but before he could complete his sentence, the Heavenly Spirit Stone spoke.
[Did you truly think your personal space can separate my connection with the outside world?]
[Not only has your "talent" not developed enough to affect me or my existence, but when that presence appeared, I sensed my own spirit there as well, which further strengthened my connection with the outside world. Simultaneously, I comprehended something far too interesting to simply ignore them. If it weren't for that, I would never have told you to search for the remaining two stones.]
Alex was stunned. He seemed to have caught something from the Heavenly Spirit Stone's words. It was as if those words held deeper meaning. Something seemed to have appeared within his grasp, but it was unclear. He could not see it clearly.
"My talent has not developed enough... What do you mean exactly?"
Since Alex could not grasp exactly what the words spoken by Heavenly Spirit Stone truly meant, he could only ask. As for questions, he can only start from his talent since it was what attracted his attention the most.
Alex looked at the Heavenly Spirit Stone as if it had just played a joke on him. He felt a mix of confusion and frustration. The stone's abrupt and dismissive response left him at a loss for words. After all the information and revelations, such a vague answer seemed almost absurd.
"But you just said..." Alex trailed off, trying to gather his words. He could sense that the Heavenly Spirit Stone was withholding something important, and it irked him.
[Let's talk about your talent and other stuff after you get the other two stones as well. What I can tell you right now for sure is that your talent is still in its most basic form, it has yet to reach its full potential. I won't say anything more until you get the job done!]
Alex narrowed his eyes, focusing intently. "So, you're saying I haven't reached my full potential yet?"
He could understand what this stone meant by 'talent'. Obviously, it was talking about the Replication System that could replicate any treasure from anyone, and fuse it with him as if they were his own.
The Replication System used to be his innate talent in his first life, but for some reason, it turned into a system in this life. The mystery behind it has yet to be solved completely.
The Heavenly Spirit Stone did not respond this time. Alex was not its master yet, so he couldn't control the stone. If he wants to become the Heavenly Spirit Stone's master, he has to first gather all four stones that were born along with the birth of this universe.
Alex fell silent, contemplating the stone's words for a while.
Shaking his head, he then decided to focus on the more immediate and actionable information first. He had two more options to choose from regarding his parents' whereabouts. Taking a deep breath, he asked the Heavenly Spirit Stone again, this time selecting option B.
"I choose option B—Parents from Clear Sky World."
The Heavenly Spirit Stone emitted a soft glow, and Alex felt a surge of energy as the stone began to respond.
[Your parents from the Clear Sky World are currently imprisoned in the Shattered Crystal Cavern. This cavern is located in the deepest part of the Mithril Hollow under the jurisdiction of the Golden Sun Sect. This cavern is guarded by a Void King Stage warrior.]
Finally, there was some news about his parents. He just doesn't know what they are doing in the Shattered Crystal Cavern.
As someone who used to live in this world, Alex was fully aware of the Golden Sun Sect. This was an overlord sect in the Country of Golden River. This country is also where his other half used to live with his parents.
This country is not that strong. Let's not talk about the country, the strongest expert in the Golden Sun Sect is only an Extreme Void Stage warrior.
So, even if there was a problem, solving it was as easy as a flick of his finger.
If there was something difficult, then it was finding his parents. He was lucky to have Heavenly Spirit Stone that knew everything and could answer them all.
Fritz thought that Alex might bring catastrophe to the Clear Sky World due to not being able to find his parents. Even he would have never imagined Alex to have a supreme treasure like the Heavenly Spirit Stone in his possession that solved this trouble quite easily.
Next, Alex thought of something and decided to ask about his parents from the Essence Sky World. He had never seen them and there was only vague memory about them in his mind. He doesn't even know how they used to look.
As far as he could remember, they died when he was only six years old child.
Clearing his mind, he asked his final question to the Heavenly Spirit Stone.
"I choose option C—Parents from Essence Sky World."
The stone responded almost immediately.
[You are taking advantage of me!]
[Well, your parents from the Essence Sky World died when you were just six years old. They knew you are born with an incomplete soul, so they wanted to look for a solution and accidentally entered the Valley of Death.]
Although Alex already knew, he still could not help but reveal a disappointed expression and sighed.
However, what the Heavenly Spirit Stone said next shocked him.
[Don't worry, your mother is still alive!]
Now this came out unexpectedly.
[Yes, you heard it right. Your mother is alive. To be more accurate, your mother's true body is still alive!]
[Your mother in the Essence Sky World was only a clone born from a drop of origin Ice Elf Empress's Soul Origin. In other words, you can say that Ice Elf Empress is your mother as well.]
Again, a map and instructions materialized in Alex's mind, detailing the location of the Ice Elf King's palace and the path to the Secret Realm of Eternal Ice. Alex clenched his fists, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. He had clear objectives now, and he knew what needed to be done.
Born from a drop of Soul Origin?
Alex frowned. This information astonished him. He never expected things to suddenly take an unexpected turn.
"Who is this Ice Elf Empress?"
[I really don't know. I just know that she is not from this universe. I know about her because she entered this universe several dozen years ago and left behind a drop of her Soul Origin before leaving. That is how her clone, your mother, was born. As for her real identity, since she was able to enter and exit this universe at will, she must be extremely strong.
You have to find out about her yourself.]