On the Royal family's vessel, numerous conversations and mingling filled the air.
Some individuals ventured to other decks to connect with acquaintances from other powers, while others sought to provoke and stir trouble.
Despite these activities, nothing escalated, and the journey remained remarkably smooth, unnoticed or felt by anyone.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
Upon exiting the vessel, everyone was astounded, particularly the first-timers.
It was as if they were immersed in a vast ocean, composed of intensely condensed azure moonlight.
However, this was no ordinary ocean.
They found themselves in a secret realm, a creation of one of the previous kings of Azure Moon Kingdom. The foundation of this realm was the king's Azure pool.
Azure pools were a unique trait possessed by all descendants of the Azure Ancestor. They manifested as the azure moon mark on their foreheads, serving as their bloodline blessing.
The azure moon mark had the remarkable ability to absorb azure moonlight and transform into various stages.
Initially, it appeared as a small blue circle at birth. Subsequently, it evolved into a moon mark and eventually reached the state of an official Azure pool.
At this stage, the Azure pool became a secondary energy source, capable of various applications, including the enhancement of skills and the creation of treasures.
When an individual with an Azure pool reached a certain level, they could establish their own secret realm known as an Azure dimension.
This specific realm was characterized by a colossal coliseum in its center and a faint azure moon in the sky. Its sole purpose had been to host the Azure Moon tournament since its inception. Moreover, it provided the royal family with a strategic advantage.
The Azure pool, akin to an ocean, and the enigmatic moon bestowed upon the royal family's participants a major boost to their celestial blessing.
All participants who were not part of the Azure Moon royal family were informed of this revelation by their respective powers to prevent any surprises.
Despite this knowledge, the awe-inspiring sight of the realm remained unshaken.
....
All the spectators were escorted to their designated seating areas, while the participants were taken to prepare.
After the participants were escorted to their accommodations, they promptly got ready, except for Horo.
He was preoccupied with a significant matter.
He discovered that due to the soul module, his [Starry Realm of Enlightenment] and his physical body continued to automatically imprint skills compatible with everything he possessed within him when he performed special actions.
Even Alma, who tried to suppress the automatic creation of skills, couldn't do much.
Over the past two years, the burden from all the skills in his body had increased exponentially.
It had become so overwhelming that he no longer cared about their usefulness. He couldn't even use many of them due to the burden they placed on him, and many of them interfered with each other.
Furthermore, the burden on his body from so many skills had reduced the efficiency of his energy pathways, and even his soul felt the strain.
To make matters worse, he feared that this would impair his fighting abilities, preventing him from showcasing his true prowess and full potential.
The only positive news was that he had a remarkable master, the perfect master for his predicament.
Her personally crafted technique, destined to be passed down to her sole disciple, would be the solution to this problem.
The technique, known as the [True Clone] technique, required the sacrifice of a portion of one's true cloud.
Although this portion would forever be lost, it would be used to forge a clone using "ingredients" that were part of the user or closely related to them. These ingredients could include skills.
A smile spread across Horo's face as he contemplated the "ingredients" he would use. He was determined to take his master's technique to a level beyond her own.
If his master knew his plan, even she who was considering a schizophrenic psychopath would find him utterly insane.
And who could blame her? Even he was unaware of the full potential of the powers in his possession.
Horo and Alma had numerous plans for his growth, some even extending beyond the Azure Moon.
As for his current predicament, he only needed a few more "ingredients," and for them to be accessible to him, he had to wait until he entered the Nascent Soul realm.
Speaking of the Nascent Soul realm, he inquired of Alma, "How is the progress with deducing the problem of entering the next realm?"
Alma responded, "I believe I've found a solution just a few moments ago, but let's wait until after the first day to test it out. There's no telling how long you'll be in slumber after completing this Trial."
He offered a simple response, "Of course, that makes sense. Let's complete today's battles first."
....
Horo's thoughts were interrupted by one of his fellow disciples.
"Don't tell me, the one and only disciple of the formidable Elder May is showing signs of nervousness before battle."
Horo addressed the speaker, "Tell me, Hana, why would I be nervous? The worst that can happen is a crushing defeat."
The person who spoke to him was the sect master's personal disciple, Hana.
She raised an eyebrow and replied to his comment, "But aren't you concerned about disappointing your master?"
He chuckled softly before saying, "Not at all, my master knows me best. She understands my strengths and weaknesses, as well as the current challenges I'm facing that may hinder my performance. She would understand, she might be angry, but not disgraced."
Horo's words made her brows furrow. She pondered, "What did he mean by challenges that may hinder his performance?"
Before she could ask, an announcement came from a special object hanging from the ceiling, causing her to look away from him.
"All participants, please take the stage now. The tournament setup will be explained and commenced."
When she turned back to Horo, he had already vanished. She proceeded to take the stage alongside the remaining eight pure cloud participants.