While the Guardian Spirit was reporting everything to the Void Emperor, Adrian had already returned to his room.
He sat back down at his desk and glanced at the private message flashing on his screen. Kai was complaining about Adrian abandoning their team mid-match, ranting about how they had lost the entire game because of him.
Adrian smiled faintly when he read the word abandoning.
That might have been true in a game, but it was the one thing he swore he would never do in real life.
At this very moment, he could have abandoned everything, his people, his empire, his responsibilities, and walked straight into the Void Sect alone. No one could have stopped him. The Guardian Spirit had given him that path clearly.
Yet he had chosen to remain here, rejecting that path outright.
Adrian was not foolish, nor was he blind. He understood exactly what the Guardian Spirit meant. In a way, he even agreed with it. Cultivating to the peak together was unrealistic. Everyone's talent was uneven, comprehension was unequal, and reality itself favoured solitude at the highest levels. Strength was lonely by nature, and the higher one climbed, the fewer could follow.
He knew all of this.
But still, he refused to accept it.
Not because he could not see reality, but because he chose to doubt it, he chose to challenge it.
He did not know how yet. He had no clear answer, no perfect plan, no guaranteed method. But that did not matter. He would search for a solution. He would fail, stumble, and try again. He would fight against this so-called inevitability until the day he forced the impossible to become possible.
For Adrian, life was not cultivation alone. Cultivation was only a part of it.
Even if his people ultimately could not meet the Void Sect's requirements, then so be it. The universe was infinite, and there were still countless paths. The Void Sect could not be the only great sect in existence. If this path failed, there would be others. And if every sect rejected them, then he would walk a new road entirely.
His thoughts returned to a lesson learned long ago from Rune Master Dorian. The first inscribers had once believed that air writing was the only way to wield the Language of Mana. Yet they had looked beyond the Language itself, created mediums to hold it, and in doing so, turned the impossible into reality.
Did the same not apply to divine concepts? Every great sect had refined its concept over generations, but at the very beginning, someone had started from nothing but the basics.
If every path rejected them, then he would forge his own divine concept. He would build his own sect.
There were always countless paths in existence, and Adrian was not someone who abandoned those walking beside him.
He typed a quick response to Kai, My bad, an emergency came up. I'll carry the next game!
Kai's reply was immediate, You better.
Adrian shook his head, a genuine smile crossing his face. He continued playing his game once more.
Several hours passed.
Suddenly, Adrian sensed a presence behind him.
He turned around and saw the Guardian Spirit standing quietly in his room.
His expression hardened instantly, "What do you want now? My decision hasn't changed. I'm not going to join your sect alone, so don't waste your time trying to convince me."
"I am not here to persuade you," the Guardian Spirit replied calmly, "I am here to relay my master's words."
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly, "Your master… the Void Emperor. Go on."
The Guardian Spirit did not hide anything, "My master sees immense potential in you. However, he shares my judgement. The path you are walking is flawed and will damage your future. But since you believe in it so strongly, he has decided to let you prove it."
Adrian frowned. Hadn't they already settled this at the Edge structure? He had already said he would try and return later.
And in the hours that followed, as his emotions cooled, his mindset had shifted further. At first, he had been thinking about solutions, ways to help his people comprehend difficult concepts like space, or methods to bypass the Void Sect's rigid requirements.
But as his thoughts deepened, he realised something far more fundamental.
He knew almost nothing about the universe.
He knew nothing about its sects, its powers, or even the true standing of the Void Sect itself. Joining blindly felt reckless. If he blindly tried to spend years finding the solution and then learned the Void Sect is not suitable for his empire, he would just be wasting time.
He had even begun to think that he should explore the universe first, learn its rules, observe its hierarchies, and understand its dangers before making any irreversible decisions.
So, right now, his mindset is entirely different from before.
The Guardian Spirit continued, "My master offers you another way to prove your path. A test. A test not only for you, but for your people as well. If you succeed, my master is willing to allow every citizen of the Origin Empire to enter the Void Sect as outer disciples."
That statement even stunned Adrian.
Every single citizen?
Most of the Origin Empire's population were not warriors. Many did not even pursue cultivation. They wanted peaceful lives, stability, families, and purpose beyond battle. The Origin Path itself had been built with that reality in mind, allowing cultivation to exist as a way of life rather than an obligation.
Even when Adrian had previously thought about solutions, he had been thinking about core members and Origin warriors, those who wanted to walk the path, explore the universe, and grow stronger.
But now, the Guardian Spirit saying 'every citizen' stunned him.
He asked carefully, "What exactly is this test?"
"The Andromeda Galaxy. It is the closest galaxy to yours. The test is for your people to establish themselves there."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"By establish, I mean what your Origin Empire has already done once before. To grow into a recognised major power. Not through slaughter, and not through domination of its inhabitants, but through influence, stability, and strength."
"The Andromeda Galaxy contains multiple minor sects, each led by Peak Rule Stage beings. It is an environment where individual strength alone is insufficient. If your people can grow and establish themselves there, then it proves your path is not merely idealistic; it proves it is viable."
It paused briefly, then added, "There is also another factor you must know. The Andromeda Galaxy is on a natural trajectory towards the Milky Way. In the distant future, drawn together by gravity, the two galaxies will collide."
The Guardian Spirit lifted its hand, and a projection unfolded.
Two spiral galaxies drifted through the void, one familiar, one foreign.
Adrian saw worlds, star systems, not empty ones, but inhabited systems, fragile, developing civilizations. He then saw these two colliding, and when the two spirals touched, entire regions vanished.
"A galactic collision like this would take millions of years to happen, yes. But in the universe, variables accumulate. Void distortions, gravitational turbulence, and even conflicts between high-level cultivators can accelerate such events and exponentially lessen the time."
"If left unattended, it could threaten the future of your Origin Empire. But if you grow stronger, then you can change the course of the entire galaxy and face anything that comes. This test, therefore, benefits you regardless of its outcome."
Adrian fell silent.
He could tell the Guardian Spirit was exaggerating things, but not the truth behind it. As it mentioned, anything could happen, and if he was weak, he couldn't do anything! And when it came, it would not distinguish between empires and sects, between cultivators and mortals. Entire regions would be erased.
And becoming a major power, just as they had here, did not mean only his own growth. It meant his people growing strong enough to stand alongside him in an entirely new galaxy.
But this so-called test offered him a chance to step into the universe together with his people. A chance to observe its rules firsthand. A chance to understand sects, great powers, and the Void Sect itself without committing blindly. A chance to experiment, fail, adapt, and learn how to raise his people in an environment far greater than the Milky Way.
After a long silence, Adrian finally spoke, "I'll consider it."
"When you decide, come to the Edge."
With that, it vanished from the room.
Adrian stood alone.
He had no intention of deciding immediately. This decision also involved others, and it required discussion, planning, and careful thought.
And for now, he chose to enjoy the life he had fought so hard to earn.
And more importantly…
He was genuinely looking forward to the upcoming wedding of Sentinel and Aurelia.