Chapter 123: Abyssal Gate

Victor’s eyes lit up the moment he heard the explanation.

"What is the Universal Battlefield actually about, Master?" he asked with genuine interest. "You said that countless races gather there, but why would the entire universe need a battlefield specifically for that place? Is there some greater purpose behind it?"

Cristofer took a deep breath. His previously relaxed expression gradually became solemn, and even the faint smile on his lips disappeared. He leaned back against his chair before slowly explaining, "Thousands of years ago, a gate of the Abyss was opened there. No one knows how it appeared or who created it, but once that gate opened, countless Abyssal creatures poured out from within."

"At first, the Abyssal creatures were weak enough that the major races didn’t take them seriously. However, the number of creatures emerging from the gate kept increasing. Eventually, entire civilizations were swallowed by the tide of monsters. Countless races that had existed for billions of years were completely erased from the universe."

Victor’s expression became serious as he listened. Even in his previous life, he had read countless stories about dimensional invasions, but hearing his Master speak about something that had actually happened gave the matter an entirely different weight. This wasn’t some legendary tale passed down through generations. It was a disaster that had genuinely destroyed entire civilizations.

"The Universal Will eventually intervened," Cristofer continued. "It created the Universal Battlefield around the Abyssal Gate and established a set of rules. Any intelligent lifeform can enter the battlefield and fight the Abyssal creatures. The more Abyssal creatures you kill, the more Universal Points you receive."

"Those points can be exchanged for treasures, techniques, divine artifacts, bloodlines, secret arts, resources, and countless other things. The Universal Will even publishes a ranking every month. Those who stand at the very top receive rewards that are difficult to obtain even with the strength of a Universal Supreme."

Victor’s eyes widened slightly. "The top-ranked person receives treasures that even you can’t find outside?"

Cristofer chuckled bitterly and nodded. "Exactly. Some of those rewards are things that money cannot buy and strength alone cannot obtain. There are treasures that appear only through the Universal Battlefield’s ranking system. Even if I searched the entire universe for millions of years, I might never encounter some of them."

A strange light flashed within Victor’s eyes. If even his Master, someone standing at the pinnacle of the universe, considered those rewards precious, then the Universal Battlefield was clearly far more important than he had initially imagined.

"Such a miraculous place actually exists?" Victor muttered, unable to hide his excitement. He immediately asked, "Then how powerful are the beings who normally fight there, Master?"

Cristofer’s eyebrows rose slightly at Victor’s obvious enthusiasm. "Normally, most of the participants are below the Galactic Realm. The major races send their younger geniuses, armies, elite warriors, adventurers, and even criminals into the battlefield. As long as they meet the basic requirements, anyone can enter."

"However..." His expression became heavier. "The Abyssal Gate has been expanding recently."

Victor’s smile disappeared.

"Expanding?"

"Yes." Cristofer nodded. "During the last few thousand years, the fluctuations coming from the gate have become increasingly violent. The creatures emerging from it are becoming stronger as well. At first, only weak Abyssal creatures appeared. Then stronger monsters began emerging. Now there are already signs that Galactic-level Abyssals may appear."

He paused for a moment before adding in a low voice, "And if the situation continues to deteriorate, even Abyssal beings at our level may eventually emerge."

Victor’s pupils contracted.

Even though he had only recently knew about his Master, he already understood just how frightening a being at Cristofer’s level was. If monsters of similar strength could emerge from an Abyssal Gate, then the Universal Battlefield was no longer merely a hunting ground for younger cultivators.

It could eventually become the central battlefield of the entire universe.

"Even the God Race has descendants descending into the Universal Battlefield to fight," Cristofer continued. "They aren’t doing it merely for experience. The God Race possesses countless inheritances, yet they still value the opportunities inside that battlefield. That alone should tell you how extraordinary that place is."

Victor slowly nodded.

The more he heard, the stronger his curiosity became.

After thinking for a moment, another question suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Master, how big is the universe actually?"

Cristofer looked at him strangely.

Victor scratched his chin before continuing, "I mean, have you ever gone to the edge of the universe?"

In his previous life, the observable universe had existed for roughly thirteen billion years according to the scientific knowledge he remembered. Even that number had felt unimaginably large. But the universe of this world was completely different.

The oldest known civilization here had already existed for more than nine hundred billion years.

Nine hundred billion years.

That number was so enormous that Victor couldn’t even properly imagine it.

And according to the World System’s knowledge, even that wasn’t necessarily the true age of the universe. The World System itself didn’t know the origin of the universe or when existence had truly begun.

Cristofer remained silent for a while.

"No," he finally replied.

Victor blinked.

"No?"

Cristofer slowly shook his head. "As far as we know, the universe continues to expand. However, its expansion speed is so terrifying that it has already surpassed what our conventional understanding of speed allows us to comprehend. Even the speed at which Universal Supremes can travel is insignificant compared with the rate at which distant regions of the universe separate from us."

His gaze became distant.

"There is another possibility as well."

Victor listened carefully.

"The universe may not have an actual end."

Victor’s expression froze.

Cristofer continued calmly, "We have explored countless regions. We have crossed galaxies, star domains, dimensions, chaotic voids, and even regions where the normal laws of space collapse. Yet no one has ever found the boundary of the universe."

"Some ancient experts believe that the universe is continuously expanding. Others believe that the universe itself is endless. There are even records left behind by civilizations older than nine hundred billion years claiming that their ancestors once searched for the edge of existence."

Cristofer let out a quiet sigh.

"They found nothing."

Victor stared at the sky for several seconds.

An endless universe.

Countless races.

A mysterious Abyssal Gate.

An ancient trial capable of granting transcendence over karma, destiny, causality, and even the river of time.

Suddenly, he felt that the universe he had entered was far larger than he had ever imagined.

"Is that so?" Victor eventually murmured. A small smile appeared on his face. "Then there are probably still countless things waiting for me to discover."

Cristofer laughed softly.

"You truly aren’t frightened by anything."

Victor’s smile widened.

"Master, I’d like to go to the Universal Battlefield. How can I get there?"

Cristofer immediately shook his head.

"You can go there later. First, train under your senior brothers and sisters. Once they believe you are ready, they will take you there themselves. Do not be in such a hurry to make dangerous decisions."

Victor hesitated before bowing respectfully.

"I understand, Master. I apologize for being so impulsive."

"Just be careful," Cristofer said with a helpless smile. "The universe is too mysterious even for me. There are many things hidden within it that even I cannot understand. Never assume that because you possess extraordinary talent, nothing can threaten you."

He waved his hand gently.

"Before you leave, there is one more thing. You must completely cultivate the Heart Sutra. Vladimir will teach it to you. It will stabilize your mind, strengthen your soul, and prevent your consciousness from becoming too restless as your cultivation rises."

Victor nodded immediately.

"Understood, Master."

He stood up, bowed once more, and finally turned around before leaving the palace.

Once Victor’s figure disappeared beyond the distant corridor, Cristofer leaned back in his chair and slowly shook his head.

"This child is far too impulsive."

A helpless smile appeared on his ancient face.

"His talent is extraordinary, but that only makes it more important to teach him patience. Otherwise, sooner or later, that reckless curiosity of his will drag him into something troublesome."

Outside the palace, Victor walked through the floating garden with a thoughtful expression.

The Universal Battlefield.

The Abyssal Gate.

The endless universe.

And the mysterious ancient trial.

All of these things had already caused his curiosity to soar.

However, he knew that his Master’s warning wasn’t without reason. His current strength was still far from sufficient to freely wander through such dangerous places.

He soon activated his communication token.

"Senior Brother Vladimir."

A moment later, space in front of him distorted slightly.

Vladimir appeared from within the spatial fluctuation, wearing his usual relaxed expression.

Victor immediately got straight to the point.

"Senior Brother, Master asked me to train under all of you before I can go to the Universal Battlefield."

Vladimir stared at him for a moment before a sinister smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Is that so?"

Victor suddenly felt a strange chill running down his spine.

"Then let’s go."

Vladimir stepped forward and patted Victor’s shoulder.

"We’ll train you properly."

Victor’s expression stiffened.

Why did that sentence sound so terrifying?