Chapter 614: Reaching Lingtian Mountains

"M-master... What’s happening to me?" Gumiho asked in a confused tone as vapours of pink energy radiated from her body. "I feel my Soulforce increasing."

"Close your eyes and regulate your energy," Maximilian ordered her, his tone calm.

Gumiho sat cross-legged on her seat and closed her eyes.

"Think about the things you have learned about Vyoman today," Maximilian continued.

"Vyoman is vast..." Gumiho murmured what she had learned. "It is mysterious but beautiful. Some places are rich in Soulforce, while others are completely devoid of it. Yet both lands harbour life. Cultivators live in Soulforce-rich lands, while mortals live where Soulforce doesn’t exist. For cultivators, Soulforce is a necessity for existence, while that same Soulforce is highly lethal to mortals. The pure Soulforce could instantly kill them the moment they are exposed to it. It was as if the world were deliberately divided in such a way that both cultivators and mortals could live without disturbing each other."

Her Soulforce continued increasing, waves of pink energy radiating outward from her body. Maximilian covered the chariot in his Celestial Soulforce, making sure the energy released from her body didn’t alert the cultivators of the Deer Clan below.

Her body rose from the seat, hovering in the air. Her legs slowly straightened, the energy inside the chariot becoming increasingly intense.

A few cracks appeared in the wooden walls, and the chariot began trembling.

"What intense energy?" Maximilian gasped, releasing even more of his energy to keep the chariot stable. His black hair ruffled backward, his hand moving to his face as the waves of energy grew even more intense.

"If I didn’t possess Celestial Soulforce, I would have already been knocked out," he muttered, yet a smile danced on his lips. "The World Energy of Vyoman is really intense."

After a few seconds, the waves of energy stopped radiating. Instead, they began moving backward, being absorbed into her body. But the pink energy wasn’t alone. It carried countless tiny particles that glowed like fireflies.

This was the World Energy of Vyoman that her Soulforce had gathered from the surroundings.

As more and more energy entered her body, a fourth tail began forming. Within a few hours, it reached the size of her other three tails. The four fluffy tails, covered in striking pink fur, swayed behind her. They were as long as her height, spreading outward around her body.

With their movement, it seemed as if they had minds of their own.

The energy slowly vanished, and her body descended to the floor. The radiance of her ethereal pink hair still remained, though, illuminating the chariot in a faint pink hue.

She opened her pink eyes with their vertical pupils, finding Maximilian sitting on the opposite seat with a warm smile.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough," Maximilian said, crossing his arms. He had already withdrawn his Celestial Soulforce from the chariot before she opened her eyes. "In terms of power, you can evenly match Early-stage Greater Spirit Beasts or True Sage humans. All you need is practice."

"Master, it was all thanks to you." She was about to give him a deep bow, but he firmly grabbed her head.

"I told you not to do that," he muttered with a frown.

"But I must pay my respects to my master," Gumiho said, tilting her head, her fluffy ears swaying with the motion.

From her determined eyes alone, Maximilian could tell that she wasn’t going to give up. He released a long sigh.

"How about this? Instead of bowing to me, let me give you headpats each time you think of paying your respects to me," Maximilian offered with a weary grin.

"Headpats by master?" Gumiho blinked, giving it a brief thought.

After a few seconds, she leaned forward, rubbing her head against his hand. "Master can give me headpats."

Maximilian was left frozen for a moment. He felt as if he had adopted an adorable pet.

’The hell is wrong with me?’ Maximilian muttered inwardly. ’Thinking of Vyoman’s goddess as a pet. The heaven might strike me down if they heard my thoughts.’

Contrary to his thoughts, his hand had already been gently patting her head for a while.

"Master, you were correct," Gumiho revealed, her tone laced with excitement as she moved back to her seat. "I’m truly the Supreme Existence of Vyoman. During the formation of my fourth tail, I felt as if the world was resonating with me. My cultivation depends on my understanding of the world and my synergy with its energy. I can grow more tails as I learn more about this world."

Her eyes narrowed with gratitude as she continued, "You knew about it, and that’s why you brought me out to see the world, right, master?"

"So now you finally believe me," Maximilian boasted, raising his head high.

"Unh," Gumiho nodded, raising her small fists. "You are so amazing, master. Even Lord Vyomendra didn’t possess any cultivation method for me. How do you know so much about the world at such a young age?"

A brief silence fell over the room as Gumiho stared at him with expectant eyes.

He leaned closer, his lips parting. Gumiho’s breath stopped in anticipation.

Flick!

"Look outside, we are here," Maximilian said, lightly flicking her forehead.

She gave him a sulking look before turning her eyes toward the window.

They had reached the Lingtian Mountains, or more accurately, the zenith of one of their many peaks.

The duo moved out of the chariot, their eyes widening as they saw the scenery before them. Even Maximilian, who lived in the Upper Realm and believed that nothing in this world could surprise him anymore, was left speechless.

Towering mountain peaks stretched out before them, their jagged summits disappearing into the clouds. Wisps of mist coiled around their slopes like white dragons, while faint strands of Soulforce drifted through the air, giving the entire mountain range an otherworldly appearance.

The zenith where they stood had a somewhat flat surface, covered in a forest of tall bamboo. Even the leaves of these bamboos shimmered with an emerald glow from having grown in this rich Soulforce region.

’The quality of Soulforce here is really closer to that of the Upper Realm,’ Maximilian murmured inwardly, his golden eyes never leaving the scenery.

"Master," Gumiho called out to him, pulling him out of his daze.

He found her standing a few metres away. Her ethereal hair flowed in the cold, gentle breeze of the night.

"I want to know how strong I have become," she said, numerous pink petals materialising around her body. "Would you spar with me?"