Chapter 347: The Astral Void Realm

Kael sat cross-legged on the cold floor of his mansion. The silence of the empty estate was absolute, broken only by the faint hum of the defensive runic arrays pulsing outside.

Whoosh.

He closed his eyes, regulating his breathing. With a practiced thought, he sank his consciousness deep into his soul space.

The world around him dissolved into a blinding flash of dark violet light. The sensation of falling lasted only a heartbeat before his feet touched solid ground. Kael opened his eyes, finding himself standing in the center of the Astral Void Realm.

It was roughly ten square kilometers of absolute nothingness. Above him, a swirling nebula of dark, primordial energy churned, devoid of stars or a sun, yet radiating a cold, ambient light that illuminated the desolate expanse. The ground beneath his feet was a smooth, glass-like void, reflecting the churning skies above.

"System," Kael murmured, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness. "Status report on the Inner World."

Ding!

[Astral Void Realm: Current Size — 10 sq km. ]

[Time Dilation: 1 Day Outside = 5 Days Inside. ]

[Law Manipulation: Absolute.]

Kael smirked, a predatory gleam flashing in his eyes. Time dilation. This was the ultimate cheat. If he trained here for five days, only one day would pass in the real world. It was the perfect environment to push his cultivation forward while the rest of the universe was forced to wait.

He raised his right hand, his eyes turning pure silver as his Astraeon bloodline stirred. "Let’s test the Law Manipulation."

RUMBLE!

Kael immediately channeled his authority into the void. The ground around him surged. Massive stone pillars burst from the glassy floor, twisting upward to form jagged mountains. Lush, dark green plants erupted from the cracks, weaving into thick forests. A waterfall of pure, crystalline water cascaded down a newly formed cliff, the sound of the rushing water echoing through the realm.

However, just as quickly as he created it, Kael felt a massive drain on his soul power. Ugh. He dropped his hand, panting slightly. The creation of life and terrain was taxing. He had absolute control, but his current capacity limited how much he could shape at once.

He observed the vibrant landscape he had just birthed, but frowned as he sensed the air. It was heavy and rich, but entirely devoid of mana.

"System," Kael called out. "The terrain is here, but there’s no mana. How do I generate mana in the void realm?"

The System’s voice echoed.

[Host, the Astral Void Realm is a pocket dimension forged from primordial darkness. To generate mana, you have two primary methods. First, you can utilize your Transcendent Core to filter the ambient primordial void energy, converting it into standard mana. This process is slow, but the realm will absorb the converted mana and begin to naturally replicate it. Second, you can bring high-grade mana stones into the realm and shatter them. The realm will consume the released energy and establish a self-sustaining mana cycle based on the density of the stones provided. As the realm expands, so too will its mana generation capacity.]

Kael nodded, absorbing the information. "Understood. And what about my physical body? Is it actually here, or is this just a projection?"

[Negative. What stands before you is a manifestation of your consciousness, woven from your soul power and the System’s interface. Your physical body remains seated in your mansion, serving as the physical anchor to the material world,]

The System explained.

[However, because of your Astraeon soul link, any training, muscle memory, or soul tempering experienced here is perfectly synchronized with your physical body. When you leave, the physical strain and growth will remain. As your soul cultivation advances through the Soul Cultivation realm and beyond, you will gain the ability to pull your main physical body into this realm. For now, your consciousness acts as the avatar.]

The System paused, then added, [Furthermore, Host can also bring other individuals into the Astral Void Realm, but only under two conditions: They must be unconscious, or they must agree to come willingly.]

"A perfect prison," Kael muttered with a dark chuckle. "Noted."

He rubbed his chin, his mind shifting to the immediate future. Tomorrow morning, he was scheduled to meet his father—the four-hundred-year-old monster—and likely the council of elders. They would undoubtedly scan him. He had just integrated the Asura Demon bloodline, and the demonic energy within him was volatile. If his father sensed it, the consequences would be catastrophic.

He needed to hide it.

"System, open the shop. I need items to conceal my demonic energy and bloodlines."

[Affirmative. Accessing Level 3 Shop.]

The fairy-like projection of the System materialized beside him. A glowing blue holographic screen appeared in the air, listing several items.

[Item 1: Abyssal Veil (Tier 1 Grade). Cost: 15,000 ASC. Effect: Conceals demonic aura and energy, but leaves a faint, detectable shadow residue. Not recommended for Origin Realm cultivators.]

[Item 2: Mask of the Fallen (Tier 1 Grade). Cost: 25,000 ASC. Effect: Alters physical appearance and mana signature. Does not conceal soul or body cultivation. Ineffective against high-tier soul scans.]

Kael scoffed. These were too weak. His father was a very powerful cultivator; a Tier 1 Grade item wouldn’t fool him for a second.

His eyes locked onto the third item on the list.

[Item 3: Soul Shrouding Ring (Special Grade). Cost: 40,000 ASC. Effect: Creates a perfect, false soul frequency. This ring acts as a total sensory filter. It completely conceals the host’s mana, soul, and body cultivation, making their presence entirely undetectable. If an enemy uses a soul scan, they will only see the exact cultivation level that the host wishes to project. It also masks all demonic, primordial, and elemental auras.]

"Perfect," Kael smirked. "Purchase the Soul Shrouding Ring."

[Ding!]

[40,000 ASC deducted. Current Balance: 109,000 ASC.]

A ripple of spatial energy distorted the air in front of him. A small, black box materialized from the void, hovering in mid-air. Kael opened it. Inside rested a simple, obsidian ring inscribed with ancient, microscopic runes that seemed to shift and writhe when he stared too long.

He slipped the ring onto his left index finger.

Clink.

Instantly, Kael felt a cool sensation wash over him. It was as if a heavy, invisible blanket had been draped over his entire existence. The constant, thrumming pressure of his Asura bloodline and the burning heat of the Demonic Asura Lotus Flame were instantly silenced.

Kael looked at his hand, flexing his fingers.

With the immediate concern of his father’s meeting resolved, Kael decided to use the time dilation to train. He had five days in here for every one day outside. He wouldn’t waste a second.

He sat down on the newly formed grass, the ambient dark light washing over him. He closed his eyes, drawing upon the Netherworld Soul Locking Flag. The thirty-plus souls within it hummed in response to his call.

"Let’s begin," Kael whispered.

He began to channel his Wrath Intent, the violent, crimson energy mingling with his Slaughter Intent. The ground around him cracked and splintered as the dual intents clashed. He gritted his teeth, forcing the chaotic energies to merge, to temper his soul further.

Boom! Crack!

The very fabric of the Astral Void Realm trembled as the Sovereign trained, his consciousness pushing the limits of his newly integrated bloodlines, preparing for the war that was about to unfold in the waking world.