The rift closed with a low hum, sealing the tear in the fabric of space. The sky quieted, but a deep silence fell over the land—an unnatural, eerie calm that made the skin crawl.
Duke Silver released the last of his protective spells around Hope, her body still faintly glowing with residual spirit energy. She lay unconscious but alive, breath ragged, chest rising steadily.
Rael lowered his Immortal Art-enhanced defenses, casting a wary glance at the cloaked figure who still stood watching the heavens. "Who are you really?" he asked. "You're not from the Spirit Realms, nor the Immortal Planes."
The stranger didn't immediately respond. His hood remained low, concealing his features. But when he finally spoke, it was with quiet weight.
"I am from a time before the Pillars. A watcher of cycles. I've seen civilizations rise, fall, and burn in silence. The Crimson Abyss returning here is not chance—it is the start of something far greater."
Duke stepped forward, cautious. "That still doesn't explain why you saved her. Or why you're here now."
The figure turned to face them both. "The girl… Hope… she carries within her a seed of something even the Immortals fear."
Rael blinked. "You're talking about her constitution?"
The figure nodded. "Ancient Magic Constitution. A power lost to the Myriad Realms. Its awakening is the key to reshaping Azure. Or destroying it."
Rael glanced down at Hope, a crease forming on his brow. "But she doesn't even know what she holds…"
"That is why she was targeted," the stranger said softly. "The Demon King sought to force her awakening prematurely. If she had awakened under his influence, this planet would already be ash."
Duke growled low under his breath. "So he wasn't here just to kill her. He wanted to twist her."
Rael's gaze darkened. "That's why he mentioned her being a vessel..."
Hope groaned faintly, her eyelids fluttering.
"We can't leave her here," the cloaked man said. "This realm is watched now. Others will come—some seeking to protect, but most… to exploit."
Duke extended his hand, his dragon eyes shimmering with silvery blue light. "Then we take her somewhere safe. I'll teleport us."
But the figure raised a hand. "No. I will take her. You two must remain. This battle isn't over. Natalia's fight has only just begun. And your presence is needed elsewhere."
Rael frowned. "You expect us to just hand her over?"
"I expect you to trust that I've seen this unfold before," the figure said. "In another cycle. In another war. The only chance this world has—is if she awakens by her own will… not through fear or pain."
Duke and Rael exchanged a long look. Then slowly, reluctantly, Duke stepped aside.
The figure knelt beside Hope and gently lifted her in his arms. The moment his hand touched her, a faint glow surrounded them both—a resonance of ancient energy long dormant.
Without another word, he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the faint scent of ozone and silence.
Rael exhaled slowly. "He wasn't lying… That girl might be more important than any of us thought."
Duke looked up toward the horizon, where another dark presence stirred. "And Natalia's still fighting above the ruins of her city…"
"Let's go."
As the sky above the other side of Azure shimmered with residual echoes of Natalia's escape, a strange stillness settled in. Rael stood on a craggy outcrop, arms crossed, his gaze fixed toward the horizon where the remnants of Cratos' energy still lingered like a fading scar.
"She didn't just teleport," Rael said quietly, breaking the silence. His tone was troubled, his voice carrying a rare edge of uncertainty. "It felt like… a rift in time itself."
Duke Silver stood beside him, his long silver hair fluttering gently in the wind. His eyes, usually calm, now reflected a flicker of unease. "She's done it," he said. "The Timeless Dao. Natalia has broken free from the limits of our timeline."
Rael's head turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "That kind of power shouldn't exist—not in someone like her. She's not just strong, Duke. She's dangerous. She doesn't care what she breaks to get what she wants."
Duke's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away. "And yet, she holds it now. Cratos struck with everything he had, and she still slipped through." His voice lowered, almost to a whisper. "That worries me more than anything."
Rael stepped down from the rock, kicking up the dust. "Wherever she's gone… I hope she losses her memory enough to keep herself busy. Because if she returns stronger, with more control…"
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.
Duke looked to the sky again, a silent promise in his eyes. "We'll be ready, Rael," he said softly. "We have to be."
Natalia was falling through a strange space.
There was no sky or ground, only endless light and shadows swirling around her. She couldn't see anything clearly. It was like floating through a dream—or a nightmare.
She wasn't scared. Just confused.
Where was she going?
Time didn't exist in this place. Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like days.
Then suddenly—everything stopped.
She opened her eyes and saw a new world.
The sky above was purple and glowing faintly. The ground was dry and cracked.
Old ruins stood all around her, broken and worn down by time. The air smelled dusty, like the pages of an ancient book.
Natalia stood slowly, sword still in hand. She looked around. Nothing seemed familiar, but something deep in her heart told her this place was important.
"I'm not in my world anymore…"
She remembered something—a book she had once found in a hidden place long ago.
It belonged to an ancient Immortal cultivator.
That book stated of the forgotten world's, of worlds where time was trapped and twisted.
Could this be one of them?
She didn't know how long she had before something—or someone—found her.
But she didn't have to wait long.
In the distance, a figure appeared.
He stood tall, wrapped in light blue robes that fluttered in the strange wind. His face was hidden under a cloak, and eight golden orbs of energy surrounded him.
His voice carried through the air, cold but slow.
"Welcome to the Origin Realm, Natalia Taylor… A place hidden away from the world's. Here, exists nothingness where you will discover what your Dao is truly capable of.. Ofcourse, after you re-cultivate again."
Whoosh—
The man put out his hand before Natalia's forehead and a strange energy went into Natalia's body destroying her cultivation.
Seeing this Natalia stared at the figure.
She didn't speak.
She simply raised her fist again despite losing her cultivation.
Ready to fight again.
—————————
Meanwhile,
Far away from the world of Planet Azure, within a Cosmic Realm where stars surrounded a Grand Heavenly Palace , inside a luxurious golden hall, the Three Pillars of Heaven stood before a towering throne made jade and gold.
A towering figure was sitting on the throne.
The figure sitting on the throne was the Heavenly Emperor—ruler of the Myriad Heavens and judge of all living realms.
His presence filled the vast hall, but his gaze was filled with disappointment.
"You failed," the Emperor's voice echoed in the hall, calm but sharp as lightning.
The three Pillars knelt in silence.
Despite being the Pillars, their cultivation was nothing in front of the Heavenly Emperor.
It was rumoured that the Heavenly Emperor was only one step from breaking through to thr Supreme Stage!
Mind you!
The Supreme Stage was something that Immortal cultivators can only dream of!
It was just hard to even reach Dao Learning Stage not to mention The Legendary Supreme Stage!
Back to the Three Pillars,
Their robes were torn and their aura dimmed. The battle with Natalia Taylor had taken its toll on them.
Despite being the Pillars of Heveanly Court they still lost to a Cultivator of Dao Forming Stage.
The Pillar of Brilliance said softly,
"She escaped… using a power we couldn't predict. She has created a Dao of her own—The Timeless Dao. It really distorted reality itself."
"She vanished somewhere even we don't know," added the Pillar of Destruction , his fists clenched. "We didn't know she had the power to vanish like that."
"She was not meant to survive," the Emperor said coldly, his golden eyes narrowing. "Her Dao threatens the balance of the Myriad Realms."
The Pillar of Fate, usually silent, spoke in a low voice. "Her Dao was too powerful.. Our cultivation was surpressed too..."
The first Pillar was no where to be seen, as always.
The Heavenly Emperor rose slowly, his divine power shaking the Myriad Realms itself.
"Then find her. Across time, across space—I don't care how far you must go. Hunt her. Her Timeless Dao must be erased."
The Pillars bowed once more, feeling ashamed, they left in orderly manner.