The five individuals stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the sight before them.
Why was Daniel’s ascension to the God Realm unfolding in such an extraordinary manner?
Did the use of the 5-Element Treasure, combined with the absorption of the Source of the World, result in some unique transformation?
They didn’t understand, but their confusion quickly gave way to apprehension.
Above the altar, a massive passage had begun to materialize.
From within the passage emanated a mysterious and profound aura, brimming with allure and power.
Simultaneously, a vague figure appeared at the far end of the passage.
The realization struck the five onlookers like lightning: this was a direct gateway to the God Realm!
The presence of the figure only deepened their dread.
The aura emanating from the passage and the shadowy figure was unmistakably divine.
What shocked them even more was the figure’s apparent intent—to cross through the passage and enter their realm.
Why was someone from the God Realm appearing on the other side of the passage?
The realization was both horrifying and enlightening.
They couldn’t help but think of a grim possibility: if they had truly used the 5-Element Treasure to harvest all the Source of the World, would they have unwittingly invited a similar catastrophe?
It was like a fish eagerly biting down on a baited hook, only to be pierced through the throat by the hidden barb.
This analogy seemed apt for their current predicament.
The figure’s looming presence caused the five to reflect on the serpent’s earlier words—that they were nothing more than “misguided children.” But if they were blinded, who was it that had shrouded their eyes?
At last, the truth dawned upon them.
From the moment they had stumbled upon the 5-Element Treasure, believing it to be a gift of fate, they had unknowingly become pawns in a larger scheme.
Their tremendous power, which had allowed them to rise to such heights, was entirely dependent on the treasures.
Now, it was clear: everything had been orchestrated by someone manipulating events from behind the scenes.
A cold chill ran down their spines.
They had thought their meticulously crafted plans were flawless, yet it was evident now that they were merely cogs in a much larger, more sinister machine.
This was no mere conspiracy—it was a brazenly open scheme, one they could not escape.
Driven by fear of losing their status in the God Realm, they had unwittingly executed the designs of a higher power.
And now, as they stared at the figure beyond the passage, they realized that this higher power had arrived to claim the fruits of their labor.
Daniel stood still, his eyes fixed on the figure beyond the passage.
The gateway, constructed from the original essence of the world, was growing increasingly stable.
It was strong enough to allow even a being from the God Realm to descend.
Daniel waited patiently, observing the figure as it worked its way through the passage.
Finally, the shadowy presence began to solidify.
The oppressive aura emanating from the figure grew, pressing down even on those at a distance.
For the five onlookers, the suffocating pressure made even breathing a struggle.
Before long, the figure emerged fully, crossing through the passage and stepping onto the altar.
It was a man, radiating the unmistakable energy of the God Realm.
His mere presence exuded a dominating power, a natural suppression of all mortal beings.
This was the innate authority of an Upper Realm being over the creatures of the Mortal Realm.
The man’s gaze swept coldly over his surroundings before falling on the altar composed of the 5-Element Treasure.
His brow furrowed slightly, as though something was amiss.
Then, as if sensing another presence, his head snapped to the side.
To his astonishment, he found someone standing beside him—a figure who had eluded his senses until now.
This was impossible.
A mortal from this realm shouldn’t have been able to hide from him.
“Who are you?” the man demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.
For someone to escape his notice suggested a power that was nearly on par with his own—a concept that was both infuriating and alarming.
The man’s aura surged, crashing towards Daniel like a tidal wave.
Yet Daniel remained unmoved, standing like an unyielding mountain.
With a calm, steady voice, he replied:
“That’s the question I should be asking you.”
Daniel had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
The trap laid in the Sacred Time River had finally borne fruit, and now he was face-to-face with his quarry.
Realizing the danger, the man turned abruptly and attempted to flee back through the passage.
But Daniel, having waited so long for this encounter, had no intention of letting him escape.
With a simple motion of his hand, Daniel created an invisible barrier.
The man slammed into it, his momentum abruptly halted.
Staggering backward, he shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.
“You’ve come all this way, and now you want to leave? It won’t be that easy,” Daniel said with a smirk.
The man’s expression darkened. Snarling in frustration, he lunged at Daniel, throwing a punch imbued with the rules of the God Realm.
Daniel did not retaliate directly.
Instead, he conjured a mini-world, enclosing both himself and the man within it.
Within this space, the man’s punch landed squarely on Daniel’s chest.
The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, creating massive craters—but Daniel stood unharmed. Not even his clothing bore a scratch.
The man, stunned by this outcome, prepared to strike again.
But before he could, Daniel countered with a single palm strike.
The blow landed with devastating precision, sending the man to his knees.
His shoulder visibly caved in from the force.
The man looked up at Daniel, his face a mixture of pain, fear, and disbelief.
How could someone from the Mortal Realm possess such overwhelming power?
Before he could recover, Daniel struck him again. T
his time, the man collapsed completely, writhing on the ground in agony.
His once-imposing demeanor was gone, replaced by a grimace of desperation.
“Now,” Daniel said, his voice calm but commanding, “tell me—who are you?”
Through gritted teeth, the man replied, “I am… the Lord of 5 Elements.”
The man, a god-king of the God Realm, was a figure of immense power.
Many millennia ago, he had ascended to his status by mastering the rule of 5 Elements.
Upon becoming a god-king, he discovered a dying Mortal Realm within his domain.
As a god-king, he wielded considerable authority over the mortal worlds within his territory.
Rather than allowing the realm to wither away, he devised a plan to extract its remaining value.
The 5-Element Treasure he sent to this world was laden with hidden magic arrays, designed to harvest the Source of the World over time.
Anyone who discovered the treasures would inevitably study the rules contained within them, drawn by their power.
This would lead them to activate the hidden arrays, accelerating the world’s decline while empowering themselves.
Once the world was nearly drained of its Source, the treasures would automatically open a stable passage to the God Realm, allowing the god-king to descend and claim the remaining essence.
This practice, though unsanctioned, was common among god-kings. Mortal realms nearing extinction were seen as expendable resources, and draining them for personal gain was considered an acceptable, if covert, strategy.
However, the Lord of 5 Elements had not anticipated encountering someone like Daniel.
His plans, meticulously laid out over millennia, had been disrupted by this mortal—a mortal who now stood as his equal, if not his superior.
As the realization sank in, the god-king could only curse his misfortune.
Curiosity had brought him to this realm prematurely, and now he was trapped, facing a foe he could not overcome.