The next events felt like a blur to Noah, with his mind continuing to have clashing thoughts of how to move in the near future as he was led by the boisterous Elder Spacewarp back into the Interstellar Ship as it began its journey back to the World of Cultivation.
The Elder took his state as that of shock and surprise as he conversed with the other Elders and Crixus’s father on the events that just occurred, causing the entire upper echelons of Elders that came on this trip to tremble with enthusiasm. This was especially so for Elder Baldwin, who had tears falling across his face as he grasped his apparently shaken son and celebrated with him.
In the cl.u.s.ter of stars they were in, in this Light Expanse, receiving the favor of the Celestials guaranteed safety and wealth for hundreds of years. The many Prime Worlds similar to the World of Cultivation knew this, and that was why they actively participated in the activities called upon by the Celestials like the Infernal Hunt in order to remain in good standing.
Having a disciple of their Profound Astral Sect be taken into the ranks of the Celestials was the greatest blessing that an organization of any Prime World could receive.
A celebratory mood was in the air as the Interstellar Ship traversed through the void of space and headed back to the World of Cultivation, the Elders and Disciples fully focused on the results of the Infernal Hunt and how their name would be spread across the Prime Worlds.
Very few were thinking of the fact that along with the brilliant Athena that had left with the mysterious old man, there were four other beings that came in her group. Yet when the events concluded, these four beings were gone and seemed all but forgotten by those who saw them before. Their appearance came and went, not leaving behind anything of distinction as they were quickly forgotten.
The Interstellar Ship traversed through the skies for a few hours, and sure enough they could see the glimmering star that represented the World of Cultivation soon after. The Ship tore through the stratosphere and descended down towards the Stellar Sky Mountains of the Profound Astral sect as a grand procession was already waiting for them.
Elder Spacewarp had sent word to the sect master a long time ago about the momentous event that occurred with the Celestial Grandmaster, causing the secretive Leader of the Profound Astral Sect to leave his abode as he stood at the forefront of a few Elders to receive the returning champions.
“OOOOH!”
Resonant cries resounded as the Shining Son, William, returned with the Wastrel that could never be called that name again as he had shown his true genius during this trip and returned as a Core Disciple that they could only look up to.
“Crixus! Crixus!…Crixus!”
Chantings rang throughout the main peak of the Profound Astral Sect as a huge celebration that would go on for days began the moment the Interstellar Warship landed. The main attraction for the celebration was the Core Disciple that ranked in the top 10 of the recently finished Infernal Hunt, as well as the Shining Son, William, that continued to perform exceptionally well over all these years.
The celebration had begun and would continue for days, but the main culprit for it was in a completely different location the moment they arrived back to the main peak of the Profound Astral Sect.
Elder Spacewarp led Noah away from the initiated celebration as he followed the turning Sect Master who had acknowledged the returning disciples and went towards a location deep in the mountain peak along with other Elders.
There were many secretive and important things to discuss, and they could not be pushed back to waste time celebrating!
Elder Baldwin joined his son as he went along with Elder Spacewarp into an ancient door situated on the side of the main peak where the Sect Leader and other Elders were going into.
They were going into the Ancestral Hall of the Profound Astral Sect where the Sect Leader and other important Elders normally resided, but this Ancestral Hall also had another meaning. It was known that the most important treasures and techniques of the sect were placed in this Ancestral Hall, and if one ever saw a disciple invited to enter, it was because they were receiving a great treasure or technique from the sect!
Yet Noah was being led by an entire procession of Elders and the Sect Leader himself as he passed through the ancient door and felt it close behind him, his gaze turning to the bright Ancestral Hall where multiple exquisitely erected pillars divided the area into multiple sections.
Some areas led to huge libraries, others led to areas glowing with resplendent weaponries, others to living quarters for the upper echelons of the Profound Astral Sect that held Spirit Lakes vibrant in essence and mana that made the entire area feel like a paradise filled with knowledge and treasures.
Noah turned his attention to the Sect Master of the Profound Astral Sect, who along with all the other Elders letting out powerful auras at the Void Rank, with very few letting out auras as the Saint Rank similar to Elder Baldwin, glanced towards him.
The Sect Master was a middle-aged man that did not seem to be more than a man in his 40s, his eyebrows sharp as an unstable fiendish purple aura danced all around his body.
This unstable purple aura signified that this man was halfway through to a breakthrough of the rank above the Void Firmament Realm, and was on his way to the Soul Forging Realm!
Cultivators called it the Soul Forging Realm, while Noah would only come to know this level as the Soul Rank in the simplified levels given by his home planet’s Planetary System.
A being breaking through the crucial Void Rank stage and going past it was extremely rare, and that was why even this Sect Leader of one of the three most powerful organizations in a Prime World such as the World of Cultivation was only halfway through breaking the limits of the Void Rank and Entering the Soul Rank.
The Soul Forging Realm was a level where the being would stop focusing on the physical aspect of their strength, and begin working on the very tight rope of strengthening their very souls. It was a dangerous realm where those that were too proficient could cripple themselves or be left with dangerous wounds in their origins that would take a tremendous amount of time to heal.
Noah watched as this being halfway through into the Soul Rank spoke.
“You performed extremely well in this Infernal Hunt, and even grabbed the attention of the Celestials that have invited you to join their ranks.”
The Sect Leader motioned with his hands as an Elder came from behind carrying a pristine looking book and a shining storage ring atop a silver square plate.
“Your rewards are plentiful, and you would normally receive them after the celebrations have finished. But you hold an entirely different identity now, and your time has to be spent wisely as you prepare to head off to the Celestial Star.”
The Sect Leader that held a serious expression this entire time revealed a slight smile as this Elder carrying the tray came forward and brought it up to Noah, his voice resounding in the Ancestral Hall once more.
“The ring holds an abundant amount of Medicinal Herbs and Spirit Stones that will be useful as you consolidate your power at the Saint Realm, and this…”
He pointed to the pristine-looking book lying beside the ring on the silver tray.
“…is a copy of the Absolute Space Technique of our Profound Astral Sect for you to take and study. This is the technique found by our ancestor thousands of years ago during his perilous journey in the Letalis Expanse, the technique called the <<Astral Connector>>.”
…!
