Apotheosis

Zen's eyes filled with confusion, his gaze switching from the star rings to the non-human creatures stationed there.

The origin of the star ring was unknown to him. All he knew was that it served as a key item for a warrior's ascension to the upper stages.

According to what he had observed, one star ring was shared among all creatures of a particular race.

For instance, despite the existence of a large number of star rings in Stage One, the human race could only rely on one to ascend to the next stage.

This was the case for all the following stages. All the humans used the same rings to ascend.

All races had their own star rings, and the star ring that belonged to the human race would normally be surrounded by humans while those that belonged to the non-human races would likewise be surrounded by non-human creatures.

However, the scene in front of him right now was entirely different from what he initially thought.

For one, there were countless star rings piled high before him, and two, he was being ordered around by these non-human creatures as if they owned the place!

Dorothy pulled his sleeve and whispered to him. "Just do as they say."

She knew significantly more about the Other Shore so Zen chose to follow her advice, albeit with a noticeable frown on his face.

He returned his gaze onto the star rings. They had been arranged in an orderly fashion. Meanwhile, hundreds of Souls of Light gathered nearby and were lining up in two, neat queues.

"The road on your left will lead you towards the upper stage while the one on your right will lead you to the temples. Choose one and line up!" a tall, non-human creature announced in a loud voice.

A collection of various creatures immediately followed: small Ear Mice, giant beasts, and others, all lined up to form orderly queues.

"What's going on?" Zen asked Dorothy in a low voice after they joined a long line. This Stage Eleven feels different from the previous stages."

"It's because the Ancestral Glory Stage is controlled by the Separate Abyss race," she explained.

The Separate Abyss race was considered one of the strongest powerhouses in the Source World. Superior in terms of both soul and strength levels, they proved to be a force that the human race found difficulty in contending with.

Zen's eyes widened in shock upon hearing this piece of information. "A race can control an entire stage?"

"This is a special case. The Separate Abyss race is closely related to a race on the Other Shore so they got a bit of help from them in taking over this stage. Any super force that comes here would have to follow their rules," Dorothy told him.

"What are the rules?" Zen asked.

"Well, anyone who wants to pass through this Ancestral Glory Stage and reach Stage Twelve has to pay ten thousand soul

s at this time that Zen decided to step out of his spot in line. He went towards her and nodded to the Separate Abyss guard up front. "It's only two thousand soul pills. I'll pay for her."

His words shocked the human girl. She couldn't believe some stranger would be kind enough to help her out of this hopeless situation. It was a miracle! "Thank you! When I reach Stage Twelve, I promise I'll pay you back!"

Zen, however, shook his head. "No need."

He took out two thousand soul pills from his space ring and was about to give them to the guard. However, the guard merely laughed at Zen. "Boy, if you really want to help her then it'll cost you more than two thousand!"

Zen frowned. "How much would it cost?"

"One hundred thousand soul pills!" the guard declared.

Zen's face immediately darkened. These Separate Abyss members were truly determined to rip him off.

True, he had managed to acquire a lot of soul crystal from the Bearing race which made him very rich. A finger-size chunk of soul crystal could be sold for a massive amount of soul pills and a mere one hundred thousand wasn't going to cause a dent in his fortune.

What he didn't like though, was how thick-skinned the Separate Abyss race were in their dealings.

"Isn't it that everyone only has to pay ten thousand soul pills?" Zen asked in a clipped tone.

"Haha!" the guard laughed, clearly mocking Zen. "This is our place and you have to give whatever amount we ask! You want to stand up for your fellow human, then I say that both of you now have to pay one hundred thousand soul pills!"

The bystanders waiting in line could only shake their heads. This was the exact reason why nobody was willing to help the human girl earlier. Dealing with the domineering Separate Abyss race was incredibly complicated and could end up biting them in the ass if they ever so much as offended them.