Cultivation Through Artifacts

Planet Gia, a small planet that was less than half the size of Ephus back in the First Realm and was part of the Cassiopeia Zone somewhere in the Algor Star System that one of the middle tier races ruled, known as the Fangs.

They were a hybrid race, creatures that represented crossbreds between serpents and lizardmen. Their lower bodies were strong and well-built, filled with bulging muscles together with a hard skin that was covered in small, but firm scales that allowed them to withstand powerful attacks from their enemies with their bare bodies alone! As for their heads, they looked exactly akin to a vipers' with a pair of sharp fangs, forked tongue, and serpentine-like vertical pupils that could make anyone shudder in sheer fear once seen them!

Their most feared and well-known trait, however, was not their looks and appearances, but their Blessing instead that could literally turn any of their attacks, even if it was through weapons or simple bare hand strikes, into lethal assaults which could end anyone's lives in mere minutes!

Their Toxic Blood possessed great poisonous characteristics which could solidify the blood, corrode the flesh together with the bones, or simply wrench the organs inside the body depending on the amount of toxin that entered the body!

But despite having such a horrifying Blessing and menacing look, Fangs were not a race that behaved similar to the Berserkers and liked to see chaos, but instead were rather benevolent creatures that liked helping others more than going into battles. As a fact, they were a neutral race that liked to avoid confrontations and only fought when there was no other option for them.

"Elder Rene, we are about to land on Planet Gia." a young man wearing a silver robe representing he was part of the Moon Sect appeared next to Elder Rene and Khal, his back straighter than a pole.

Elder Rene, who was silently cultivating opened his eyes, revealing a pair of silver eyes that flickered with a mysterious light for a split second before vanishing and looking at the young man on his side.

"Thank you, you can go back now."

The disciple clasped his hands and bowed respectfully without saying anything and walked away. As for Elder Rene, he turned his head to his other side and said calmly, "Elder Khal, although I suspect you have already heard it, but we will soon land on Planet Gia."

On a comfy-looking chair, which was capable of accommodating even two to three people easily, Khal nodded his head gently but still kept his eyes closed; it was obvious he wished not to halt his cultivation after hearing the news, which was somewhat understandable.

Once one finally reaches the Fourth Cultivation Stage, things will become slightly difficult as they have to turn their Essence into a part of their bodies that they can later use both internally and externally.

It was common sense in the First Realm that no matter what, one cannot separate their Essence from their bodies, much less control it outside their physique as it was akin to a source of energy like blood or lifeforce that replenished the individuals' body. Without Body Essence, none of the beings would be able to use Martial Techniques, Special Skills, and Abilities, or even ascend to the next Realm!

However, once one became a Limit Breaker, one must find a way to turn this unique source of energy that they before used only to keep their powers active during fights, to turn into something completely new, something that before it was not!

Such a process was not easy at all, and one needed several years or even decades before they could figure out the crux of such a difficult obstacle and break into the next Cultivation Stage!

'I can't wait to witness the moment when he becomes an Ascender. Will it take him a year or more?' Elder Rene pondered about such a question as he secretly examined Khal's figure from the corner of his eyes.

As time flowed in silence, the spaceship finally entered the orbit of Planet Gia and soon enough landed on a huge raised platform not far away from a city, known as Dragon Scale City.

"We are finally here!" opening his eyes and standing up to stretch his sore body parts, Khal looked over at Elder Rene and said, "Will you stay here until I come back or you will go back to the sect?"

Elder Rene showed no sign of standing up and even closed his eyes before saying calmly, "I will stay here. Although you have the Moon Token with you, the Sect Master ordered me personally to wait for your return and bring you back once you finished with your business."

Then he added quietly, "Well, not like you need my protection or whatever, but the order is still an order..."

Khal became silent for a while before he nodded and after saying his goodbye, he left the spaceship and using his Lightning Steps, he began to move toward the north, which was in the completely opposite direction to the Dragon Scale City.

[Are you sure you want to do it now? Once you enter the Zero Realm, you won't be able to leave it but through another entry point.]

"As I have said this before, I have already decided on this matter. Nothing will be able to change my mind, not even you." Khal said quietly but firmly and looked around him as he continued to, leaving behind nothing but bully afterimages and the sound of thunder.

"It should be somewhere here, right?" Khal murmured under his breath as he turned his head left and right, watching as the scenery around him continuously changed from vast yellow wastelands to scarlet forests into grey mountain ranges.

"Found it!" Khal's eyes suddenly lit up as he noticed a small leafless tree that had a shape of a cross with a small hole in the very center of its trunk in the far distance.

Pushing his feet against the ground that made his feet sink into the soil slightly, Khal vanished from his spot and reappeared before the tree in the very next second. 

After breaking into the Fourth Cultivation Stage, not only did his physical strength grow by leaps and bounds but even his stamina and speed too, hence with an already fast movement technique such as the Lightning Step, it was no wonder how he was capable of traveling hundreds of meters in a mere instant.

"So if I enter this hole, I will be teleported into the Zero Realm?" Khal narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the dark hole which was just huge enough for him to squeeze himself through, but after realizing there was no point in thinking too much he grabbed the two sides of the tree and climbed into the hole.