The Counterbalance Realm’s immensity was not something a human cultivator could comprehend. Being limited to just three days, most cultivators didn’t dare to venture far away from the return portal. They had many plans, but dying in such a place was not one of them.

The return portal was located in the middle of a large open area. It was a replica of the same portal that had brought everyone here, with an always-active dimensional tunnel linking the realm back with the outside world.

They could indeed choose to return to the Divine Vajra Continent at any time, but then it would be impossible for them to re-enter the realm. Also, if they had to leave after a couple of hours, their respective elders would definitely rock the earth with their furies. Thus, nobody considered such an option for the time being.

With the portal being the only exit from the realm, some cultivators naturally started gathering in its immediate perimeter. They all seemed to be keeping a safe distance from each other, and there were no signs of conflicts, at least for the time being.

The Desert Tribe group was also present, and it was actually the only group where everyone was gathered.

Chief Iron Hand’s leading disciple was sitting on a flattened cultivator. Strangely enough, the cultivator resting under him also belonged to the Desert Tribes.

“Tell me All, who’s the big boss around here?”

“It’s you, Young Chief! We should always follow the orders of our big boss without questions!” The beaten cultivator replied, body trembling.

“And what did this big boss say before we entered this realm?”

“That we should all gather by the portal in one hour.” The almost crying cultivator replied again.

“Then why weren’t you here before the one hour mark passed? Why we suckers had to wait an additional thirty minutes? Oh, because our little boy was summoned far away? Tell me another one! Someone unreliable as you doesn’t deserve to be part of our group!”

Nobody dared to interrupt the Young Chief as they let him fume to his heart’s content. It was only after he seemed to calm down that Li Bai, the same cultivator that had intruded inside the Divinities Alliance’s dwelling, butted in. He also happened to be the only person who was allowed to call the Young Chief by his real name.

“Wang Guo, serves this dumb idiot right for ignoring your instructions. I am sure he has learned his mistake by now, let’s give him another chance.”

Wang Guo didn’t seem amused as he rose. With a powerful kick, he sent the poor soul flying away.

“Listen well you f*ckers… I’m only giving you two days. By then, I want the heads of every Divinities Alliance cultivator delivered to me. And the moment you locate that ponytailed bitch, immediately use the talisman to summon me. Weaklings like you can never beat her.”

No one dared to object to his command. In the meantime, the beaten cultivator was trying to stand up, holding his chest in pain. As for Li Bai, he appeared worried.

“Wang Guo, we will try our best. But it seems that these Divinities Alliance cultivators are as good as hiding as cockroaches. Finding them may be a bit harder—”

Wang Guo eyes instantly flashed red as metallic spikes erupted over his arms. His appearance resembled a demon god; an unstoppable killing machine. “Failure… is not, an option… leave, all of you, leave! Before I lose my temper!”

This was the command the four cultivators were eagerly awaiting. They immediately hurried away with top speed, their faces expressing signs of temporary relief.

***

Jack strolled carefully along the middle of the tunnel, almost slipping a couple of times as he stepped on the ancient tiles. His eyes glanced thoroughly at the spatial distortions on both of his sides.

Wanting to verify something, he took out a needless book from his dimensional pocket, throwing it inside one of these walls. The book was instantly ripped to shreds.

Jack swallowed a gulp of saliva. Lowering his head frowning, he moved ahead in the hope of finding the tunnel’s exit. However, this only happened thirty minutes later.

Once outside, the scene that welcomed him left his mouth wide open, his eyes unwilling to trust what they were viewing. He remained to stare dumbfounded, his hair waving along with the rhythms of warm currents that originated from this new world.

“Is… this… paradise?” Jack found himself inside a sea of colours. Uncontrollable emotions were surging inside his heart. He wanted to forget all preoccupations, to go ahead on an endless adventure and recklessly explore this fascinating world.

He really wished to take a step forward, but it seemed impossible for him to do so without crushing a beautiful herb. Amongst the small hills and various flatlands, there wasn’t a place where a rainbow-coloured camellia wasn’t growing. And there wasn’t one, not a hundred, not a thousand, but probably over a million of this herb growing inside this place.

“I’ve been waiting for you, little one.”

This sudden voice startled Jack as he glanced over a nearby shadow.

A woman laid elegantly over a human-sized bench, the bench decorated with the most beautiful marble. Her curly hair dropped below her chest, her skin looking as smooth as the finest soaps. A large wooden wheel floated before her, glittering with mysterious lights.

Jack gazed at this unknown woman, pressing onwards without relaxing his focus.

“The Wheel of Life, infinite promises, infinite karma. Like a circle, which has no beginning, and no end, so are the threads of our destinies. Us meeting again today was decided by the Wheel of Life the day you were born.”

Her adorable eyes never left Jack for a moment as she assumed a sitting position, placing the wooden wheel on the bench behind her.

“Aren’t you curious? Have you never questioned your origins? Don’t you wish to know… who your mother is?”

Her smile widened, her watery eyes slowly releasing a stream of tears.

Jack froze in his steps. His hands were trembling. “W-who are you?”

The woman exhaled a breath of sorrow. “Back then… we were left with no other choice… we were forced to you leave behind in that mortal realm. It was predicted by fate that we had to separate. There was nothing we could do. But karma would not allow it. No, karma is just, karma is compassionate. We were destined to meet again, my child.”

Jack appeared startled, moving two steps forward and one backwards. Tears couldn’t stop leaking from his eyes.

“Mother? You’re my mother?!”

She nodded, her mouth trembling, her lips curving upwards.

“I know you have a lot of questions. I can’t believe what a fine man my little baby has become. You definitely belong to your father, there is no doubt.” She chuckled sweetly. “Come, my son, I don’t deserve you, but allow this old woman to hug you again after all this time.”

Her arms were wide open as Jack rushed ahead full of joy. He jumped towards her like a little kid looking for his mother’s support and warmth.

Coming close to her, he forcefully buried his dagger between her chests.

He barely managed to dodge her retaliating attack, retreating in reverse away from her.

“You…. why…”

She fell on her knees, expelling out black blood. Both of her hands were over the dagger stuck in her body, trying hard to pull it out.

Jack wore a faint smile. “I’ve to admit you’re very good at acting. But unluckily for you, my acting skills are quite awesome as well.”

The woman was heavily panting on the ground, her life fading away with every passing breath. “How… did you…”

Jack couldn’t hold his laughter anymore. “Do I look like some random idiot to you? My never-before-seen mother suddenly appearing inside a realm that is in the inside of another realm. What sense does that make?”

He began walking towards the dying woman. “I don’t know how you managed to read my desires, but you terribly suck with herbs. A rainbow-coloured camellia cannot grow within a distance of one metre from another camellia. Otherwise, the two herbs would suck each other’s energies, and both would die.

“Now, speak up. Who are you? What are your intentions?”

The woman kept coughing up black blood. Soon, the entire world began degenerating away. When the illusion faded, a large circular hall was revealed.

A black humanoid creature was whirling in the middle. Stuck inside it was the dagger.

“I am one… of the three aspects left behind… to guard… heavenly scripture... only the one… who manage to pass the… trials… is—”

Without any life-force left, the strange existence’s body began slowly disintegrating into fine dust. A door immediately materialised on the other side of the hall, clearing a path for the second trial.

Jack sighed as he recovered his dagger. The words ‘heavenly scripture’ had already made his blood boil with excitement. This was a subject that fascinated him and was also one of the topics he researched the most during his time on the Ark.

A cultivator’s life was focused on harvesting qi. Then there were the essences, a power one could steal from the heavens for his own use.

A Heavenly Scripture involved a process of deep comprehension. A cultivator would first need to gain enlightenment from the heavens about a particular mystery. A copy of this mystery is then forged into one’s soul, forming the scroll of enlightenment. This scroll would then remain sealed into one’s soul, disintegrating only after the person dies. However, the scrolls of Spirit Realm Cultivators and above remained intact even after their deaths. The physical forms of these scrolls were collectively known as Heavenly Scriptures.

In general, if a person cast a martial art without holding a scroll, then it means that he is using his own personal martial art, originating from the scroll of enlightenment resting inside his soul. If a cultivator is instead holding a physical scroll, then he is using a heavenly scripture of a fallen cultivator. In this case, the total power released would depend on the user’s comprehensive ability and the level of cultivation.

The scroll of enlightenment was different for every cultivator. Some scrolls only had the capacity of three martial arts, while others could hold more. The number of arts correlated with the bloodline’s potential of a cultivator. Regardless of this, the maximum number of arts was set to seven, a limit dictated by the heavens. However, some legendary existences had indeed surpassed this limit. These very rare arts were called taboo or forbidden arts and were in direct defiance against the heavens.

Jack still had no idea how he should even start forging his own scroll. Thus, the opportunity for him to inherit a Heavenly Scripture was like finding the most significant treasure.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he decided to start the 2nd trial immediately.

As soon as he stepped inside the second hall, a voice greeted him.

“Congratulations on passing the trial of desires, and welcome to the trial of endurance. This trial is simple; survive against my finger for three hours. Remember well that you will fail the trial if your body doesn’t show any movement for ten consecutive breaths. This will result in your expulsion from this place. You will not be allowed to return again after you fail.

“Please wait while the difficulty of this trial is adjusted according to your cultivation’s level.”

Jack nodded as he brandished his dagger, still stained with blood. Fighting against a finger didn’t seem a hard test, and his face was full of determination.

“I’m ready, bring it on!”