Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven

Chapter 687: Getting Out

Grey studied the inscription lines running through the barrier, tracing how they linked its many layers together. Whoever had built this array had sealed the surrounding space as well as the forest itself.

Forcing his way through would likely alert its owner, but he had no reason to cause that kind of trouble before finding the others.

“Do you know anything about this place, World Tree?”

“I don’t know much about this specific forest, but we are inside the Red Realm. This realm is connected to Zenith Heaven.”

“Oh.”

Grey relaxed a little after hearing that, since at least he had reached the realm Elder Tharos had spoken about. Finding everyone would have been far harder if the Dao of Space had sent him somewhere else entirely.

He returned his attention to the formation and found the inscription lines that handled repairs. By guiding a small amount of Axiom Power through them, he could briefly move a section of the barrier without breaking its other functions.

A narrow opening formed before him and revealed a dark cave on the other side.

“Let’s go.”

Grey stepped through with Fragment beside him, then withdrew his power once they were clear. The array repaired the gap behind them until only a rough stone wall remained.

“Interesting.”

Grey took note of the location before heading deeper into the cave. The forest could wait until he had found Alissa and the others.

Grey followed the passage until it opened into a large chamber, where something scraped against the stone ahead. A huge worm lay across the far exit and raised its head as he approached.

Dark plates covered its thick body, and several rows of teeth lined its round mouth. Judging from the pressure spreading through the chamber, it had reached the peak of the 13th Rank.

“This place even had a guard.” Grey muttered.

The worm lunged before Fragment could reply, pressing its World Force down on the space around him. Cracks spread beneath Grey’s feet as its open jaws rushed toward his head.

Grey raised a hand and formed a barrier of luminous cubes, stopping its teeth just above him. The impact shook the chamber and pushed his boots a short distance across the stone.

He raised an eyebrow as the worm pressed harder, pouring more World Force against his defense. Instead of meeting that force head-on, Grey spread his Axiom Power through the point of contact.

The cubes slipped between its teeth and broke apart the World Force gathered around its mouth. The sudden loss of pressure threw the worm forward, bringing its head within his reach.

Grey struck beneath its jaw and drove it into the ground.

Bang! Boom! Boom!

The worm tried to curl around him, but he pressed his palm down before it could complete the movement. Axiom Power pinned its front half against the floor while its tail lashed across the chamber.

“Stop that before you bring the roof down.”

Grey increased the pressure until the creature stopped struggling, then examined the force gathered beneath its plates. He had handled it without much trouble, yet his latest growth had still failed to give him the difference he had expected.

“Huh, my power still hasn’t gone past the threshold of the 13th Rank.”

Even after reaching the peak of the World Opening Realm, his strength had only moved closer to the next rank. The gap had shrunk without letting him cross it.

Just how large was the difference between the 13th and 14th Ranks?

Grey frowned as he considered it, since he still lacked a proper understanding of the 13th Rank itself. Until he learned more about these realms, having enough energy to advance would not solve everything.

The worm shifted beneath his hand and drew his attention back to the chamber. Its body had been resting directly across the only route toward the sealed forest.

“This thing must have been stationed here to keep people away.”

“It wasn’t very good at its job.” Fragment replied.

Grey chuckled and walked around the creature, keeping it pinned until he reached the passage beyond. Once he released his power, the worm lifted its head but made no attempt to follow.

At least it had learned something.

The passage climbed through the mountain and soon widened enough for several worms to move side by side. Grey walked past thick stone pillars and deep cracks in the floor, but every bend only revealed more tunnel.

After another long stretch, he looked toward the distant roof.

“This cave entrance is way too big.”

“You could have flown from the start.”

Grey glanced at Fragment before gathering Axiom Power beneath his feet. He rose into the air and flew up the passage, following its bends while the stone walls rushed past.

It still took some time before light appeared ahead.

“Finally.”

Grey slowed near the opening and landed on a broad ledge, where a strong wind blew across the mountainside. The land below stretched far beyond what he could see from inside the forest.

Huge trees covered the lower slopes, and rivers curved between hills that would have dwarfed mountains in the Mortal Realm. Farther away, one river climbed a cliff and continued through the sky without spilling a drop.

A flock of blue birds passed beneath the ledge, each large enough to carry a house on its back. Their wingbeats stirred the clouds below and briefly revealed a much larger beast moving within them.

Grey watched a curved horn disappear into the cloud cover.

Even the creatures passing through this place carried enough power to make him pay attention.

Everything was so big he genuinely wondered the true scale of this world.

His gaze moved across the land until he noticed a city beyond the forest. It might look close but it was genuinely a gigantic city, he couldn’t see where it ended. He leaned forward slightly as another part of it came into view above the clouds.

“Now this is a strange sight.”