"Now, even though I've lost much of my power and all the abilities granted by my true body, I can clearly feel that my entire body has undergone a new transformation."
As soon as the transparent bat finished speaking, to prove itself, it attempted to mobilize the energy within its body, as though taking a deep breath while actually accumulating energy.
The next moment, it let out a soul-piercing wail!
A ripple of invisible waves spread out, accompanied by a high-pitched, almost unbearable sound, resonating throughout the entire space.
Rhett's pupils constricted sharply as he sensed the eerie nature of this power, which directly attacked the soul and consciousness!
Immediately, he looked at Manu, Tucker, and Rilai, all of whom were showing expressions of intense pain.
Rhett's expression shifted slightly, and with a wave of his hand, an invisible force dissipated the wail into nothingness.
Tucker and Rilai shook their heads, gradually feeling better, but when they looked at the transparent bat again, their gazes were filled with deep fear.
"Father, this ability is so strange. It felt like it was directly attacking my consciousness and mental strength."
Rilai frowned, recalling the sensation just now, and looked seriously at the transparent bat as he spoke.
"I felt it too, like needles stabbing into my soul. I've never experienced anything like it before!" Tucker added in agreement.
Manu nodded as well, "Hmm, I'm better off than they are; it wasn't as painful for me, but I could still feel the attack."
Hearing this, Rilai and Tucker looked at Manu with a trace of admiration in their eyes. The attack that caused them so much suffering didn't seem to have much of an effect on him.
Rilai pondered quietly in his heart, realizing that this Manu was likely not as simple as their father had made him out to be—just a steward of the homeland.
"So, this is your new ability? Do you have any other powers?" Rhett turned back to the transparent bat and asked calmly.
"This is the only power I have. I only became aware of it after the Blood Demon essence was extracted. Before that, I had no idea such a power existed within me." The transparent bat answered earnestly.
Rhett fell silent for a moment before asking, "Do you remember what the true form of the Blood Demon looks like?"
"I can't recall clearly..." The transparent bat shook its head, then looked at Rhett with pleading eyes and said hopefully, "Great Lord, you see, I now have no connection to the Blood Demon. Could you perhaps spare my life? From now on, I will follow your every command!"
Rhett raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of suggestion as he said, "What if, in the future, I need to confront the Blood Demon?"
"I would be the first to charge into battle and sound the horn of attack!" The transparent bat responded with impassioned fervor, as if filled with a newfound purpose, quickly making its stance clear.
Rhett smiled, "Very good. Remember what you said. Dealing with the Blood Demon will be the first step on your path to redemption!"
"I understand, Great Lord!" The transparent bat nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at grain.
"Do you see that elder over there? His name is Manu. From now on, he will be your direct superior. While I'm not around, you must follow his every order. Do you understand?" Rhett pointed to Manu and ordered the transparent bat.
"I understand, Great Lord," the transparent bat replied, then turned and bowed deeply to Manu from a distance, saying, "Master Manu, I look forward to your guidance in the future!"
Manu returned the gesture with a slight nod from a distance.
"Hmm..." Rhett was quite satisfied with the transparent bat's attitude. Whether its loyalty was genuine or an act, as long as it remained within this simulation space, it would never escape his grasp. Even if it was pretending, it would have to keep up the act forever!
"I'll give you a name. From now on, you will be called... Mingge!" Rhett declared, pointing at the transparent bat.
"Thank you for the name, my lord. From now on, I am Mingge!" Mingge responded respectfully. "Great Lord, since you require the derivative of that origin relic, I can take you there. Its aura is well hidden, even Saints would struggle to detect it. If you were to search for it on your own, it might take a lot of effort."
"No need. I'll go myself. You stay here forever," Rhett said, shaking his head. "Later, you'll accompany me to another place."
"At your command, Great Lord!"
Rhett turned to Manu, "This time, we'll continue to the beginning of creation. The discussion we had planned with the alchemist from ten thousand years ago will have to wait until next time."
"No problem, you are the master of the homeland."
"Creation at the beginning? Father, what do you mean by that?" Rilai asked, frowning, his face filled with confusion as he looked at Rhett.
Rhett smiled mysteriously, "Exactly what it sounds like. Don't worry, whatever happens next, just don't be surprised."
"Understood." Rilai nodded, then asked thoughtfully, "By the way, Father, has Taylors already gone with you?"
Rhett looked at Rilai in surprise, "That's right, clever boy. Taylors has indeed accompanied me twice."
"Huh? Father, you're playing favorites! Why did you only take Taylors and not me?" Tucker shouted, his mouth wide open.
"Quiet down, I'm bringing you along now, aren't I?" Rhett said, his face darkening. "Alright, stay quiet. Now… activate the traversal!"
As soon as Rhett spoke, everyone fell silent, and Tucker obediently closed his mouth.
Rhett activated the simulation with a thought.
[Please select the initial time of the simulation world.]
"Creation at the beginning."
[Please select the participating members.]
"Tucker and Rilai."
[Every simulated day in the world consumes 1 Destiny Point. Do you wish to begin immediately?]
"Yes!"
As the choice was confirmed, the simulation space began to spin rapidly.
Multicolored, twisted lights intertwined and fused at an accelerated pace, seemingly condensing into a new world!
The bizarre scene left Mingge with his jaw hanging open in shock. He had never imagined that the Great Lord's immense power could create a world in an instant.
"How powerful is this Lord, really?!!"
Mingge's heart was overwhelmed, like turbulent waves crashing. He couldn't comprehend what he was witnessing and silently gulped, now filled with boundless awe toward Rhett. He no longer dared harbor a single rebellious thought.
Suddenly, a faint pull came from the world forming in front of him, and Mingge's expression changed as he instinctively started to fly toward it.
"Don't move. You can't participate in the creation of the world. If you die in there, no one can save you!"
A voice called out from a short distance away.
Manu flew over to Mingge's side, examining the transparent form of his body. His eyes briefly flashed with curiosity, and he quickly offered a warning.
Mingge stopped himself just in time, turned around, and looked at Manu with admiration. After all, his special attack earlier had failed to harm Manu, proving he was a powerful figure.
Furthermore, Manu had been with the Great Lord much longer than he had. In terms of both experience and ability, Manu was far superior.
"Thank you for the reminder, Master Manu." Mingge lowered his head, his eyes darting as he respectfully asked, "What is the situation with the world ahead? Is it fully real?"
"Of course, you can feel it too, can't you?" Manu replied with a meaningful look. "Be patient and wait. When the time is right, you'll follow me inside."
"Understood!"
As the simulation world began to take shape, Rhett, as the master of the homeland, could still sense a slightly stronger aura. Everyone here was at the level of ordinary people.
However, Rhett's curiosity lay in the state of those who hadn't yet awakened. Based on his recent experiences in simulated worlds, Rhett knew that he could only possess the bodies of the deceased, the underlying logic being the absence of a soul.
As for these individuals from the beginning of creation, those who were awake seemed dazed, without self-awareness, while those still unconscious—whether dead or alive—remained uncertain...
Hmm?
Just as Rhett was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed that the aura he could possess didn't include the slumbering Level Three female knight he had found earlier.
In an instant, Rhett's curiosity about the secrets of the beginning of creation deepened.
Since the personnel involved had changed this time, he couldn't return to the previous simulation node. Instead, he had to start from the very beginning again. Rhett chose three figures whose bodies were closest to his own.
The next moment.
The scene around them sped up as if a movie were playing on fast-forward. Even Rhett couldn't discern the entire process clearly. It seemed as if a long time had passed, or maybe only a split second.
Eventually, the world around them solidified into a new form, enveloped in gray mist.
"Fa... Father, where have you taken me…?"
As Rhett surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, a gruff voice came from the mist nearby. Although the voice sounded strange, Rhett instinctively knew it had to be Tucker!
"Father, where is this place?"
Another voice, calmer this time, came from a lean, blonde youth who emerged from the gray mist, his expression somewhat uncomfortable, evidently not used to being exposed.
There was no doubt—this was Rilai.
"I'll explain everything later. First, come to my side, Tucker!" Rhett quickened his pace, calling out in the direction of the voice.
This time, his voice had changed slightly, but after his previous experience, he was able to quickly adapt.
Moments later, a young man with short golden hair, stark naked and barely covering himself, emerged from the gray mist. His expression was one of utter shock as he stared at a young man who looked only a few years older than him, exclaiming loudly: "Father? What happened to your appearance? Wait... I've changed too! Rilai, you have as well!"
Rilai responded awkwardly, "Father, what is happening? Can we find some clothes to wear first?"
"My dear child, I'm afraid that won't be possible. Have you forgotten what I said earlier about the time period we're in?"
"What time period… Creation at the beginning?!" Rilai mumbled subconsciously, then suddenly snapped to attention.
He had thought that his father was joking earlier. How could they possibly have traveled back to the beginning of creation? But now, it seemed that everything was real?!
"Shouldn't the beginning of creation be full of trees?" Tucker asked, his eyes wide in confusion.
"Why would it be full of trees?" Rhett asked, puzzled.
"Oh, Taylors told me that in the books he read, humans grew out of trees. What were they called again… Oh, right! The World Tree!" Tucker recalled, explaining confidently.
Rhett's mouth twitched as he slapped Tucker's shoulder heavily, saying in a serious tone, "Son, that must have been a story from a novel. You need to distinguish between fiction and reality…"
"Hmm? Taylors didn't say it was a story! If he tricked me, I'll definitely settle the score with him when we get back!" Tucker clenched his fists, fuming.
Rilai glanced around at the thick gray mist, feeling concerned, and asked, "Father, will there be danger here? I can sense that we all have ordinary bodies now. If something goes wrong, we won't have any means to resist!"
"Don't worry, my child. This is a simulation space derived from our homeland. If we encounter any danger, we can end it at any time." Rhett smiled and shook his head, comforting them.
"Really? That's great!" Tucker's eyes lit up, trusting his father completely. Even if it all sounded bizarre, he didn't hesitate to believe it.
Then, to fully reassure Tucker and Rilai, Rhett spent a moment explaining the nature of the homeland in simple terms, leaving the two of them astonished.
After processing the information, Rilai took a deep breath, his eyes shining as he asked, "Father, you must have brought us here with a specific purpose, right? What should we do next?"
Rhett looked around at the gray mist that filled the area and pondered aloud:
"First, try to operate your meditation technique and absorb the gray mist from the surroundings. I suspect this mist is a miraculous substance from the beginning of the world, highly beneficial to both the world and individuals."
Tucker glanced at the mist around them, blinking, and then looked at Rhett. "What about me, Father? I don't have a spiritual talent. Can I still participate?"
"Of course. In reality, 'talent' refers to reaching a certain standard, but in fact, everyone has a trace of it. Here, anyone can receive divine blessings through cultivation!" Rhett said, "Rilai, teach Tucker the meditation technique. I'll demonstrate first."
"Understood, Father!"
Rilai nodded, recalling the contents of the meditation technique, and began to carefully explain it to Tucker.
At the same time, both of them watched as Rhett sat down on the ground and started cultivating. As the meditation technique operated, thin strands of gray mist began to enter his body.
Their eyes widened in amazement. In their perception, the pressure emanating from their father was growing stronger by the second, and his spiritual power was skyrocketing as if propelled by a rocket.
Before long.
Rhett had finished cultivating, but once his spiritual power reached the peak of Level Three, it could no longer advance.
This bottleneck was completely different from the one in the real world. In reality, the obstacle, though formidable, could at least be chipped away over time to achieve a breakthrough.
But at this moment, Rhett felt as if his progress had come to a complete halt. His cultivation seemed to have reached a dead end, blocked by the world itself.