Chapter 30: The Blue Sky

The passageway stretched to a distance of couple kilometers. It was dark, completely void from Sun Stones.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Supreme Ruler Ariel lead and Zax followed, both extending their Soul Sense and Sublime Soul Sense to perceive their surrounding since there were many twists. Of course, Zax could rely on his excellent vision to see the way, but he was quite fascinated in this one of a kind passageway and wondered if there were interesting stuff in it; such as special stones like Earth’s Cores or Sun Stones, or perhaps, due to their close proximity to Ercas Mir, small Deformed Beings who lived in the passageway. Regrettably, Zax found nothing peculiar in the passageway except from the world on its other side.

After a several minutes run, white rays of light were finally visible along with sounds of birds and insects.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

“This ... View...”

At the instant Zax followed after Supreme Ruler Ariel out of the passageway, as his eyes met the scenery that was waiting for them, an indescribable sense of awe had took over him.

Most abundant was the color green. Lush and bright, a vivid shade that doubtfully exists below the ground, and yet here can virtually be seen at every turn of the head.

The vegetation was breathtaking, and most outstanding were the heavenly wide and tall trees!

Unknowingly panting, from his eye level view, Zax slowly began to gouge the size of the trees up ahead as he raised his head.

Ten, twenty, thirty meters ... and they kept going up.

Seventy, eighty ... one hundred ... one hundred and fifty ... almost three hundred meters tall!

And wide? It would take fifty or so men with arms stretched to the side to embrace the trunk from its base.

“Eh?!” Zax uttered and a wisp of wonder escaped from his voice.

Up above, where he remembered the bright, earthy ceiling usually is, in between the swaying foliage of the top branches, a patch of blue was flickering like a bulb going on and off.

WHOOSH!

Zax sprang from the ground, too engaged with the spectacle his gaze captured to care about the stern look on Supreme Ruler Ariel’s face or the deadly silence that befall the surrounding giants’ forest the instant they appeared out of the passageway.

“Leave him be”. Supreme Ruler Ariel said in a low voice. “He will come down soon”.

There was no response to Supreme Ruler Ariel’s request more than command. However, the woods remained soundless and for him it was enough to not worry and avert his attention to the ascending Zax.

RATTLE!

RATTLE!

RATTLE!

Zax climbed swiftly, with each tap of foot on a branch brining sound back to the forest, until at last, his figure breached the crown of the tree.

Hovering in midair, though it was for only several breaths, it felt like time stood still.

“Blue ... Sky...”

Zax watched in combination of amazement, reverence and a trace of terror. Only couple of hours ago it was a sight solely visible through the wonderland behind a Screen, and even then, in comparison to the genuine view that encompassed everything at this very moment, it was eons away from experiencing the real deal!

Vast. Endless. No walls, no tunnels, no ceiling. Holding a promise to something even beyond, while stating one’s insignificant. These were ... These are the blue sky!

‘Air’. The thought emerged in Zax’s mind.

As a cultivator, moreover a bodily cultivator, he could hold his breath for much, much longer than this passing few seconds. But the thrill ... it emptied all the oxygen from his body, as if the first breath belonged to the world above ground and was taken from what little air he contained, before his turn to take from the world.

With full lungs, the descent began and the moment was commemorated forever in Zax’s sea of consciousness.

Returning to the ground, Zax landed in front of Supreme Ruler Ariel.

“Are they members of the five powers?” Zax asked. His tone of voice was nonchalant but his eyes still possessed the shine of the experience.

Nodding, Supreme Ruler Ariel turned to the surrounding forest. “He is a citizen of my Kingdom Earth. His level of cultivation abides the rules of the respectable five powers. As Lieutenant General of the Blessed Army I permit him a pass to venture freely in Ercas Mir. Who cares to take testimony?”

“I”.

“I do”.

“For the Violet Scaled Troops I will”.

“The Blue Sea also wants to confirm”.

Four voices, five flashes moved in union.

As the five figures came before him and Supreme Ruler Ariel, Zax squinted as he seized their appearances. At the same time, he could also feel five Soul Senses scrutinizing his three aspects, which made him frown and use his own Soul Sense to obstruct them. With regards to the vice powers’ rules, Zax met them all and had Supreme Ruler Ariel to vouch for him. He did not need any of the five to learn about the bizarre state of his Qi channels or exceptionally high body fitness level.

Three humans, two humanoid beasts.

Of the humans, one was a tall, taller than Zax, and husky middle age man. He wore a white tank top with a “Golden Desert Fort” badge and military pants in desert colors.

Of the women, the first to arrive wore a sliver robe and on her ample chest carried a metal plate embedded with the words “Luminous Church”. The torso of the second woman was shielded by a piece of glowing armor and skinny black pants with golden strings. To her back she wore a short, black mantle that reflected light. She appeared younger than the first woman and as the last human among the group of five, Zax assumed that she is from the Blessed Army like Supreme Ruler Ariel – also, she was the only one who had yet to voice her thoughts and when she saw Supreme Ruler Ariel she gave him a subtle salute.

The two humanoid beasts were clothes less, similarly to the habit of beasts in Valgarel who tend to cover themselves only in human form.

One of the humanoid beasts was a tall male, taller even than the Golden Desert Fort guy, with blue and green scales and overall aquatic look never before seen anywhere in New Earth. Zax suspected that he was a member of the Blue Sea. The other humanoid beast was around the same height as Supreme Ruler Ariel, and was brawny more than anyone of the people and beasts present. He seemed to be from the ape family, his body was covered by emerald fur and in the middle of his chest four shimmering violet scales were exhibited, his insignia. He was clearly from the Violet Scaled Troops.

“Ariel, just a short while ago your Kingdom Earth had delivered a batch of new recruits to the Golden Desert Fort, Blessed Army, Luminous Church. And there is already a group of first realm fingerlings touring Selivereb. It is too late and too early for you to bring him now. Send him back and have him join a new first realm group in two to three decades”. The speaker was the aquatic humanoid beast. He seemed to be irritated over the obstruction Zax posed to his Soul Sense and did not mind to have his voice sounding as if berating Supreme Ruler Ariel.