Death... and me

"Perhaps it's because I'm a mutated Minokawa that it didn't work on me," Kentucky hypothesized. "By the way, can we go now? We're thankful for the help you gave us, but we still have a lot to do in this Lost Star Realm."

The little girl obviously didn't like what just happened. However, she seemed to remember something before she gave up right after. "Very well. I shouldn't be stopping the rest of you from continuing your journey anyway. Since I can't tame you, then I have no interest. Your companions didn't try to stop me either, so that should count for something." The little girl turned around, preparing to leave.

However, Rean couldn't let that chance pass up, asking, "Sorry, senior. We're not very knowledgeable about this area. You said something about the Lost Star Selection, right? Would you mind explaining to us what it's about? As you can probably see, we aren't part of any of the top ten powers of the Lanqueas Continent."

The little girl looked back at Rean and narrowed her eyes in response. "Seems like I talked too much. Oh well, whatever. This could just be fate that brought us together." She then began to explain, "The Lost Star Selection is regarding a separate plane from where real immortals once lived... or so people believe."

"Real immortals?" Rean and Roan were confused to hear that. "We know that one's lifespan increases the higher one's cultivation realm becomes, but can one really become immortal?" Roan could be said to be immortal back when he was a Death Spirit. However, he wasn't considered a living being back then, so he knew that didn't count.

The girl shrugged her shoulders in response. "Who knows? At the very least, I've never seen one. People think it's related to real immortals because they don't know anyone capable of creating such a thing. But then again, this Lanqueas Continent is a very weak and far away place. What people can't do here, perhaps the people from the center of the Realm of Gods find it as easy as breathing. Just don't dwell on those words too much. Especially since no one found any remnants of real immortals or whatever lived in those ruins at the third level."

She continued, "Now then, about the Lost Star Selection. As I've mentioned before, it's a separate plane that can be found in this Lost Star Realm. Those who gain access to it will be able to stay there for one week. The place is known for having unlimited Divine Origin Energy, so everyone wants to enter that place."

Unlimited Divine Origin Energy! Naturally, Rean's group was astounded to hear that. Just a few hours inside the Divine Origin Energy was almost enough to jump an entire stage. With that in mind, how far could they cultivate if they had an unlimited supply of it for a whole week? Of course, Rean, Roan, Hurio, and Kentucky knew that once they entered the Elemental Transformation Realm, their cultivation speed would drop since it's a higher realm.

Nevertheless, they might be able to cultivate an entire realm with so much time. That alone was enough reason for those people from the top ten powers to monopolize it. At the very least, it was a much more efficient way to look for Divine Origin Energy than travel randomly everywhere in the Lost Star Realm. Finding those small patches of Divine Origin Energy was just too difficult.

"No wonder the top ten keep this secret hidden. They naturally don't want others to know."

The little girl nodded in response, saying, "However, there's a cultivation limit to enter that place. The Transition Realm is as far as that plane can hold. If anyone above that realm tries to enter, the plane won't be able to sustain their existences and will break apart in just a few minutes. That's why you won't see anyone with a very high realm contending for it. To make full use of that place, you need cultivation that could last seven days without surpassing the Transition Realm."

Roan immediately shook his head after that. "That's not entirely correct, right? If I'm not wrong, a lot of the top ten powers' disciples who came have the right cultivation to go all the way to the peak of the Transition Realm. After that, they would use the remaining time they have to break through into the Void Tempering Realm. As long as they voluntarily leave that plane in the next few minutes, it won't break apart. At the very least, I would do that."

"Smart," the little girl responded with a smile. "Indeed, you'll find quite a few cultivators in that threshold. After so many years, the top ten powers had already figured out that the best cultivation to have when you enter that plane is the Initial Stage of the Transition Realm. At most, they would be at the Middle Stage of the Transition Realm."

Lilia couldn't help but become nervous after that, asking, "Is it really okay to tell us that?"

The little girl shrugged her shoulders, replying, "I don't think you'll leave this place alive anyway, so who cares?" She also added, "But you don't need to worry. I won't say anything about you to the others, especially the hidden Dragon Wing Marks on your foreheads. I have to admit, that's a very good concealing ability. If not because my cultivation is so much higher than yours, I wouldn't notice it either."

Rean bitterly smiled after hearing that. Sure enough, his abilities had a limit at his cultivation level. "Senior is being too courteous. It's just some simple skill I learned in passing."

The little girl didn't mind Rean's words, waving her hands as she replied, "Well, I'm not here to pry into your secrets anyway. Although I can't intervene and believe you will die, I'll definitely pray that you pass the selection. That way, the Minokawa won't die. I truly wish to see it again. Hehe!"

Roan ignored that last part and asked, "How do we join this selection? Is it as we thought? Do we need all the marks from the three levels?"

The little girl nodded. "That's correct. You need to find the other dragon pools in the next two levels since any other beast pools won't work for you anymore. Once you gather all three marks... Well, let's keep that part a secret. I hope you enjoy it."

Rean's group didn't have the time to ask about her last words, though. "Alright, that's all I'll tell you. It isn't much, but it's better than being completely oblivious. Oh, right! One last piece of information. The Divine Origin Energy isn't the only thing you can get in that plane. Whether you can make use of this information or not is up to you." Right after saying those words, a breeze passed by, and the little girl soon disappeared.

Rean didn't give up, though. He immediately filled his throat with Divine Soul Power and shouted, "Senior, you haven't told us your name!"

Surprisingly, he got an answer through a Divine Sense message. 'How unpolite of me. You can call me Aelrie Holamenor. Perhaps we will meet again in the Realm of Gods.'

Rean then tried to ask a few more things, but he didn't receive an answer this time. In other words, Aelrie Holamenor was gone for real.