Neo POV

Whenever Neo felt bored, he checked on the grim reapers.

It had become a habit over the years.

After finally reuniting with their King, the grim reapers were emotional in their own way. They were not expressive beings, but their actions made it clear enough.

They followed Hades everywhere he went.

Hades tolerated it at first. He understood their feelings, and he knew how long they had waited for this reunion.

Still, even patience had limits.

"Didn't I already give the order?" Hades said one day, stopping in his tracks and turning around. "Nothing has changed since the last time you asked."

The grim reaper in front of him bowed deeply. "We only wished to confirm, my King."

"You confirmed it already," Hades replied, rubbing his temple. "Go. Do your work."

They obeyed immediately, but not even ten minutes passed before another group appeared with questions of their own. From a distance, Neo watched the scene unfold and chuckled. Their loyalty was genuine, but it was exhausting to deal with.

Bael, however, had never been known for patience.

After giving an earful to Hades for several years for leaving him with the tedious task of protecting Neo—which he did a spectacularly bad job at (according to Neo)—and Earth, Bael announced his retirement.

"I'm done. I've worked enough for several lifetimes."

No one tried to stop him.

He moved to a sunny beachside world inside Neo's Cosmos, a place filled with calm seas and warm light, and spent his days resting.

He lay around, drank strange colorful beverages, and did nothing productive at all.

That lasted for a few weeks.

Then Bael got bored.

His solution to boredom was predictable for him, horrible for others.

Bael began searching for the Deathbounds—the former Grim Reapers, the original eighty-one commanders who had followed Hades in ancient times.

Most of them were in deep slumber, resting within layers of death so dense that waking up felt pointless.

Bael woke them anyway.

Some were persuaded.

Most were half-forced.

Soon, various worlds within Neo's Cosmos became host to loud gatherings. The Deathbounds complained constantly, but Bael ignored them, and took them to part with him.

Despite their complaints, the Deathbounds eventually joined in. Times continued like this, chaotic but strangely lively.

Neo spent those years observing his Cosmos.

He did not interfere unless necessary, but he kept track of how things were progressing.

People adapted. Worlds developed. Some areas thrived faster than others.

After everyone had been allowed to leave the Cosmos and return to the outside world, only Percival remained inside.

This was unavoidable.

Percival's existence had been born from the eyes Apollyon had lost. Because of that connection, Apollyon could use him as a point of reference. If Percival left the Cosmos, there was a chance Apollyon could locate him, and through him, locate the Sect.

That risk was unacceptable.

Percival understood the situation, even if he disliked it.

It took several weeks, but Heavenly Record eventually succeeded.

They created a golem manipulation technique that allowed Percival to act indirectly.

Through this method, Percival could create a golem outside Neo's Cosmos and control it from within, as long as Neo granted permission.

When it worked for the first time, Percival could not hide his relief.

Thanks to this, Percival was able to stay connected with everyone, even if he could not leave personally.

Neo also made time to meet Gaia, Nyx, Athena, and Chronos whenever possible.

Sometimes they spoke at length.

Other times, they simply existed in the same space, watching time pass without meaning.

Not everything progressed peacefully.

Arthur was a constant concern.

He was obsessed with leaving the Sect to meet Zeus and fight him. He spoke of it as if it were an obligation rather than a choice.

"I can't stay here forever. You know what he's done," Arthur said one day.

"I do," Neo replied calmly. "That doesn't change the consequences."

"If Apollyon finds me, then so be it."

"That won't only affect you. It affects all of us," Neo said.

Arthur fell silent but remained tense.

It was only after Chronos, his grandfather, spoke with him privately that he calmed down.

Whatever Chronos said, it worked.

Henry, on the other hand, was busy in a very different way.

He created a company.

At first, it sounded absurd.

A company where he distributed his rights as the Overseer of a portion of the Cosmos.

However, Henry took it seriously.

He used the company to manage his Sector within the Cosmos, delegating tasks instead of doing everything himself.

"It's more efficient," Henry said flatly.

He had pulled every talented person to his company, including Leonora (Vivi cried in her arms and then gave her an earful since she had not come to find her), much to her dismay.

The results were immediate. Henry's Sector began outperforming the others.

Velkaria arrived later.

She believed Henry would forever hate her, but she still wanted to apologize for everything she had done.

"Apology accepted. Now get out of my office. I'm busy."

She froze for a moment before laughing in disbelief.

Henry continued working, and his Sector only improved further.

Tyrant Firmament did not take this well.

Unable to tolerate Henry being better than her (perhaps because she inherited Elizabeth's personality and thus hated Henry), she pushed herself harder and harder.

Eventually, she realized managing everything alone was inefficient.

She created a company of her own.

As Henry's and Tyrant Firmament's companies began clashing, the other Overseers were forced to adapt.

More companies were formed, competition increased, and development accelerated across the Cosmos.

There were concerns for Neo too.

Layla's condition did not improve.

She remained withdrawn and depressed. Nyx avoided her entirely after learning everything Layla had done. Persephone stayed by her side, but even she scolded Layla—gently—for how she had treated Jack.

Eventually, Layla went to Neo.

She was crying.

"I know I don't deserve it. But please… save Jack."

"I will," Neo replied.

After that, Neo focused on training.

The time to regain his power was approaching, and after learning of Apollyon's strength from Veydran, Neo no longer held back.

According to Veydran, Apollyon could defeat him in three moves inside the True Blessed Land, and in a single move outside, in the Elemental Cosmos.

That was not arrogance.

It was certainty.

That was why Veydran had waited for a chance instead of acting recklessly.

Neo found this difficult to accept.

Apollyon and Veydran were both Stage Nine Gods and Third Realm Martial Artists.

The gap between them should not have been so wide.

Which meant Apollyon's Martial Arts were exceptional.

Possibly among the strongest Legendary ranks in existence.

Time continued to pass.

Neo was happy.

Truly happy.

He made sure to indulge in everything around him. Conversations. Training. Silence. Conflict.

Because he was beginning to understand his own [Fate].

And he knew this might be the last time he could feel this way.

Finally, ten years passed.

[Path of Cultivator Bai Zhen has been devoured successfully.]

[Path of Cultivator Bai Zhen is being integrated.]

Neo opened his eyes slowly.

Within him, something vast began to unfold.

A second Cosmos appeared inside Neo, expanding naturally as if it had always been there, merely waiting for permission to exist.

Unlike Neo's original Cosmos, which had grown through trial, correction, and countless compromises, this new Cosmos was refined from the beginning.

It was orderly, stable, and complete.

Neo observed it carefully, his expression focused rather than awed.

As he watched its structure settle, he began to grasp deeper principles that he had only vaguely understood before.

Laws were not simply placed. They were woven. Authority was not forced. It was accepted.

"If I compare this to our Elemental Cosmos, it feels like Celestial Worthy is at the peak of Third Step… or perhaps standing right at the threshold of the Fourth."

Neo took a slow breath.

The energy released by the newly formed Cosmos surged outward, circulating through his body with ease.

The pressure that had lingered from his Loan vanished almost instantly, dissolved by the higher-quality energy now flowing through his systems.

"That's taken care of," he muttered.

He did not waste time.

After stabilizing the integration, Neo generated a Technique Spirit.

[Om].

This was not unique to him.

Every Cultivator created one at some point.

The value of a Technique Spirit lay not in rarity, but in refinement.

It amplified energy generation, circulation, and recovery by several times, allowing Cultivators to sustain techniques that would otherwise be impossible.

This was the reason Ultris, despite being a newly ascended Heavenbreaker, had been able to loop the entire Elemental Cosmos multiple times without collapsing.

Neo felt the difference immediately.

Energy responded faster. More smoothly. There was no resistance, or waste.

Once the Technique Spirit stabilized, Neo turned his attention inward again.

This time, he focused on his Shadow Core.

He attempted to add new mechanisms to his Cosmos: structural components that allowed automatic refinement, layered authority reinforcement, and self-repair of damaged laws.

He had learned these by observing Cultivator Bai Zhen's Cosmos in detail.

For a moment, it seemed to work.

Then the process stalled.

Neo frowned slightly.

"As expected, a Shadow Core Concept alone can't develop structures at this level."

The Shadow Core was adaptive, versatile, and powerful, but it lacked permanence and weight.

Neo did not grow discouraged.

Instead, he changed approach.

He began condensing the Shadow Core Concept itself.

The process was slow and exhausting.

The Shadow Core resisted, attempting to remain fluid and undefined.

Neo applied pressure carefully, neither forcing nor relaxing his control, guiding it into a stable form.

Hours passed.

Then half a day.

By the end of the full day, the transformation was complete.

The Shadow Core no longer existed in its previous form.

It had become a Firmament.

[Shadow Core Firmament has been born.]

Almost immediately, another notification appeared.

[Dao of Creation has taken interest in you.]

[You have gained the Dao of Creation.]

Neo glanced at the message and dismissed it.

He had already begun to understand what a Dao truly was.

It was not a gift.

Right now, Neo was not interested in them.

He was interested in results.

With the Shadow Core Firmament established, Neo directly upgraded his Cosmos.

He created a Golden Domain directly.

The knowledge of Cultivators helped him understand how he could create good Golden Domains.

He chose a location where laws operated at higher authority, allowing energy to refine itself automatically.

He layered spiritual veins beneath continents, ensuring stable circulation.

He established Inner Heavens that regulated elemental balance, preventing runaway collapses.

He added Anchors to prevent erosion of concepts.

He refined World Pillars to support long-term growth.

Each upgrade followed principles commonly found in advanced cultivation paths, but adapted to Neo's own structure.

Nothing was copied blindly. Everything was adjusted.

Six months passed in focused silence.

By the time Neo opened his eyes again, the change was complete.

Within his own Path, he had reached the Third Step.

"Finally," Neo said quietly as he stood up and stretched. "It's done."

He stepped out of the cave.

He had chosen this location carefully, far from the Sect, buried deep within a mountain.

He had been concerned about the damage his breakthrough might cause, and he had been right to be cautious.

Even restrained, the residual pressure had cracked the stone walls repeatedly.

As he exited, sunlight brushed against his face.

Neo opened his Path briefly, then closed it again.

"Thanks to Shadow Core Firmament, I can even create Technique Spirits of others, so…"

He closed his eyes, creating Technique spirits of Elizabeth, Arthur, Mars, Veydran and others.

Through instant copying and creation ability of his Path, Neo also reached the Third Realm in multiple Martial Arts.

"This should be enough to fight Apollyon."

He returned to the Sect.

As he neared the familiar boundary, a smile appeared on his face.

He sensed Elizabeth and Moraine in the kitchen, cooking together.

Persephone was teaching students, her tone firm but patient.

Hades sat in the courtyard, reading a newspaper that had recently begun circulating in the True Blessed Lands, courtesy of Leonora.

They were relaxed.

None of them knew when Neo would return.

The cave he had used had been guarded the entire time by Elizabeth's Technique Spirit.

Neo had asked it not to alert anyone when he finished, wanting to return quietly and surprise them.

But that was not why he was smiling.

At the Sect's gate, there was a visitor.

Apollyon.

Neo waved calmly as he approached.

"So you really did know our Sect's location. Did you find it from Paul?"

Apollyon shook his head. "I used Fate."

"Tsk, I was hoping it was him. Would've given me an excuse to beat him."

Apollyon's expression remained stern, but his presence felt… warm. Like a sun.

It was as if two old friends were meeting after a long separation, not mortal enemies standing on the edge of war.

Even the Golden Threads frowned, confused what was happening.

"Neo! Welcome back—"

Moraine froze mid-step as she reached the gate, her eyes landing on Apollyon.

In the next instant, the air shimmered.

Elizabeth and Vivi appeared beside Apollyon, swords pressed lightly against his neck.

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