"Wake up!"

Dan's fierce shout pulled Vincent away from his trance. When he awakened, his listless eyes became filled with color and his continuously trembling figure came to a halt.

Staring at Dan's direction, Vincent didn't know what to say. He knew that he had to change something within himself lest he died without a proper burial but he couldn't seem to take that step.

He finally understood why Dan tried to kill him earlier. And the realization made him feel bitter about himself. Dan just wanted him to change for the better but he actually thought otherwise.

Gnashing his teeth, a sour sensation surged within his chest as Dan said with a sighing voice.

"You finally understood the reason why I did such a thing.... Remember that I only did this for your sake... However, if you cannot let go of the past and turn over into a new leaf, I shall end your life..."

His voice turned indifferent and he coldly declared. Even though Vincent knew of his intentions, he still aimed on killing him if he didn't change for the better. After all, once the selection for the Mystic Realm of the Undead starts, if Vincent didn't change, then there's no way that he could survive.

Vincent knew of this fact, and he tightly clenched his fists and bit his lips until it bled. His nails dug deep into his palms and a fierce internal struggle ensued, All the lessons that he learned that he obediently abided for so long came from his late mother, changing what he knew and used to follow wasn't something that could be done in an instant.

But if he didn't do so, only one route existed for him.

Death.historical

Vincent didn't want to die. In order to accomplish his dreams and his objective of revenge against his clan that abandoned him. He wanted to survive and become stronger than ever, and finally accomplish his goal.

However, he knew that if he didn't change his pacifist mindset, the future where he'd die would definitely arrive.

"Words alone aren't enough to declare your conviction. We're both cultivators here, so we'll talk with our strength and our weapons!" Dan coldly snorted and lunged forwards, his dagger ignited with a crimson flame as he raised them to the skies and slashed downward, aiming to slice both of Vincent's shoulders off.

Vincent who felt the sense of imminent danger, immediately turned taut. His knees bent and he raised his lance, fluidly parrying Dan's daggers as his body exploded with the brilliance of the sun. If he couldn't express his conviction and determination through words, then it shall be expressed through his actions.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Dan's arms transformed into a mirage, his daggers repeatedly clashed against Vincent's lance, sending sparks flying in all directions along with the chipped off Chimera Flames that Grace instantly froze before they could land on the ground.

"Now that you're about to die, you finally became clear-headed and understood my point and how I want you to change..."

Dan lightly smiled, taking a step backward. He assumed an offensive stance with his daggers and held them in a reverse grip. The space around his daggers constantly trembled on the verge of shattering.

"I think it's time for me to let you witness how strong those at the Divine Soul Realm really are..." Dan opened his palm and pointed it at Vincent's direction. Clenching his opened palm, the space around Vincent abruptly shattered as blood splattered from Vincent's back, staining the ground in a crimson hue.

Vincent's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't even detect anything prior to the arrival of Dan's attack and when he realized it, he found himself severely injured and unable to fight back. Apart from the space fluctuations before the latter's attack which was virtually undetectable, Vincent didn't know how he could counter such a monstrous attack.

Out of everything within the universe, and a constituent of the five elements. Space was the sharpest and the hardest to detect. In an instant, it could disappear and in an instant, it could turn into the sharpest weapon that could slice through anything under the heavens.

As someone who gained basic control of the Heavenly Laws, Dan could indefinitely manipulate the five elements and its constituent for as long as he had the Spiritual Energy and comprehension to back up his manipulation. Else, his control will fail and he'll suffer a backlash for biting more than he could chew.

Unfortunately for Vincent, controlling space was something that Dan greatly researched when he entered the Divine Soul Realm. After all, Space was a mysterious constituent of the five elements that could enable him to travel long distances in an instant and even create pockets of space where he could establish his own world.

If compared to Natalie and Grace, who focused on their respective elements such as Fire, Ice and Lightning, Dan possessed the highest comprehension and the strongest finesse when it comes to Space. For Vincent, it was a complete disaster.

Vincent defiantly roared and rushed at Dan, ruthlessly slamming his lance at Dan's skull.

The lance was one of the heaviest and slowest weapons in existence, wielding it required great strength and without it, one couldn't even possibly hoist it.

Vincent possessed the raw strength and technique necessary to effectively use his lance so his attack was extremely fast; as soon as he had moved, his lance had already practically reached Dan's face. His footwork, decisive and sly.

But what astonished Vincent was that Dan acted as if he didn't even see the lance. Standing still like a frozen statue, Vincent was reminded of what happened earlier and so he prepared a back-up plan. Stabbing his dagger towards Vincent's stomach, he once again aimed for mutual destruction.

"Does he really think that his daggers can hit me faster than my lance?" Vincent scoffed in his mind, his lance was at least four meters along while Dan's dagger was a merely twelve inches in length. One could already see who will suffer in this engagement.

Just as Natalie and Grace prepared to intervene and Vincent lifted a conceited smile on his face, the time around him suddenly grind to a halt, slowing down to the extent that he could see the dust floating in the surroundings. All minute particles, including threads of fiber and droplets of sweat from his body became visible to the naked eye.

Vincent's pupils constricted when he realized that time had slowed down, he could see and predict any movements around him and could even see the individual flaps of a bee's wing. But that wasn't the reason why he felt so shocked. It was because of the fact that he also found himself slowed down, movement became too heavy for him.

On the other hand, Dan who stood still in front of him lifted a calm and excited smile on his face. When he moved, Vincent was astonished to find that Dan's movements didn't look inhibited, in fact, within this stagnated space, he could move faster than ever before.

Standing right in front of Vincent's body who was still in mid-air with his lance thrust forwards. Dan lightly chuckled and stuck his finger out, playfully poking Vincent's nose, pinching his cheeks and flicking his forehead as he said.

"Vincent, you should really make up your mind and break through the Divine Soul Realm. Now that I am here, I can finally understand why everyone is so hyped and anxious to arrive at this stage... The sensation of being in control of everything is absolutely sublime and indescribable..."

Within this slowed space, Natalie and Grace who had the same cultivation as him were the only one that could break through the shackles and prepare for intervention if Dan went too far with his meddling. Unsheathing their weapons, both women stared intently at his direction.

Dan made a sidelong glance at the two, as the controller who manipulated the space around him, he could detect every movement within his area of responsibility and that includes Grace and Natalie who forcefully broke through his shackles and the laws that he made in the area around him.

Ignoring them. He opened his palm and a concentrated beam of Spiritual Energy that shone in the color of darkness emerged from above his palm.

When Natalie and Grace saw the darkness, their figures trembled and their eyes widened in shock. That hint of darkness meant that Dan's next attack could cripple or kill his target, it was time for them to intervene.

But before they could move and intercept Dan's attack. He harshly glared at them and said something through voice transmission which made them stop their movements. Turning to look again at Vincent, he said in a nonchalant manner, his tone contained contempt and disdain for a coward.

"This attack of mine will surely cripple you for good. Since you're not someone that's suitable on the cultivation path and you're not that willing to change. I'd rather end your career on my own hands than to see you humiliated by our enemies... You need not to worry, we will still take care of you and you won't have any problems living until old age."

The darkness above his palm pulsated and throbbed with the desires to claim a life. Vincent was horrified, the sensation that he felt from that darkness meant that he would definitely suffer extreme injuries and become a cripple for his entire life.

"Gnnnhhhh!" Vincent gnashed his teeth and tried to forcefully break through the stagnated space. Veins bulged throughout his body and his robes were torn in an effort to move his body away from Dan's attack.

"I can't... I can't die like this..." Tears welled up his eyes, his heart and mind madly spun looking for anyways that they could use to survive Dan's attack, but alas. The difference between cultivation bases was something that willpower alone couldn't cross.

Staring at the incoming palm strike, Vincent's expression turned paler and despite the small distance that the palm had to cross before it could reach his body, the moment felt like an eternity for Vincent as he silently prayed in his heart. Hoping that a last minute miracle would arrive and he could survive.

"Nooo... Not like this... I can't die yet!" Vincent turned hysterical when Dan's palm reached about two meters away from his exposed chest. The latter grimly smiled, his eyes flashed with disdain and mocking for his useless struggle that bore no fruit.

Under the pressure, exhaustion and stress. Vincent's cultivation method silently rotated against all odds and paired with Vincent's determination to live, it slowly came to life as a ball of fire ignited around Vincent's body, engulfing and bathing him with its golden flames that defied all obstacles.

Along with the appearance of that golden flame was the sound of countless chains unlocking together, and Vincent's weakened aura abruptly soared towards the peak. The barrier that stood before his breakthrough to the Divine Soul Realm had shattered and he formally entered the Realm of the Divine Soul!

Baptized by the golden flames from Vincent's mysterious cultivation method, his body underwent a qualitative change. His physique transformed into a silky-smooth bronze color and his eyes twinkled with a golden light that looked noticeable under certain conditions.

What startled all three of them was that Vincent's body emanated a pressure that subconsciously made their cultivation methods ignite in agitation, as if they were in protest against Vincent's cultivation method. Standing right in front of Vincent, Dan bore the brunt of the former's breakthrough, but he never looked aggrieved nor annoyed.

He just stood there with a slight smile of satisfaction on his face, awaiting the arrival of his beloved friend that finally broke through the next realm.

Emerging within the flames was the figure of Vincent whose expression looked indifferent and detached. His eyes sparkled with golden flames while his skin transformed into a healthy bronze color. Standing there and staring at Dan's direction, his breakthrough made him understand Dan's goal and he couldn't help but feel endlessly grateful.

Words were useless between brothers. Dan sheathed his weapons and crossed his arms together. Staring at Vincent, he couldn't help but laugh as he said.

"Wear some clothes you damned pervert!"