Against Heaven's Will

Although Xuefeng had a general idea of the Celestial Ranking and Constellations, Emi's explanations were eye-opening. It turned out each challenge wasn't as straightforward as he thought; its rules differed between each duel.

"So the Divine Council will step in when the parties can't agree on the bets, and they will decide all the details at random?" Xuefeng concluded suspiciously. "Do you think they can be trusted?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about them. The members of the Divine Council are the enforcers of the Universe, and they are extremely prideful beings. If you even try to bribe them, they will annihilate you without hesitation and banish all your Realms. No one dares to offend them since they are not known for giving out warnings," Emi assured. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. The challenge includes the bet amount, the location, and the rules of the duel. If you don't like any of the three, you can either negotiate or wait for the Divine Council's assistance. Once they are involved, you can only veto one of their decisions, but they don't like it when you do. You are usually better off just accepting whatever they give you."

"I guess we can't avoid it since all the top constellations hate your founder. I'm sure they will propose some outrageous bet," Xuefeng commented.

"They will bet as high as they can, which is a hundred Realms. The Divine Emissary who oversees the challenges will usually pick the median of both parties. Even if Founder Miara bets one Realm, she will have to hand over fifty in case of a loss," Emi explained. "She can also forfeit the challenge, giving up one Realm every month until she is confident she can defeat them. That option is very unlikely since she has never run away from a fight."

"Who are we going to face?" Xuefeng questioned as he gazed at his wives. "Can you tell how our strength compares to our opponents?"

"Well, it's likely that Constellation Alynna will challenge Founder Miara to avenge her past defeat, but we can't predict who will fight on her behalf. We can only guess the top Constellations will seize this opportunity to curry favor by lending her their elite mercenaries," Emi said with a sigh. "I would say overall, if Wu manages to master the Seven Soul Steps and you all reach the peak of Ancient Celestial, we have about a ten percent chance of victory."

"Only ten percent?" Xuefeng raised his eyebrows. "What if I had a few Realms at my disposal?"

"Even if Founder Miara, with hundreds of Realms, were to join us, the chance of victory would only rise to thirty percent. It would be extremely unfair if the Constellations were to join their challenges with their full power, so the locations of the duels are usually Soul-restricted, which limits the amount of Qi and Soul Power you can use," Emi replied with a sigh. "Sometimes you can't even use any weapons or artifacts, forcing you to depend on your own Arts, Weapon Intent, and Bloodlines."

Xuefeng paused, realizing he would lose a huge chunk of his strength if he couldn't use his Elemental Bracelet. Compared to his wives who focused on mastering their Arts, he didn't specialize in one area.

"We can always veto the ban on Artifacts, but I doubt they will go that far. If your founder can get us Legendary Artifacts, so can the other Constellations. They will make sure to stack their representatives with a powerful arsenal to ensure their victory," Xuefeng pointed out.

"To be honest, I don't think Founder Miara will allow that. Unless the scale of the challenge is less than a hundred participants, it's suicide to allow them access to Artifacts. We can't compare with the amount of treasures the top Constellations have and we will lose without even having the chance to fight back," Emi replied with a pat on his shoulder. "No matter what the rules are, I suggest you think of a way to fight without using your Legendary Artifact. You still have time to master some Arts."

"You shouldn't underestimate your master. I will be ready to face any opponent when the time comes," Xuefeng assured with a confident smile.

Although the Soul has always been the most powerful tool for a cultivator, people often underestimate the potential of a strong body. His challenge with Nuwa proved he could strengthen his body beyond his imagination, and he still had a lot of growth left. Emi also didn't mention any restrictions against the body, which worked perfectly for his Dragon Bloodline.

Emi only smiled at his words, not willing to argue. She was aware of his strength but didn't know the full extent of his abilities. "Anyway, that's all you need to know about the constellations for now. When it comes to the Abyssal Vault, do you remember when I said the Divine Council will banish your Realms if you offend them? They don't keep them for themselves but instead send them into the dark abyss known as the Graveyard of Realms. It's a place where all collapsed Realms end their existence and become food for the Nightmare Beasts that thrive in the abyss."

Emi paused, her gaze drifting into the middle distance as though recalling something haunting. "These Nightmare Beasts are terrifying Spirit Beasts that have been possessed by Dark Souls. They now live in the dark abyss under the rule of the Nightmare King. They spend their lives hunting for treasures and artifacts left behind in collapsed Realms before carrying them into an Abyssal Vault guarded by millions of nightmares." She waved her hand, and a holographic projection sprang to life above her palm.

The group watched in amazement as an image of a gigantic golden door emerged, floating in the midst of a swirling black hole. The door seemed to pulse with ancient power, a magnetic force that drew attention and captivated one's very soul. Surrounding it were thousands of flying Nightmares, a mix of dark, shadowy forms with glinting eyes and jagged teeth. They swarmed around the vault like moths to a flame, their gazes scanning the area for any intruders.

"These are Tier 1 Nightmares," Emi continued, her voice tinged with a mixture of awe and dread. "They are not as dangerous on their own, but they can be quite annoying in groups. They protect the entrance to the Abyssal Vault and attack anyone who approaches too close."

Xuefeng watched as a moonlit silhouette appeared in the hologram, flying toward the door without hesitation. The Nightmares immediately mobilized, only to be blinded by a flash of light, causing them to flee into the depths of the abyss.

"That's Founder Miara, who took me to the Abyssal Vault as a reward for completing my second refining. Tier 1 Nightmares will run away if they detect the presence of a Constellation, but the beings inside the vault are much more powerful," Emi explained as the golden door loomed before them.

With a wave of Founder Miara's hand, the door slowly opened, revealing a dark tunnel with hundreds of eyes lighting up in the darkness. They screeched at each other just before launching at the intruder, their sharp claws aiming to rip her to shreds.

"Those are Tier 2 Nightmares," Emi informed. "They are much stronger and possess the ability to speak. They aren't intelligent, but they can communicate and work together to attack their prey."

They didn't stand a chance against Founder Miara as she simply snapped her fingers, causing every creature to explode into a shower of blood and gore.

"Where can you find the artifacts?" Xuefeng asked curiously, not seeing anything inside.

"What you're seeing is the beginning of a labyrinth that leads towards the lair of a high-tier Nightmare Beast. If you're not careful, you might get lost in the maze and never find an exit," Emi replied as she waved her hand.

The image changed to show Founder Miara finding the light at the end of a tunnel and stepping into a pocket dimension. They were surprised to see a cave filled with piles of Spirit Herbs, Weapons, and shiny Artifacts that the Nightmare had gathered over many years.

"Sometimes you can be lucky and find a treasure trove without a present Nightmare, which is what happened in my case. I was able to loot freely without needing to fight anyone," Emi commented, showcasing a silver ring on her finger. "Although it was just a Tier 3 Nightmare lair, I found this Legendary Artifact. It allows me to form two portals across Realms and travel between them without many limitations. It can also transport Qi, which is how I was able to create this Realm for myself."

Xuefeng raised his eyebrows before smiling, realizing his cube must also be one of the Legendary Artifacts. Even though he couldn't transport Qi, he could travel anywhere he wanted, as opposed to just one place.

"That's nice, but to be honest, I expected the Abyssal Vault to be more dangerous. Even in my current state, I could go inside and I'd be fine," Xuefeng pointed out confidently. "How is this place not emptied of treasures if it's so easy to get inside?"

"I also thought the same until I went in on my own the second time," Emi admitted. "I forgot to mention that there's a reason only Constellations dare to venture inside. Every time you enter the Abyssal Vault, you spawn at a random location and can face high-tier Nightmares if you're unlucky. The second time I stepped inside, I happened to meet a Tier 5 Nightmare and barely escaped with my life thanks to my ring. Unless you're confident you can defeat high-tier Nightmares, you shouldn't enter the Abyssal Vault on your own."

Emi sighed as she recalled the scene, displaying a hologram of a large throne room with a humanoid shadow sitting on the throne, a shiny crown on its head. "It's a shame it's impossible to return to the same dimension after you've left. This Legendary Artifact on his head is part of a set, the crown of the Shadow King, who was one of the old Constellations that offended the Divine Council. It's said that anyone who can gather his Artifacts can reach the power of a Constellation without possessing a single Realm."

Xuefeng looked around at his wives and asked with interest, "What if there was a way to enter this place?"

"There isn't. I actually tried to use the portal I left inside, but it was already destroyed. You'd need a Legendary Artifact that can take you into the Abyssal Vault without any link, and such an artifact doesn't exist," Emi replied with a shake of her head, pausing after noticing Xuefeng's expression. "What? Why are you smiling?"