Two hours later.
In a silent, lifeless world.
In the Milky Way of the void, space rippled, and the hull of the Freedom gradually drifted out from it, following the downward flow of the galaxy.
"We're out..."
"We're really out..."
Fede and Krishna gazed at the suddenly open, vast sky before them, disbelief etched on their faces.
Although the world before them was not the same as the outside, it was no longer the unchanging starry sky that had plunged them into utter despair.
Looking at the white clouds drifting across the sky, their hands trembled, and tears streamed down their faces uncontrollably.
It was a mixture of excitement, joy, and the rebirth that comes after experiencing true despair and regaining new life.
No one disturbed them. They all stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the miracle before them in awe.
What appeared before their eyes was a colossal city in the sky.
At the end of the galaxy, the flow of water no longer went down but spiraled upwards.
From afar, the floating galaxy in the void resembled a silver dragon coiled in the emptiness, vast and beautiful.
And upon that silver dragon, an ancient gray castle stood proudly. Even from a great distance, the moment they entered this place, everyone felt the castle's antiquity and grandeur.
"To live here, they must be gods!"
Looking at the castle floating in the void, supported by the silver dragon and entwined with white clouds, A Tao exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze passing through it to the castle, his eyes filled with wonder.
"Whether they are gods or not, we'll know when we go and see."
Alo gripped the handle of his gun with his right hand, and with his left, he brushed his hair back from the left side of his head. He turned to Kong Tai, excitement in his voice, "Kong Tai, let's hurry!"
Before entering this place, they had all sorts of speculations, and they were sure there would be dangers they didn't know about. So, everyone was prepared for battle.
But after entering, apart from the distant castle, they felt no presence here. It was as if this was truly a world devoid of all life.
Kong Tai lowered his head and glanced at his companions behind him. A gentle smile appeared in his calm eyes.
He nodded, lifted his right foot, and lightly tapped the deck.
*Dong—!*
As if the void, like a drum surface, vibrated, a layer of space instantly expanded, enveloping the Freedom.
Then, under the expectant gazes of everyone, the Freedom, with a "bang," shot up from the galaxy, like a sharp sword, flying towards the distant castle.
This castle was clearly man-made. A long, long time ago, people, or perhaps gods, had lived here.
"The Other Shore."
When faced with an insurmountable problem, when unable to understand or see clearly, there was only one thing to do: call out to the Other Shore.
"The Other Shore!"
Kong Tai called out again in his mind.
"Wh... What is it?"
On Kong Tai's shoulder, a smaller version of The Other Shore, yawning, slowly materialized.
"Seriously, it's only been this long. I just closed my eyes, and you're calling me. I think you don't want me to truly sleep!"
The moment The Other Shore appeared, it immediately started complaining to Kong Tai.
For him, a nap could last for decades, even centuries. But ever since leaving the world that birthed him and following Kong Tai, Kong Tai would disturb his sleep every few days for no reason.
Who could endure this frequency!
However, despite his words, he knew where his priorities lay.
Although his current strength far surpassed Kong Tai's, Kong Tai was his host, his...
Well! How should he put it?
If he were a cat, then Kong Tai would be his litter box cleaner, his master.
After all, one couldn't badmouth someone who provided for them.
Despite his grumbling, the task at hand still needed to be done.
"What is it?"
The Other Shore asked, looking at Kong Tai with a puzzled expression.
"Take a look at this place."
Kong Tai turned to The Other Shore. "I seem to have entered a remarkable place. Even I can't sense what's here. Although, the moment I entered, I felt a faint, elusive will. But after entering, I can no longer feel the slightest presence."
"I know I'm currently inside a living being, but I don't know what this thing is. It has no malice, nor does it show kindness. It's as if it completely ignores me. Even when I relaxed the spatial restrictions and revealed my true aura, it didn't care."
Turning his head to stare at the void above the castle, a flash of red light briefly flickered in Kong Tai's sapphire eyes. "Has this thing become so great that it completely disregards everyone, or is it truly devoid of extraneous emotions, merely seeing me as an ant that has stumbled into its body?"
"Hmm! Let me see."
Hearing Kong Tai's words, The Other Shore stood up and slid down from Kong Tai's shoulder.
It stood in the void, its spiritual power rapidly extending outwards.
"Hmm! What is this?"
As if sensing something, surprise quickly replaced the expression on The Other Shore's small face.
"Do you know what it is?"
The Other Shore didn't immediately answer Kong Tai but lowered its head and said softly, "I once told you that among the gods I know of, gods cannot control space."
"Yes, you did," Kong Tai nodded. "What does that have to do with this place?"
"Then do you know how gods travel through the universe if they cannot even control space?"
The Other Shore turned to look at Kong Tai. Before Kong Tai could answer, it continued, "The power of gods can indeed shatter the void of reality and travel to the dark world beyond space."
"However, that is a world where even gods cannot distinguish north from south. The moment one steps into it, they will immediately be engulfed by endless void storms. Even if you have enough strength to resist those void storms, you will still be trapped within and never be able to escape."
"Therefore, even gods cannot venture into the depths of the void, let alone use it as a fast passage for inter-universal travel."
"I know that. You don't need to explain it to me again. I just want to know what this place is."
"What's the hurry!"
The Other Shore gave Kong Tai a disdainful look, then turned to observe the world, its eyes filled with amazement. "If even gods cannot travel through the universe quickly, then what is it that connects this universe together?"
"Are you saying..." Looking up at the sky, Kong Tai seemed to have thought of something. His eyes lit up, and he lowered his head, asking The Other Shore, "Are you saying this creature is a void passage connecting the universe, or perhaps a mount used by gods to traverse the cosmos?"
This was the best answer Kong Tai could come up with.