The Tale of the Void Emperor
chapter-176

Mike and Qerin tried to move out of the ground and even tried to open up a pathway, but nothing worked.

Qerin couldn't help but sigh as she spoke, " Sigh...It looks like we have no choice but to choose a blood pool and stay in it for thirty minutes. " She then looked at Mike and said with a serious expression, " Listen, Mike. I'll go into that blood-pool which had red and green mixed liquid while you wait and observe. If something happens to me, then you can save me. "

" Absolutely not! I will go first, and you will observe. " Mike steeled his face and said to Qerin. His face showed that he wouldn't budge in this decision.

Qerin felt helpless and said, " Then we'll go together. "

Mike grinned at her, which made Qerin feel uneasy, but before she had a chance to do anything, She saw Mike jumping into the closest blood pool that was just five steps to his left side.

*Arghhhhhhhh*

Mike screamed right after he jumped inside the blood pool.

" Y-y-you BIG IDIOT. " Qerin panicked and dashed towards Mike, who suddenly stopped screaming.

" Don't come in. I am just kidding. I am not feeling any pain. "

Qerin suddenly stopped and looked at Mike with her eyes wide opened, but after a second, She angrily said, " You idiot...Just wait until you come out. I'll teach you a lesson. "

Mike grinned and said, " Sorry, Qerin. I thought that I would feel pain after diving inside the pool, so I screamed. As they say, you will feel better if you scream when enduring pain. But really...nothing is hap-ppe-ni...."

Mike suddenly felt that the world was spinning, and his eyes started to feel heavy. He couldn't even speak properly.

" Mike? What's going on? What is happening to you? "

Mike was inside the blood pool that reached his waist, and he was in a daze as he barely spoke, " I do-don't know...If-feel like sle-sleeping."

Seeing this, Qerin panicked as she also jumped into the pool, but before she neared the pit's border, She was pushed back by some force.

Qerin was panicking right she couldn't save Mike, " MIKE!! Don't close your eyes. Stay awake. If you sleep, then I will forever leave you and will never meet you again. MIKE!!! "

Mike was feeling exhausted, as if all of the powers inside his body were leaving. His soul was weakening, his mind was also exhausted, and he could barely control his body.

Hearing the cries of Qerin, Mike felt that he should definitely not sleep here. If he slept, then he would be done for. He...felt that he would die if he slept.

With what little control he had, he forcefully shook his head and tried to move his limbs, but it had an adverse effect as he lost his standing balance and his whole body submerged into the pool.

" M-MIKE!! "

The blood pool started to boil as the blood-red and bright orange hue of the liquid created bubbles.

Mike's body came out as he floated on the blood pool, but his eyes were tightly shut, and his face had a frown.

Qerin wanted to go inside the pool, but no matter what she did, She failed, but right then, she heard the telepathic voice of Mike.

' Qerin, Don't worry about me. I am fine...for now. You will also have to dive into the pool to leave this place, so select a pool and submerge inside. You will know wh- '

His telepathy was suddenly cut off as Qerin hurridly asked, " Mike...Y-you, are you okay? "

Mike slowly nodded his head with a painful expression on his face while floating on the blood pool.

Qerin wiped her face before sighing a big relief.

She then walked towards the pool she selected at first and jumped inside.

*Splash....*

Qerin also didn't feel anything at first, but after a while, She started to feel the same as Mike, and before it could overwhelm her, She submerged herself inside the blood pool.

Her blood pool also started to boil as bubbles appeared

Qerin, who slowly surfaced on the blood pool, also had her eyes closed with a painful expression.

She and Mike were experiencing an entirely different thing inside their head after they submerged into the blood pool.

They were fighting against creatures that had the same color as the respective blood pool they dived into.

Qerin's left leg slowly started to wither as a painful expression appeared on her face with her eyes closed, but she was also fighting the creatures internally. Her body parts would sometimes wither and recover.

The same thing was happening to Mike, and these changes depended entirely on their fight against the small creatures that came into different shapes but the same color as their blood pool.

As time passed, The liquid inside the pool was also slowly reducing.

After ten minutes, Mike's half-body was gone, and he had a frightening face as he desperately fought.

Qerin's situation was better than Mike's, but not on a large scale as her whole left hand, half of the right hand, and whole right leg were gone.

While they were in this strange process, two pathways formed at different places automatically, and two people arrived at this place.

One of them was an Amarphy race woman while the other person was.....Avelia!!

Her aura was different from before, and she exuded a clear rule power from her existence.

She and the Amarphy race woman were quite far from each other because the pathways they came from were not close to each other.

But their reaction was similar to Mike's and Qerin's. They also didn't want to stay here, but the pathways they came from were sealed when they tried to go back, and they heard the same voice and rules inside their head, which told them to survive in the blood pool for 30 minutes and complete a challenge...to leave this place alive.

Avelia frowned and thought, ' What is this shtty place? And why force people to do this? But I don't think they would force people to die here since the main goal of this castle should be to reward the worthy. '

Thinking about it, She didn't hesitate much and dived into the pool that was closest to her.

After that, More people appeared as new pathways opened, and they also couldn't escape and had to select a pool before diving inside.

...

Athan and Tiana were still engraving their Erudite palace as they would need ten more minutes to finish engraving all of their comprehension and knowledge in their Erudite place.

After ten minutes...They were finally done engraving everything as they felt a strange power entering their body and their Erudite palace.

Both of them opened their eyes simultaneously after they finished the third stage of the Erudite Palace plane: Erudite Engravings and were baptized by the universal rule power. Now, they could also sense, comprehend and create Rule powers.

But there was still the last step before they breakthrough to the Ruler Plane.

Fourth and last stage of Erudite palace plane: Erudite palace establishment.

Everyone's Erudite palace had a different design as it was their choice on how they want to build it. Of course, they could also change the structure and design of their Erudite palace later when they enter the Ruler plane, but they can't change anything a second time as long as they are in the Erudite palace plane.

Athan and Tiana moved the Altar spirits and Soul Altar inside their Erudite Palace.

" Master...Is this our new home? We won't be able to stay in the special space anymore? " Skylord asked as he looked around the palace. The palace was big enough to house everyone, but it was empty because there were only marvelous designs and no furniture, so it looked broad and empty.

" It will be boring here. " Lucent said with a sad face. They were used to stay in the special space and play together with Mimi and other Altar spirits. But after Tiana and others filled their second branch and decided to go out and practice in this Bloodpath zone, They took their altar spirits with them.

Athan was speechless and said, " I am not going to confine you here. Just stay here for a bit as I finish the last stage of the Erudite palace plane and complete the breakthrough. "

He ( genesis avatar ) sat down crossed-legged after saying this and started the final process.

The golden orb was still eager to help as it floated in the center of the palace and constantly produced energy and bathed the whole palace with it.

Tiana also did the same as both she and Athan started the last stage.

...

There is another reason why the Ruler plane is called that way and comes after the Erudite palace plane. That reason is; A palace should have rules, so they need to create rules inside their Erudite palace and " Ruler " Because they are the Ruler of their Erudite palace.