In Minos’ penultimate challenge within ruin number 1, a spatial crack suddenly appeared nearby, as all the surrounding energy surged into his body.

During the comprehension challenge of the penultimate test, aimed at overcoming the inheritance left by the level 124 expert, Minos’ spiritual control faltered. His aura skyrocketed, breaking through his restrictions and transcending to a new level in an instant.

Standing in the center of the underground chamber, Minos wore a bittersweet smile, a look of pure regret on his face.

“I have failed,” he admitted, reflecting on the level 124 soul fragment. So close to completing the challenge left by that expert, he lost control and began his qualitative progress.

Despite his efforts to avoid advancing in this place, even while standing rather than sitting in the typical lotus position and not actively cultivating, the energy and laws around him continued to enter and transform him. The soul fragment sensed this shift and appeared before him, noticing the crack, which was gradually growing as Minos’ features evolved.

She understood precisely what it was and the implications it carried.

“No, I’m the one who made a mistake,” she said, her gaze somewhat pale as she faced the call directed at Minos. It was penetrating her dimension in a way she knew would leave irreversible after-effects.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to expel all your companions, or they’ll die with the destruction of my dimension.” She regretted ending it like that. “You haven’t completed my challenge, but progress in peace. I will leave my technique engraved in your memory and I will become knowledge to one of your women. Fulfill my last request when you return. That’s all I ask.”

Seeing how in the end she would make things easier for his group—not out of pure kindness, but because she would disappear one way or another—Minos thanked her with a nod and a “thank you.”

She touched his forehead and soon afterwards Minos felt a rush of information about this technique that had the ability to imitate her innate powers.

As quickly as she appeared beside him, she disappeared, heading for the surface where the human women and the rest of the group were feeling the space and the entire mountain below them tremble.

Minos paid no attention to their direction, feeling so many changes happening simultaneously in his body that he couldn’t help but look at himself.

In a matter of moments, his level 114 aura changed, transforming into a firm and powerful level 115 essence, 12 times stronger than his previous cultivation!

The effects of the area he was in, which until a few moments ago had been suppressing him, disappeared completely, overwhelmed by Minos’ growing aura.

Meanwhile, he felt his body evolving to achieve even greater feats, with his senses improving in proportion to the growth of his aura.

His techniques learned while he was in the Spiritual World no longer advanced to new heights, since he had already reached the maximum grade of mastery in all of them. But their usability naturally increased and he could use each of them for longer, on a greater number of targets, etc.

However, this was not the same for his passive and divine abilities. Temporal Sands immediately showed its evolution, controlling the passage of time around him to an extent unlike anything Minos had ever experienced before.

He felt a sudden strange feeling, with scenes from the recent past flashing through his mind and him feeling as if he could reach them again if he wanted to.

It wasn’t as strong a feeling as some of his other characteristics, but it was there strongly enough for him to notice it.

He could see the grains of sand in the hourglass returning from one side of the artifact to the other, in a way that was neither natural nor logical.

‘The evolution of Temporal Sands is temporal regression!’ He swallowed his saliva as he realized what he could do in the near future. ‘With this new ability, I’ll be able to go back up to three minutes into the past!’

This was something beyond himself and he could make everything connected to him, within a space superior to this dimension, regress in time with his will!

He obviously couldn’t do this repeatedly at the moment and felt that a single use of the ability would exhaust his soul power to the point of exhaustion.

Still, it was one more ability that he couldn’t help but be pleased about!

In addition to the evolution of Temporal Sands, Minos felt his new divine ability forming!

From his blue flames and the golden glow of his seraphim wings, Minos felt a silver flame rise in his core, a flame of great destructive power, yet purity and enlightenment. Not only could this flame devour even darkness, but it could purify and transform, even creating new essences of itself!

The feathers of his six wings were covered in these flames, which could even awaken beings who had died just a few moments ago and strengthen the living attributes in dead bodies.

Minos marveled at the silver glow in his eyes.

Draconic Eden’s Radiance!

Feeling the crack in front of him grow larger and the suction of it pull him to it, Minos used the seals he had on his wives’ bodies, sending a fraction of those flames to each of them.

‘These flames won’t last long on you. Cultivate using them to purify your bodies and souls. It will strengthen you quickly,’ he said into their minds, not having much time to be more specific. ‘Try to stay safe while I’m gone. I’ll look for you as soon as I get back.’

Before he could say goodbye, Minos had his body sucked into the spatial crack, which by now had thrown the entire dimension into chaos.

Just before Minos disappeared from where he was, the level 124 soul fragment opened the portals for the group of people remaining there to escape while they could.

In the midst of the end of her pocket dimension, she chose Abby to deposit all her memories, figuring that she would have a better chance of succeeding without Minos, given her necromantic power.

‘I hope I’m right. Otherwise, my end will have been a waste.’ She thought to herself, her last essence of soul slowly disappearing along with the end of her dimension.

Minos’ companions didn’t stand a chance and didn’t even try to stay behind to help him. Led by his wives, they fled without looking back, figuring that whatever Minos’ plan was, it was the best one, because he had the Nautilus’ Compass with him!

Thus, Minos and his group had their plans disrupted, separated for new journeys from now on. Now his group would be back in Uzira, while he would finally enter the second part of the True Celestial’s inheritance!