A cold wind swept through the ravine as six cloaked women stood at the edge of the blackened vale. They were more prepared now since the cloaks helped them defend against the nether haze.

Behind them, mountain peaks twisted unnaturally, scorched by netherlight, something they had never seen. Before them, there stretched a valley that looked like a scar upon the world, draped in eternal twilight as light and darkness existed together.

Apparently, this was called the Star Vale Territory, where a group of Exalt Beasts lived.

The women held their breaths as they looked into the horizon.

They were none other than Schleya, Illumina, Vereina, Nyoran, and Rokushi Mirai.

The five women made it to the Netherblight Star-Eyed Elk Clan’s region. There was another one among them, too, Yin, who was here to help them traverse.

"Stay together. Don’t make a fuss. The Elks are normally gentle, but they’re also playful. They could accidentally kill you."

Schleya and the others nodded. They could feel the great pressure emanating from this area. None of them spoke. Even Schleya felt her heart throb.

After they made it out of the valley, they froze.

From the shadows of the mountains before them twisted a rock- no, a head.

It did not step forward. It simply was there, like a mountain that had always been there but had only just noticed their presence.

They instantly knew it was a Level One Exalt Beast.

Even at its restrained size- it was huge, a five-kilometer-tall beast. It loomed over the cliffs and peaks while its hooves sank down endlessly from the sheer size of its being.

*Booom!~*

Even further, a single leg covered their entire line of sight as it sank to the ground. Each step echoed like silent thunder, rebounding across the Star Vale Territory, resonating in the bones of Schleya and the others.

Its giant head slowly came down, shifting across the nether haze.

Smooth black fur caught the dim haze like velvet soaked in the dark atmosphere. Its eyes- were mesmerizing, perhaps worse than beautiful if one regarded its threat.

Those pair of eyes were cosmic like they were twin nebulae that spun within, filled with pulsing stars that flickered between life and collapse.

Schleya felt limp; the blood drained from her face, and the others weren’t faring any better.

They had never seen a beast as big as this one in their entire lives. Just from its head alone, they could guess that its body was nearly a hundred kilometers tall. A hundred kilometers- was huge! At this distance, they wouldn’t see the end of it even if they tried to look ahead.

Such a massive beast hovered its head over them.

Even Illumina was taken aback, even though she was fairly confident that she could take this beast down. She could sense that it was staring at her.

"Stop scaring them, old Lenu." Yin finally spoke.

She didn’t look scared at all despite looking like an ant in comparison. It could be seen that this sight was commonplace for her.

"Ha-ha."

Its long and resounding voice echoed with amusement before its size began to shrink abruptly.

At that point, they were able to see more of its features.

The Netherblight Star-Eyed Elk’s antlers rose like a jagged mountain, crystalline voidstone arched out in branches, each glowing with runic patterns that they couldn’t understand heads or tails about. Light bent and refracted in a shadowy manner.

It was covered in dark green fur. The black mane along its neck drifted along the breeze. Down its torso, patches of skin pulsed with a faint shine as though stars were trapped beneath its hide. The elk exhaled, a fine mist escaping its nostrils, sparkling like vaporized stardust.

More emerged in the background.

Three, then five, and eight of them appeared. Some were already smaller because they were merely Empyrean Beasts, but there were those that were Exalt Beasts who restrained their size like the one they had first met. That one seemed to be a newly emerged Exalt Beast since it had also frozen when it first saw them.

"Forgive my manners and also my foolish grandson who is not used to meeting with visitors."

The so-called grandson simply turned around and left.

"Ha-ha. He’s just shy."

Old Lenu hummed, "Now then- I have heard about your visit. Do you want to access the portal to the Shadow Dimension we have guarded for years? It’s not easy. Moreover, it’s one thing if old friends like the wolves want to access but humans? Why should we accommodate them when they’re from another plane? Send them back."

"Don’t be like that, Old Lenu," Yin said, "They come with good intentions, and our Patriarch also allowed them to stay as close as possible for the time being."

"Hmm? Old Fool did?"

"That’s right." Yin nodded, "They are very important to us. I won’t say why, but they also come with treasures to offer in order to pass."

"If you vouch for them that far, then I presume I can’t be too obstinate. What is the offering?"

The Netherblight Star-Eyed Elk asked with raised brows. It was still tall as it stopped shrinking at seven kilometers tall. So, its starry eyes were plenty big, glowing with big interest once it heard treasures.

Illumina came forward. She cupped her hands and bowed, "Greetings, Grand Ancestral Magical Beast. Today, we have come to engage in an exchange so that we may access the portal to the Shadow Dimension."

"No need to be so respectful. I can sense you’re young, but you’re also a Grand Ancestral Magical Beast, no?"

"Indeed," Illumina answered.

Her features were hidden since she didn’t want to alarm them, but it seemed like she couldn’t hide from the star-eyed elks. She was in her human form, and she flipped her arm around her head, changing her features to her true self.

Illumina was pale-skinned and had snowy-white hair accompanied by big, droopy rabbit ears that were capable of standing upright and swaying at will. She also possessed a rabbit tail, but that couldn’t be seen since it was beneath her clothes, and she despised revealing it to nobodies or was too shy to reveal it to others.

However, she now looked different, even as a human.

The whites of her eyes were pitch-black like a ghost, and adorned inside were golden gem-like pupils that sparkled with a faint luster. Her pale-white skin became even more paler, resembling that of a corpse. Her white hair now carried the luster of black strands, becoming two-toned. The color of her rabbit ears now turned similar to her hair.

If she looked majestic before, then she now looked downright terrifying, like a haunting spirit.

"You are... a Spectral Gloomveil Rabbit, a Grand Ancestral Magical Beast like us and a strong, natural predator in the Shadow Dimension... No wonder you want to head to the Shadow Dimension. Are you seeking your home?"

"..." Illumina didn’t answer.

If they could misunderstand, then she’ll let that misunderstanding remain. After all, they couldn’t say that they were going to hunt a Divergent while their party was also made up of Divergents.

Schleya also held her breath.

They naturally couldn’t say who they all were and what they were up to, or they would be slaughtered. If a battle started here, Illumina and Yin might be able to handle the majority of their forces. However, the shockwaves alone might destroy her body.

Only Illumina was at the Exalt Beast Stage.

Schleya had seen her transformation underneath the moonlit night and the Nethermoon Crescent Tree. Her tribulation was also a sight to see, but her form was even more haunting yet magnificent.

Nonetheless, Schleya knew that only Mythical-Tier Beasts could possibly detect Divergent aura. The other beasts couldn’t, not even Emperor-Tier Beasts, so they were safe as long as they didn’t expose it through their own mouths.

Moreover, she couldn’t sense any King-Tier Beasts here.

Clearly, even for the Nether Dimension, a King-Tier Grand Ancestral Beast was extremely rare. Perhaps there was one deep inside since these elks were strong enough to own this region, but they didn’t need to sense that far ahead or risk offending them. It wasn’t like their soul sense could penetrate deeper either since the nether haze clouded soul sense.

Illumina didn’t answer. She presented a spatial ring after a few seconds.

The giant Netherblight Star-Eyed Elk peered through it even without enveloping its senses at it.

"Oh? Two Exalt Stage Nether Devil Cores? That is indeed worthy of exchange. Follow me."