My attributes are increasing infinitely - Chapter 528

Chapter 528: Ancient death forest

Ethan sat cross legged upon the vast grasslands of his newly established domain. The land stretched endlessly beneath a bright sky filled with dense spiritual energy. Every blade of grass shimmered faintly with power, while countless streams of energy flowed invisibly through the soil beneath him. This was his territory, his foundation within the Grand Axiom, and the place where his future would begin.

The moment he settled into a cultivation posture, layers of temporal power spread outward from his body. A transparent silver domain unfolded around him and covered the surrounding landscape. The air immediately became distorted as time itself bent to his will. Moments later, another temporal field emerged and merged seamlessly with the first.

It was Nini’s Time Domain.

The two domains overlapped perfectly. Their powers complemented one another without the slightest conflict. Instantly, the flow of time within the territory accelerated to an unimaginable degree. Time inside the domain and time outside the domain became entirely separate concepts.

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

Although his believers were continuously supplied him with faith, power, and evolution points, he understood a simple truth. Relying entirely upon external sources was never wise. Power obtained through one’s own effort would always be the most dependable form of strength.

At least for now.

One day, the number of believers under his authority would become so vast that passive growth alone would be enough to sustain his advancement. However, that day had not yet arrived. Until then, he intended to cultivate with his own efforts and push himself forward.

Slowly, Ethan closed his eyes.

The space behind him suddenly trembled.

A colossal phantom appeared.

The Tree of Infinity emerged once again.

Its roots extended downward into countless unseen dimensions. Its trunk rose endlessly toward higher layers of existence. Massive branches spread throughout reality itself, reaching toward worlds beyond number. Compared to its appearance during earlier stages of growth, the tree had become significantly larger.

Yet Ethan remained dissatisfied.

“It still needs to grow faster.”

The moment those words left his mouth, dense gray mist began pouring from every pore of his body. The sheer quantity was astonishing. It resembled a volcanic eruption of endless fog. The mist surged outward in vast waves and rushed directly toward the Tree of Infinity.

The tree immediately absorbed every strand.

Its roots expanded deeper.

Its trunk thickened.

Its branches multiplied.

Countless new leaves appeared.

The growth was visible even to the naked eye.

As the tree absorbed more gray mist, mysterious streams of energy continuously flowed back into Ethan’s body. The process was perfectly balanced. The tree received nourishment while Ethan received benefits in return.

Evolution points accumulated without interruption.

Every second produced more.

Every minute increased the total.

Every hour pushed the number higher.

The process never stopped.

Within the accelerated flow of time, years vanished in moments. Decades passed like fleeting breaths. Centuries disappeared before they could even be noticed. While Ethan remained seated in complete silence, both his cultivation and the Tree of Infinity continued advancing at astonishing speed.

After observing the rate of growth for some time, Ethan calmly spoke.

“Yumiko, how long will it take me to reach Level 200?”

A soft voice immediately answered within his mind.

[Around ten million days, Master.]

Ethan slowly opened one eye.

“Only ten million?”

[Yes, Master.]

A grin spread across his face.

“That is acceptable.”

For ordinary beings, ten million days represented an incomprehensible amount of time. Entire civilizations could rise and collapse during such a period. Generations would be born and die before that amount of time passed naturally.

However, Ethan was not an ordinary being.

With his own Time Domain working together with Nini’s Time Domain, ten million days inside the accelerated temporal field would pass in only a few minutes from the perspective of the outside world.

The difference was so absurd that it bordered on cheating.

Ethan nodded in satisfaction.

“Then let us begin.”

He closed his eyes once more and fully immersed himself in cultivation.

Far beyond Ethan’s awareness, however, danger was already gathering.

Outside the domain, an endless forest stretched across the horizon.

Ancient trees towered high into the sky like natural pillars supporting heaven itself. Their trunks were larger than mountains, and their roots spread beneath the earth for thousands of kilometers. Countless powerful creatures moved through the shadows beneath the vast canopy.

The weakest monsters living within this region were above Level 500.

Many possessed strength that far exceeded that threshold.

The sudden appearance of Ethan’s domain had immediately attracted attention throughout the surrounding area. Powerful creatures sensed the birth of a new Lord and naturally became curious.

A gigantic serpent more than thirty kilometers long slithered through the forest.

Its golden eyes fixed themselves upon the distant barrier surrounding Ethan’s territory. Nearby, a colossal wolf whose body resembled a moving mountain silently observed the same location. Countless other creatures gathered throughout the region.

Some hid among the trees.

Some watched from mountain peaks.

All of them were observing.

Several monsters eventually approached the barrier directly.

One enormous beast charged forward and slammed into it with tremendous force. The resulting impact shook the surrounding forest. Mountains trembled. Rivers surged. Shockwaves spread across the land.

Yet the barrier remained completely unmoved.

The beast itself was thrown backward.

Another creature attempted an attack.

Then another.

Then dozens more.

Every attempt ended identically.

The barrier remained absolute.

The laws of the Grand Axiom protected newborn Lords. Until Ethan reached Level 200, nobody could enter his territory. Likewise, Ethan himself could not leave.

Eventually, the creatures abandoned their attempts.

Some lost interest and departed.

Others remained nearby.

Watching.

Waiting.

Predators possessed extraordinary patience.

Ancient predators possessed even more.

If Ethan had witnessed the gathering outside his territory, he would have immediately slowed his cultivation and focused on battle preparation. Unfortunately, he knew absolutely nothing about the situation developing beyond his domain.

He continued cultivating peacefully.

Completely unaware of the storm waiting beyond his walls.

….

Several million kilometers away, a magnificent palace stood upon a floating continent.

The structure was forged from celestial crystal and countless precious materials. Golden light illuminated every corridor and tower. Powerful formations protected the entire complex.

Within the central hall, a middle aged man sat upon a crystal throne.

An immense aura surrounded him.

Even the nearby space appeared distorted by his mere presence.

He was one of the rulers of the Hundred Kingdom Region.

The King of the Iron Sky Kingdom.

A subordinate knelt respectfully before him.

“My Lord.”

The king slowly opened his eyes.

“What is it?”

“A new Lord domain has appeared within your kingdom’s territory.”

The king showed mild interest.

“A new Lord?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Where?”

The subordinate hesitated briefly.

“The Ancient Death Forest.”

The king immediately lost interest.

His expression became indifferent.

“If it is inside the Death Forest, then the matter is irrelevant.”

The subordinate looked surprised.

“My Lord?”

The king leaned comfortably against his throne.

“The Ancient Death Forest devours geniuses every year. Countless talented individuals enter that place believing themselves extraordinary.”

“Most never return.”

His expression remained calm.

“Even Lords are not exceptions.”

The subordinate listened silently.

The king continued.

“If that newcomer survives and eventually leaves the forest alive, then report to me again.”

His gaze turned toward the distant horizon.

“If he cannot accomplish even that much, then he was never worthy of my attention.”

The subordinate immediately bowed.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

After the man departed, the king remained seated in silence.

The Death Forest was feared throughout the Hundred Kingdom Region. Officially, every kingdom possessed a portion of its territory. In reality, however, nobody controlled it.

Ancient monsters lived there.

Unknown ruins remained hidden within its depths.

Forbidden zones appeared without warning.

Countless mysteries had never been solved.

Even powerful kings avoided venturing too deeply into the forest.

Soon afterward, the king completely dismissed the matter from his mind.

In his eyes, the new Lord was already half dead.

Deep within the Ancient Death Forest, inside a hidden valley untouched for millions of years, an enormous eye suddenly opened.

The eye alone was larger than an entire city.

Ancient power flooded the surrounding region.

Mountains trembled.

Rivers reversed direction.

Space itself became unstable.

A deep voice echoed throughout the valley.

“A new Lord…”

The creature’s gaze shifted toward Ethan’s distant domain.

Its eyes narrowed.

Then something unexpected happened.

The ancient being slowly rose from its resting place.

Its movements were careful.

Measured.

Almost hesitant.

A faint image had appeared within its vision.

The Tree of Infinity.

Although the tree existed only as a projection within Ethan’s territory, a tiny fragment of its aura had escaped beyond the domain’s boundaries.

Most beings failed to notice it.

This creature did not.

Its massive body trembled.

Shock filled its ancient eyes.

“Impossible…”

It had lived for countless ages. It had witnessed kingdoms rise and fall.

It had watched Lords become emperors.

It had watched emperors become legends.

Yet the aura it had just sensed caused its soul to tremble.

An ancient memory resurfaced.

A forgotten prophecy.

A prophecy older than the Hundred Kingdoms themselves.

The giant creature stared toward Ethan’s domain.

For the first time in millions of years, fear appeared within its eyes.

Silence followed.

Moments later, the creature made a decision.

A decision capable of shocking every kingdom in the region.

Slowly, it lowered its colossal head.

Then it issued a command that spread throughout the entire Ancient Death Forest.

“No creature is permitted to attack the newborn Lord.”

“Anyone who disobeys will die.”