Rhys saw the space before him destabilize, before he, alongside his foe were pulled into the cracked, broken space around him. It was like a suction force that only pulled in living beings in a specific area.
The moment Rhys was pulled in, all the icy energy on his body vanished before his body immediately started to absorb the pure, destructive aether energy within the void.
Rhys's brain started to work once more as it felt full of energy once more. The pure and rich aether energy was something he had never felt before. The aether he absorbed via cultivation was diluted during the process of traveling through space to reach him.
His body started to scream in pleasure as his dantian greedily ate all of the aether, its destructive properties seemed to be non-existable to Rhys's dantian.
Rhys turned to look at his enemy, her body was twitching as the aether within the void kept on breaking, destroying, annihilating every single thing inside of her body. Her Yin Laws became useless within the void, where no energy, but only aether existed. Since her body was not used to the aether, she was being destroyed.
Rhys was in an aware state, he saw all of this happening but it wasn't until a few seconds later his brain was able to process it. But once he did his eyes went wide before he touched his body and saw nothing was wrong with it.
He could not talk or breathe, but he felt oddly comfortable within the void.
'It's probably because of my physique.' Rhys thought, he was also oddly calm for someone who had almost died.
Rhys saw his opponent die and saw its body stop moving before the energy within her was released and she vanished like all the other illusions, except, the energy was destroyed by the destructive energy in the void.
'Time to go back.' Rhys thought before he channeled the same ability once more, alas, it did not work. It is better to say it activated but was held back by something.
'Why is my luck so shit?!' Rhys felt like his luck had been too bad ever since the trial started.
But now that Rhys was stuck in the void until who knows when he decided to use this chance to try and comprehend the mysteries of the void and space.
But immediately after Rhys opened his eyes once more, 'No fuck this! Let me out!'
He tried multiple times to activate Void Travel to send himself back into where he once was, 'Come on!'
His runic tattoos glowed a beautiful purple over and over, yet something was preventing him from leaving.
Rhys sighed and looked around, his beautiful golden pupils reflected the black void, but something made it much, much more special.
A myriad of different elements mixed and clashed, but they were all purple.
Purple pieces of rocks seemed to float in the void while purple lighting storms happened, purple flames burned in the nothingness.
Rhys was taken back by the beauty of the void.
Rhys kept on staring at all of this without batting an eye, but in his mind, these images were being imprinted to never be forgotten.
"Enjoying the sight?" Suddenly, a mysterious voice echoed.
But Rhys did not feel scared or anxious. He felt warmth and no hostility from the voice before him.
"Who is it?" Rhys mouthed, yet he could not speak due to the lack of form of sound to travel within the void.
The voice did not reply but Rhys felt a fluctuation within the void, making him turn and see a woman with purple hair and golden eyes filled with curiosity towards him.
A word immediately appeared within Rhys's mind when he saw the beauty in front of him, 'Eternal Paragon.'
"My real name has been forgotten even by me... hehe, many do call me Eternal Paragon." Her voice was sweet, she seemed to hold no trouble talking within the void.
Rhys simply moved his mouth, he felt this being would be able to read his lips, 'Nice to meet you.'
"Oh? Are you not surprised by seeing me? I am a Paragon, one of the few dozen in existence."
Rhys shook his head before he moved his lips, 'For some reason, I feel... safe with you? It is the best way I would describe it...' Rhys indeed felt like he could trust a person he just met! He did not understand! But he also felt immensely calm talking to such a strong being that could bring forth destruction to stars, and even small galaxies.
"Ah! How could I forget! That's because you are using my technique! That's why I came to find you when I sensed you here! You feel comfortable because one, you are in my domain, and two, as I stated, you are using my technique.
"It's only natural you feel good with me since I am the creator of the amazing technique!" Eternal Paragon stated with pride, he pushed her already generous chest out and patted it, making it wiggle within the low gravity of the void.
'Domain? Is this why I can't leave!?'
"Yes, domain. I am strong enough to have conquered a part of the void for myself, although I barely stay here since time passes by too quickly in this part of the void. Also yes, you can't leave due to my interference, I wanted to talk to the one I guess is my inheritor? You are using a technique made by me... so... I don't know" She spoke as if she was asking herself.
But Rhys who heard all of this felt... shocked. First of all, she spoke about how the time in 'this part' of the void, which means time runs differently in different zones of the void. She also was the one who kept him from returning.
But before Rhys could lose himself in his thoughts, Eternal Paragon spoke again.
"I think that is why I was called Eternal Paragon, since I spend most of my time within the parts of the void where the time moves the slowest, so every time I appear in the universe I should look older... in fact, by now I should be dead in the universe by their standards of life in my realm, yet I still look the same..." She spoke as if it wasn't a big deal, after all, she technically was fooling the entire universe.
Rhys knew that there were a few myths about how Eternal Paragon came from an ancient race of beings that could live eternally. But those were only some of the myths. But then again, Paragons were very secretive, they would not speak about their ranks or how long they could live, so one can't really know how long they live.
'But why did you want to talk to me?' Rhys could not help but ask.
"Ah, yes. I feel your fast progress with my technique! I can also see you have a lot of talent! Anyways that was not it... I want to ask you if you are willing to be trained by me! That's why I came to meet you!" Her voice contained multiple tones as it went from bright to questioning before it went back to cheerful.
Rhys felt the time in the void did more bad than good for Eternal Paragon, making him gulp since he too was here.
'But can't I stay here for too long with my physique's stage?'
"In my domain, you are absolutely safe, you can stay here for millennia as long as my domain is provided with the energy required to fight off the void's will." Her voice was full of pride as she spoke about fighting the will of the place she inhabited.
'But why would you want to train me, someone you just met?'
"Simple. I am bored." Her answer... was indeed simple!
Rhys could not help but think to himself, 'Bored?! You will train me only because you are bored!? Then what if you are no longer bored, will you discard me?' But of course, he did not say those words since he knew he might die, after all, Rhys knew strong characters had eccentric personalities.
The Eternal Paragon seemed to have... something wrong with her head.
Rhys pondered as he clenched his fists, there was no energy in his body, only aether, the traces of fire, nature, and light energy were being destroyed by the foreign aether still entering his body.
'Even if I do accept... I have to return back soon...'
"Easy, I'll move my domain to the area where time flows the fastest, if I'm not wrong it's something like 1 year here is like a day or back in reality..." Eternal Paragon muttered the last few words as she seemed unsure of her own knowledge.
Rhys decided to ask Ina for help, he felt like a little child asking his mother for help, 'What do you think Ina?'
"..."
"..."
'Ina?
There was no response from Ina.
At this time, it was when Rhys heard Eternal Paragon speak, "That little spirit will not reply, whoever designed her was pretty good, but absolute power can crush even the best works. You and I are the only beings present here, that little spirit is in a sleeping state."
'What did you do to her?'
"As I said, I put her to sleep. Don't worry, it is for her own good." She smiled beautifully, her pale, yet slightly purple skin shone within the dark void.
Rhys was now in a strange position, he could agree and get immense benefits... but at the same time, there is no way he could believe someone he just met, even if he felt innate warmth because she was the creator of his physique.
'If you want me to agree... then make an oath that you will not harm me in any way shape or form until I get home. If no-'
"I swear on my true name, I will not harm the boy before me in any way shape, or form during our master-apprentice relationship, and will deliver him home safely."
Brm!
Her oath was spoken and the will of the universe reacted, a strange hex appeared within her forehead before it vanished, it was the oath, if she broke it, the hex would hurt her and most likely cripple, if not kill her.
This is what made Oath's so scary, even beings of her level could not get rid of them, she would also pay the consequences for breaking her oath, even more so that she swore on her true name, a name all beings have upon birth, not the one given by their parents but by the will of the universe. Every being had one, Rhys did not yet know his, in fact, not many knew their true names since it was hidden within the soul, it was the universe's way of making sure no one could break their oath.
Rhys who saw all of this happen had his mouth fall to the ground, metaphorically that is, since there was no ground within the void and his jaw could not fall.
'She swore an oath without a second thought!?' Rhys was absolutely shocked,
He expected Eternal Paragon to speak all arrogantly and tell him things such as 'Don't get too cocky' or 'Don't order me around boy,' yet she made the oath.
'I accept your offer then!' Rhys moved his mouth. Rhys did not ask for Ina to be awoken because he wanted to try and grow without relying on her.
Eternal Paragon made a beautiful, breathtaking smile before Rhys felt her energy move, except it wasn't energy. But pure aether.
'She evolved all of her techniques to use aether...!' Rhys got another shock.
Eternal Paragon shrank her domain, to focus around Rhys and make it easier to maintain. Without waiting, Eternal Paragon got closer to Rhys and put her hand on his broad shoulder before space twisted and they were immediately in a new part of the void.
'This space mastery! Could she have achieved Law Embodiment!?' Rhys could not help but ask, there are different ranks in law use, comprehension is merely the first.
Rhys felt more awe rising, he felt the training with Eternal Paragon might end well.
'Use this chance to get stronger without relying on inheritances!' Rhys thought before he looked at Eternal Paragon's back as she floated away within the dark void.
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Author's Note:
2/3