Because his fate extends beyond the heavens

In the realm of the gods...

"What are your thoughts on the emergence of the god's candidate after a million years?" inquired the god's emperor, his expression serene as the sun's radiant glow illuminated him from behind, while his form was enveloped in billowing clouds.

"I'm genuinely curious about the identity of the emerging god's candidate," remarked the god of light.

"We must consult the Oracle; only she possesses the ability to divine the fate of the god's candidate," stated the God of Darkness.

"Very well, God of the Ocean, I delegate this matter to you," the god's emperor directed, closing his eyes and returning to his faith cultivation.

"Of course, God's Emperor," affirmed the god of the ocean, displaying a respectful demeanor.

With a swift departure, the god of the ocean left his spot and materialized in the celestial realm, Oracle's dominion.

"Ocean God, have you come to seek my divination regarding the emergence of the new god's candidate?" inquired Oracle, her eyes still shut.

"Yes, I am here on the god's emperor's orders," replied the ocean god, his tone deferential.

Despite not being the mightiest god, Oracle held the distinction of being the second most powerful, after the god's emperor.

Oracle parted her eyes and disclosed, "I cannot divine the fate of the god's candidate."

Perplexed, the ocean god inquired, "Why?" his countenance reflecting astonishment.

"Because his fate extends beyond the heavens," explained Oracle, closing her eyes.

"Beyond the heavens? How is that possible?" Ocean God pondered silently, then vanished from his location, reappearing in the God's Assembly Hall.

"Who is the god's candidate?"

***

***

***

The same question reverberated among all the gods.

"Ocean God, what does Oracle's divination reveal about the god's candidate?" inquired the God's Emperor.

"Oracle has conveyed that she cannot divine the fate of the god's candidate," replied Ocean God, pausing briefly.

"What?" All the gods rose from their thrones, their expressions a mix of astonishment.

Even the fate of the God's Emperor, who is on par with the heavens, could be vaguely discerned by Oracle. So, what did it mean that she couldn't perceive the fate of a god's candidate? Was there a still more powerful god then god's emperor within the realm of the gods?

Mutual disbelief passed among them as they exchanged glances.

The God's Emperor opened his eyes and furrowed his brow upon hearing Ocean God's words.

Meanwhile, inside a cave within the forest...

"Mm... mmm..." the young girl continued to struggle in Ronin's grasp.

Assured that no one was tailing them, he released his grip on her mouth, explaining, "I did it to protect you from them."

"From whom?" the young girl pretended not to know.

"No need to feign ignorance. I'm not your adversary; I'm shielding you from the scoundrel who intends to violate you," Ronin stated, his fist clenched tightly.

The young girl attempted to speak, but Ronin cut her off, saying, "The woman who rescued you from that scoundrel is dead."

"What?" exclaimed the young girl, her tears flowing freely.

"I need you to stay with me until I become powerful enough to expose all of his wicked deeds across every continent in this realm. You'll have a crucial role in bringing down that scoundrel," Ronin stated, a calm veneer concealing the volcanic anger within him.

"Hmm," the young girl wiped her tears and nodded, acknowledging Ronin's words.

"Good," Ronin affirmed, his mind racing. "Now, I must figure out a way to obtain the soul pearl."

"Hey, do you know of a method to alter our appearances?" Ronin inquired within his consciousness.

He can't continue to conceal his body with clothing, and it won't be long before his identity is exposed if he doesn't completely alter his appearance.

"Hmm, it's a piece of cake," replied the humanoid figure of light, as a technique began to take form in Ronin's consciousness.

After a few hours of practice, Ronin mastered the technique, completely transforming his appearance to that of a human. He approached the young girl, who slept soundly on the ground. Extending his hand, he gently roused her from her slumber.

She stirred awake, rubbing her sleepy eyes. However, as soon as she saw a stranger before her, fear overtook her, and she cried out, "Enemy... enemy... Brother, save me... Brother, save me..." her face etched with terror.

"Knock..."

"Ouch... ouch," the young girl shifted her hand to massage her head and shot a glare at Ronin.

"See, it's me," Ronin dispelled the technique.

"Brother, it's you!" the young girl exclaimed, astonishment evident on her face.

"Yes, it's me. We'll adopt these new appearances from now on, and if necessary, we'll keep changing them," Ronin explained, using the technique to revert to his previous look, and then employing it on the young girl to alter her appearance as well.

"Do you like your new appearance?" Ronin inquired, his gaze fixed on the young girl.

"Hmm," the young girl gazed at her reflection in the water's surface and nodded, responding to Ronin's question.

"Great, with these appearances, we can move freely in the human continent without drawing too much attention," Ronin mentioned, observing his own reflection in the water.

"Hmm," the young girl vigorously nodded her head, signaling agreement.

"Rest for now; we'll commence our journey once things have settled outside," Ronin advised, grasping the sword in his hand. As his hand connected with the sword, the vibrations of a heartbeat resonated from the weapon, indicating the sword's sentience and the connection between its consciousness and his own.

The sword slowly levitated into the air and fused with his body. As the sword merged within him, his current rate of cultivation advanced to the next level. Within an hour, he had regained 10% of his lost cultivation.

With his newfound level of cultivation, he could easily overpower the old woman from the restaurant in that small town.

"The body strengthening stage still has a long way to progress," Ronin mused to himself, his fist clenching and then relaxing.

"Where can I gather information about the events unfolding in the ocean continent?" Ronin pondered, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Delving into his memories, Ronin conducted a search until he finally located the source that could provide him with the information he sought.