The moment Solanky's spiritual sense returned to the statue, he immediately realized that the Golden Ring Continent must have been personally created by its creator.
Under normal circumstances, the corpses of such powerful beings could influence the surrounding space through their mere existence. However, that was not the case with the corpses scattered across this continent. Despite their immense power in life, they emitted no death aura capable of affecting the surrounding environment.
Solanky briefly pondered this peculiar phenomenon before shifting his attention to Golan's clansmen.
He understood that not all ten million inhabitants of the continent would immediately accept him as their guardian spirit. Most of them had never experienced the terror of facing an invasion by a truly powerful being. For years, their ancestor, Golan, had personally handled most of the threats directed at their homeland. Furthermore, the majority of the beings who had attempted to invade the continent possessed cultivation at rank six or below, with some barely reaching the level preceding it.
Consequently, many inhabitants had little understanding of the true horrors that powerful invaders could bring upon their homeland.
As Solanky's spiritual sense swept across the continent, he discovered several interesting locations and individuals that caught his attention. He intended to investigate them personally once he could manifest a spiritually powered avatar on the continent.
For the time being, however, he had more important matters to attend to.
After dealing with the invading rank-seven being, Golan retrieved its corpse and mounted it on a towering pole. The corpse would serve as a warning to any would-be invaders whose strength was inferior to that of the displayed remains.
Once he had finished making the necessary arrangements, Golan flew toward the nearest statue of Solanky and knelt before it, expressing his gratitude for the guardian's intervention.
A moment later, Solanky's voice transmission entered his mind.
"Gather your clansmen and prepare a grand unveiling ceremony. It is time to reveal my identity to the inhabitants of this continent before it is too late."
Golan immediately understood what needed to be done.
He summoned the elders and instructed them to organize a grand ceremony that would span the entire continent.
The elders exchanged glances but quickly understood their ancestor's intentions. Whenever they traveled to other continents, they encountered statues of powerful beings that the inhabitants had grown accustomed to calling guarding spirits.
They understood the significance of such beings better than most.
Continents blessed with guarding spirits were generally safer than those without them. Their guardians could deal with invasions before they escalated into catastrophic disasters, preventing countless inhabitants from perishing in conflicts they had no hope of surviving.
With a guardian spirit watching over their homeland, the inhabitants of the Golden Ring Continent would finally have a powerful protector capable of defending them when Golan was absent.
Meanwhile, within Golan's palace, a miniature statue of Solanky had been placed in a prominent position.
Unlike the other statues scattered across the continent, this particular statue possessed thirty times more spiritual power. Deep within its structure lay the concealed essence of Black God Solanky, carefully hidden from anyone incapable of discerning its presence.
When Solanky had entrusted the miniature statue to Golan, he had also given him a special talisman and instructed him to place it on the statue as soon as it was installed within the palace.
Golan had followed those instructions precisely.
The moment the talisman was activated, countless world formations erupted from the miniature statue.
They surged outward, passing through the palace walls and roof as though those physical structures did not exist. Golden formations spread into the surrounding skies, accompanied by intricate restrictions that radiated an increasingly profound aura.
The guards and elders stationed within the palace immediately sensed the disturbance.
They hurried outside and looked upward, only to discover countless golden formations ascending into the heavens.
Initially, the formations occupied an area measuring merely a few meters across. However, their expansion accelerated before everyone's eyes. Layer upon layer of formations unfolded, intertwining with one another as they spread across the skies.
A faint but terrifying pressure seeped from the formations and restrictions.
Although the pressure was far from overwhelming, even the elders could sense that the power concealed within those formations was extraordinary.
Six breaths later, the entire sky above the Golden Ring Continent had become shrouded in golden formations and restrictions.
A magnificent barrier gradually took shape around the entire continent.
Golan stared at the spectacle with a deeply shocked expression.
Among all the inhabitants of the continent, he was the only one who had personally entered the spiritual realm. Consequently, he possessed a much better understanding of the difference between ordinary defensive formations and the terrifying power of the barrier now surrounding their homeland.
Even so, he wanted to verify its capabilities for himself.
Golan summoned several elders, and together they boarded a flying ship before heading toward the edge of the continent.
Their destination was the newly established barrier.
As the flying ship approached the golden boundary, the elders instinctively tightened their expressions, uncertain whether the barrier would recognize them as inhabitants or treat them as intruders.
However, just as the ship reached the boundary, a passage materialized before them.
Golan guided the ship through the opening.
The instant they passed beyond the barrier, the passage sealed itself, restoring the defensive boundary to its original state.
The elders exchanged astonished glances.
They had barely recovered from their surprise when Golan turned the ship around and approached the barrier once more.
As expected, another passage opened to allow them to return.
Once the ship had crossed the boundary, the passage closed behind them.
After conducting several additional tests, the elders reached a remarkable conclusion.
The barrier recognized the inhabitants of the Golden Ring Continent and permitted them to enter and leave freely while restricting outsiders.
This discovery filled them with excitement.
The barrier was not merely a defensive structure. It was an intelligent formation capable of distinguishing between those who belonged to the continent and those who did not.
News of the barrier quickly spread among the inhabitants.
The indigenous population was astonished by the development. Many immediately offered prayers of gratitude, while others gathered in the streets to celebrate.
Although they were overjoyed, the terror of a powerful being attempting to invade their homeland remained deeply rooted in their memories.
They had lived under the shadow of uncertainty for far too long.
For them, the appearance of such a powerful defensive barrier represented the possibility of a future in which their children would no longer have to live in constant fear.
Golan soon appeared before the inhabitants and addressed them in a powerful voice.
"Our Golden Ring Continent now has a guarding spirit!
"His presence extends across our homeland, with statues stationed at its four cardinal locations. You may visit these statues and pay your respects to our guardian later.
"For now, however, the barrier surrounding our continent will protect you whenever I am away in the spiritual realm.
"So let us celebrate! Let us rejoice and make merry!
"The younger generation shall no longer have to live in fear!"
His declaration was met with thunderous cheers.
The inhabitants celebrated throughout the continent, welcoming the arrival of their new protector.
Nevertheless, their excitement was accompanied by a measure of uncertainty.
They had yet to witness Solanky's true power or understand the full extent of his methods. Consequently, Golan's declaration alone was insufficient to convince everyone that their troubles had come to an end.
They had lived in fear of the unknown for countless years. It was only natural that they would remain cautious.
The barrier had not yet been tested against a truly powerful enemy, and they had no way of knowing whether it could withstand attacks from beings at Golan's level or even stronger.
Their doubts were understandable.
After enduring years of hardship, they could not afford to place all their hopes in a promise that had yet to be proven.
The Golden Ring Continent was divided into seven major regions, each inhabited by millions of beings.
Although the continent's technological development lagged behind that of certain places in the lower realm of the Beyond Realm, such as Planet Sabiru, its inhabitants had nevertheless achieved several modest technological advancements of their own.
Each region was overseen by a regional head or elder whose cultivation had reached at least rank three or rank four. These individuals were responsible for coordinating regional affairs, maintaining order, and ensuring that the inhabitants carried out their daily activities without unnecessary disturbances.
They would then report important matters directly to Golan, the strongest being on the continent and the first to step forward whenever their homeland faced danger.
With the announcement of their new guardian, celebrations gradually spread across all seven regions.
However, while the majority of the inhabitants immersed themselves in the festivities, a group of teenagers had embarked on a different kind of adventure.
Deep within the northern region of the continent, several young individuals were exploring the rugged terrain in search of the statue of their newly proclaimed guarding spirit.
Their leader was a young man named Oscar.
Unlike the others who had readily accepted Golan's announcement, Oscar remained skeptical.
He did not believe that the appearance of a guardian spirit would necessarily change anything about their lives. In his opinion, Golan's words might have been intended to reassure the population rather than reveal the existence of a truly extraordinary being.
Consequently, he had gathered three of his peers and ventured into the northern wilderness to investigate the matter for themselves.
After traveling through dense vegetation for some time, they finally discovered something remarkable.
A towering stone figure stood in the distance, its enormous silhouette rising above the surrounding vegetation. An imposing aura emanated from the statue, filling the surrounding area with an indescribable sense of oppression.
Oscar narrowed his eyes.
Despite the pressure weighing upon him, he remained unwilling to accept the existence of the so-called guarding spirit without seeing its appearance for himself.
Unfortunately, the group had approached the statue from behind.
Oscar could only see its enormous back, leaving him unable to examine the face of the being whose arrival had caused such a commotion across the continent.
His three companions immediately felt the danger.
None of them dared to approach the statue any further. The pressure emanating from it was simply too terrifying.
Oscar, however, refused to retreat.
Ignoring the oppressive aura weighing upon his body, he continued forward until he was close enough to circle around the statue.
The towering figure stood a thousand feet tall, its enormous stone body radiating an ancient and mysterious presence.
Oscar's companions watched helplessly as he advanced alone.
They lacked the courage to follow him.
After several tense moments, Oscar finally reached the front of the statue.
He slowly raised his head.
The moment his eyes fell upon the statue's face, something extraordinary happened.
The terrifying pressure that had been weighing upon him vanished completely.
Far above the Golden Ring Continent, within the upper-spiritual realm, Black God Solanky opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Oscar, meanwhile, remained motionless before the statue.
His consciousness had been drawn into a profound trance, and his surroundings gradually faded from his perception.
Within the depths of his consciousness, the seemingly lifeless statue came alive.
A mysterious figure appeared before him, surrounded by countless arcs of lightning that illuminated the darkness.
The figure seemed to stand within an endless galaxy filled with raging thunder and lightning. Brilliant bolts stretched across the cosmic expanse, illuminating countless distant stars while an overwhelming aura radiated from his body.
The sight was far more terrifying than anything Oscar could have imagined.
The mysterious figure standing within his consciousness gradually overlapped with the towering statue before him.
They were one and the same.
The figure was none other than Black God Solanky in his true appearance.
The moment Black God Solanky closed his eyes within the upper-spiritual realm, the oppressive aura surrounding the statue returned.
Oscar, however, remained trapped within his trance.
More than three hours passed according to Earth's time, yet he showed no signs of awakening.
His companions waited anxiously at a safe distance, unable to approach the statue without being overwhelmed by its terrifying pressure.
Eventually, they realized that they could no longer afford to wait.
Leaving one another no time to argue, they hurried away to seek help from the elders or Golan himself.
Meanwhile, something extraordinary was happening within Oscar's body.
Since birth, Oscar had suffered from damaged meridians that prevented him from cultivating properly. No matter how hard he tried, his body had been unable to support the circulation of spiritual energy required to advance along the cultivation path.
For years, his condition had condemned him to remain a mere mortal.
Now, however, the damaged meridians were being restored.
One by one, the broken pathways within his body returned to their proper condition. His meridians were not merely recovering; they were being restored to a state of perfection.
At the same time, a profound transformation began taking place within his cultivation.
His strength broke through the limitations that had bound him since birth, advancing from rank zero, the level of an ordinary mortal, to rank one.
Rank one was equivalent to the level of a high-level mortal or a Demi-God.
For Oscar, who had spent his entire life unable to cultivate, this transformation represented a miracle beyond his wildest dreams.
Yet he remained completely unaware of what was happening.
By the time Golan arrived with several elders, Oscar's aura had become considerably stronger.
They immediately noticed that the young man was still trapped in a trance, yet his life energy continued to grow more powerful with every passing moment.
The elders exchanged bewildered glances.
They could not understand what had happened to him, but they could clearly sense the extraordinary transformation taking place within his body.
His cultivation continued to rise until it reached the peak of rank one.
Only then did the advancement finally stop.
At that moment, the terrifying pressure surrounding the statue subsided.
A gentle but irresistible force swept through the air, carrying Oscar away from the statue and depositing him approximately a hundred feet from Golan and the elders.
Golan and the others immediately moved forward to receive him.
After confirming that Oscar was not in immediate danger, they carefully carried him aboard their flying ship.
The elders also instructed Oscar's three companions to board the vessel so they could leave the area together.
Before departing, Golan and the elders turned toward the towering statue.
They clasped their hands and bowed respectfully.
Their actions conveyed a gratitude that words could scarcely express.
The guardian spirit had not only spared Oscar's life but had also healed his lifelong affliction and granted him a level of strength he had never believed possible.
To Golan and the elders, this was further evidence that their new guardian possessed methods far beyond their understanding.
Meanwhile, within the upper-spiritual realm, Black God Solanky quietly observed the events unfolding below.
"What an interesting child," he murmured with a faint smile.
"To think that he was capable of entering the internal spiritual space of the statue. If he receives proper nurturing, he might eventually reach the tenth rank.
"Once he awakens the spiritual power I planted within him, it will begin guiding his cultivation and teaching him the necessary principles until he reaches the seventh rank."
Solanky paused briefly, his expression revealing a trace of interest.
Oscar's potential had caught his attention.
For the time being, however, the young man's future would depend on how he developed after awakening the power that had been planted within him.
Two days later, Oscar finally regained consciousness.
The moment he opened his eyes, memories of the terrifying figure standing within the galaxy of lightning flooded his mind.
He instinctively shuddered.
A mixture of awe and fear filled his heart as he recalled the overwhelming presence of the mysterious being.
For several moments, he remained distracted by those memories, barely paying attention to the changes that had taken place within his body.
Outside the tent where he had been resting, a native doctor had been monitoring his condition.
The instant Oscar regained consciousness, the doctor hurried out to inform Golan and the elders.
They arrived almost immediately and entered the tent, surrounding Oscar with questions.
Golan was the first to speak.
"Tell me everything that happened. How did you end up in that condition?"
Oscar hesitated briefly before recounting the entire incident.
He explained how he had doubted Golan's announcement, gathered his companions, and ventured into the northern wilderness to find the statue.
He then described approaching the towering figure, circling around it to see its face, and finally encountering the mysterious being within his consciousness.
According to Oscar, the figure had stood in the middle of a galaxy filled with countless bolts of lightning and raging thunder.
As the elders listened to his account, their expressions gradually changed.
A chill ran through their hearts.
They had already witnessed the extraordinary power of the barrier and the mysterious formations surrounding their homeland. Now, they were hearing a firsthand account of a being whose presence could draw a mortal into an inexplicable trance.
Before Golan could ask another question, a loud rumble suddenly echoed outside the tent.
The ground trembled for a brief moment.
Golan's expression immediately darkened.
"We are under attack!"
He turned toward the elders, his gaze shifting toward the direction of the disturbance.
"Can the barrier retaliate against the intruders?"
Without waiting for an answer, he rushed out of the tent, followed closely by the elders.
Oscar remained behind for a moment, still processing everything he had experienced.
Curiosity eventually overcame his hesitation.
He rose to his feet and decided to investigate the commotion himself.
However, the moment he moved, he noticed something unusual.
His body felt remarkably light.
He dashed out of the tent, only to discover that his speed had increased dramatically. His movements were far swifter and more fluid than before, as though the physical limitations that had constrained him throughout his life had suddenly disappeared.
Oscar froze in astonishment.
He had never possessed such speed.
For as long as he could remember, even modest physical exertion had placed tremendous strain on his body. If he pushed himself too hard, he would often collapse from exhaustion.
His condition had been especially frustrating because of a green mark on his body that had been present since birth.
Yet now, something seemed different.
Oscar hurriedly tore off his shirt to examine the mark.
His eyes widened.
The green wound that had plagued him since birth had miraculously disappeared. In its place was smooth, healthy skin, without any trace of the mark that had once defined his physical condition.
He stared at his body in disbelief.
His damaged meridians had been restored, his cultivation had advanced, his physical abilities had improved, and even the mysterious wound that had troubled him since birth had vanished.
Only then did Oscar finally understand the magnitude of what had happened.
His encounter with the guarding spirit had brought him an extraordinary fortune.
He could now sense the strength coursing through his body, and he realized that his cultivation had finally reached a level that qualified him to stand among the elites of his clan.
A feeling of gratitude welled up within him.
Although the commotion outside suggested that the continent was facing another threat, Oscar momentarily forgot about the disturbance.
Instead, he turned toward the distant northern wilderness, where the towering statue stood.
He clasped his hands, lowered his head, and bowed deeply in the direction of the guardian spirit.
For the first time in his life, Oscar had found something worth believing in.
And he knew that he would never forget the being who had changed his destiny.