While all of Asgard boiled because of him, Lucci—the eye of the storm—was completely unaware of everything happening outside.
His mind was utterly immersed in an unprecedented experience brought on by the "Great Cosmos Meditation Method." If the "Nine Realms Cyclic Breathing Method" had turned him into a "local network node" connected to the Nine Great Kingdoms, then at this very moment, the "Great Cosmos Meditation Method" was directly linking him to the "main server" of the entire universe—with extremely high access privileges!
His consciousness traveled across the sea of stars. The energy of each star was no longer an unreachable point of light, but a source he could directly perceive and absorb. He could clearly sense the violent nuclear fusion within each star, and even the laws of creation and destruction that resided there.
He "saw" vast nebulae of creation, where countless new stars were born. His heart stirred; fragments of his awareness probed into them, feeling that magnificent vitality emerge—bit by bit—from chaos into order. That vitality was absorbed by him, fed back into his flesh, and every cell in his body seemed to cry out in joy.
Then he projected his consciousness into a neutron star in the abyss of space. Its terrifying gravity and ultra-dense material structure—under the analysis of the Great Cosmos Meditation Method—became clear clauses of a cosmic codex. His understanding of "power" and "matter" made a qualitative leap at that instant.
High-dimensional, boundless cosmic energy—drawn down through the transformation of the meditation method—poured into his body without pause, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea. The quality of that energy was incomparable to the energy within the Nine Realms: more original, more pure, and packed with the vast information of the universe.
At this moment, Lucci's strength began to grow explosively in the truest sense!
Nourished by the universe's immense source energy, his soul expanded at an unprecedented speed. His divine will, which had once covered only a corner of Asgard, now easily enveloped the entire Celestial Realm and spread into the distant void. He could even "hear" the joy brought by the power growth of every citizen in the Asgard.
Under the harmonization of this higher-dimensional energy, the true fire within him became ever purer. Within the golden flames, the presence of a deep starry sky gradually emerged, as if an entire cosmos lived inside the fire. The temperature did not rise, yet its essence clearly shifted, carrying a terrifying authority: the laws of incineration and the ignition of space itself.
With each deepening "resonance" with the universe, his comprehension of laws also deepened—space, time, power, matter, energy… Laws that once demanded deliberate observation and analysis now felt like instinct. He sensed that with a single thought, he could distort them to a certain degree.
This kind of all-directional, explosive growth was the first time since his time travel that even Lucci had experienced it.
…
At the highest point of the Asgard, atop the Valaskjalf.
Odin stood alone, his solemn gaze fixed on the direction of Lucci's palace. There, the area was already wrapped in starlight so dense it nearly materialized, forming a massive, peerless vortex of energy.
As the supreme powerhouse of the Nine Worlds—on par with the All-Father—Odin could sense energy far more keenly than anyone else. Yet at this moment, facing Lucci, he realized his proud perceptions were collapsing completely.
He could feel Lucci's power: vast and profound like the universe itself—endless, unfathomable. But where was the limit of such power?
It was impossible to measure.
Odin tried to probe with his divine power, to monitor Lucci's state. But the instant his sacred force touched the edge of the energy vortex, it was like a clay ox entering the sea—silently assimilated and dissolved, without even a ripple.
Odin's heart shook violently.
His Odinforce was the supreme power formed by fusing the authority of the God-King, the might of the Nine Realms, and his own soul. Throughout the Nine Realms, it was unbreakable and inviolable.
And yet now… he couldn't even approach Lucci.
What did that mean?
It meant that the energy level Lucci controlled at this moment had already surpassed the boundaries of Odin's understanding by a vast margin.
Unwilling to believe it, Odin increased his output. This time, he invoked the authority of the God-King itself, attempting to forcibly penetrate the starlight. But the result was the same. Before that deep starlight, his power was as small as a firefly competing with the bright moon—unable to raise even the faintest ripple.
Odin finally gave up.
He withdrew his power, his expression twisting with complex shock, a bitter smile, and a pride humbled at its peak.
"Can't see through it… I can't see anything at all…"
He murmured to himself, his voice carrying a faint reverence even he hadn't noticed.
In the past, he had been able to roughly estimate Lucci's strength, and had often been astonished by his progress. But now, he had completely lost even the qualification to measure this child.
It no longer felt like he was gazing at a rising star.
It felt like he was staring at a vast universe—still expanding at a terrifying speed…
A sky full of stars.
Where was the boundary of this starry sky? What great mystery lay hidden at its center?
He didn't know.
All he knew was that Asgard—and even the entire Nine Realms—could no longer contain this starry sky.
How long the cultivation vision lasted, no one could say. At last, when the sun once again shone into the golden Asgard, the bright sea of stars that had covered the entire Celestial Realm slowly receded like a tide and dissolved back into Lucci's body.
It was as if all of Asgard had undergone a holy baptism.
Pure cosmic energy still lingered in the air, and every Asgardian's breath felt fresh and invigorating. Joy and reverence filled everyone's faces; when they looked toward Lucci's palace, their eyes burned with fanatic devotion.
On the Valaskjalf platform, Odin had not left.
He witnessed this feast of energy with his own eyes, and personally felt the flourishing scene after every citizen of the Celestial Realm had been strengthened.
At this moment, the tension that had long weighed on him—worrying for the safety of the Nine Realms and the future of his descendants—completely loosened. He let out a long sigh of genuine relief.
It was as though, with that breath, the fatigue and heaviness piled up for tens of thousands of years were finally expelled.
He used to sit alone upon this throne often, late at night, anxious about Asgard's future. As he aged and the Odinforce weakened, he feared hidden enemies in the cosmos—Surtur, Dormammu, and even the Mad Titan Thanos—might one day lead war into the Nine Realms again.
He worried that his eldest son, Thor, though brave and fearless, was too reckless and impulsive, lacking the wisdom and civil governance befitting a king—making it difficult for him to bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the Nine Worlds.
He also worried about Loki, his adopted son: clever, but harboring jealousy and paranoia, his desire for the throne twisting his heart—likely becoming the greatest cause of internal chaos in Asgard after Odin's departure.
These worries weighed like mountains. Even as God-King, Odin felt powerless, and in his later years, deeply unsettled. He had even prepared for the worst—following his father Bor's example—ready to sacrifice himself as a last resort, sealing the enemy and trading Asgard for temporary peace.
But now…
Odin's gaze pierced the temple walls and once again fell upon that distant, quiet palace.
Everything was different.
With Lucci, everything was completely different.
Lucci's wisdom surpassed Asgard's ten-thousand-year accumulation of knowledge. The "Secret Codex of Divine Power Refinement" he casually created was enough to raise the upper limit of power for the entire Asgardian.
And Lucci's strength was even more immeasurable—whether in the use of laws or pure physical might, he had reached a realm that even Odin, the God-King, could not attain.
With only a single cultivation session, he could trigger the tides of the universe and benefit the entire Celestial Realm.
More importantly: Lucci's temperament.
He possessed supreme power that defined all things, yet he never flaunted it. He calmly pointed Thor in the right direction, helped Heimdall… He was like the deep universe itself, embracing everything—yet existing above all of it.
Such wisdom. Such strength. Such intellect…
Wasn't this exactly what a perfect mythic king should be?
Thor's recklessness?
Under Lucci's absolute strength and wise guidance, it would become the sharpest spear.
Loki's paranoia?
Before Lucci's penetrating gaze, it might help him find the true path.
Enemies of the cosmos?
Odin even felt that those who had once deceived him might not even be qualified to look upon themselves in Lucci's presence in the future.
Odin leaned back on the cold throne, a relaxed, heartfelt smile appearing on his face for the first time in decades. It felt like he had finally removed heavy armor he'd worn for ten thousand years; his whole body felt lighter than ever.
At last, he no longer needed to worry about Asgard's future.
Because Lucci was Asgard's brightest, most unshakable future!
Under Lucci's guidance, Asgard would no longer be merely the guardian of the Nine Worlds. It would advance into a glorious era beyond even Odin's imagination—becoming a brilliant civilization that drew the attention of the entire universe!
"Hah… ha…"
Odin chuckled softly. The laughter grew louder and louder, until it became a hearty roar that echoed through the empty temple.
He laughed until tears welled up. He stroked his single eye, gently tapped the throne's armrest with his other hand, and muttered with infinite emotion and pride:
"Asgard… this is defying the heavens!"
The God-King who had ruled the Nine Realms for nearly ten thousand years—at this very moment—smiled with the happiness and satisfaction of an ordinary father witnessing a child accomplish an extraordinary feat.
…
Bonus chapter at 100 PS