Alex closed his eyes.

"System, define dao and law to me," Alex asked in a calm and measured tone.

[Ding! Dao is the combination of multiple laws. For example, Killing is a dao, which is formed by the Law of Death, the Law of Destruction, and others. There are a total of three thousand laws in existence, and they intertwine to form one hundred and eight daos.]

Alex nodded slowly. The explanation was clear enough for him to grasp the fundamental idea. That meant he only needed to comprehend the three thousand laws, and the daos would naturally follow afterward.

[Ding! After comprehending the laws, the host will also need to understand how they interact with one another to form a dao. This process is even more difficult than comprehending the laws themselves.]

"Is that so?" Alex said quietly. "Then I will proceed one step at a time. First, the laws. The daos can wait."

With that decision made, he summoned his martial soul. A faint aura began to gather around him as he entered a state of deep comprehension. His breathing slowed, his mind sharpened, and his consciousness began to sink into a profound state of focus where distractions could no longer reach him.

However, while Alex immersed himself in silent understanding, the outside world had already descended into turmoil.

"Master, where could he possibly hide? This realm is enormous. There are too many hiding places. If we do not remove all these obstacles, finding him will be like searching for a needle in a haystack," Victor said in a cold and calculating tone.

"You may have to proceed according to the situation," the will of the sword replied calmly. "Otherwise, you will lose his trace entirely. We do not even know which multiverse he originates from."

"Then let us begin," Victor said. His eyes turned red, filled with a dangerous intensity that bordered on madness.

He drew his sword. It was a broken blade, golden in color, its surface marked with ancient fractures. Despite its damaged state, the energy it emitted, even while suppressed, was overwhelming to anyone who could sense it.

"Get out of my way," he roared.

Others who were searching for Alex heard his voice echo across the land.

"What is he doing? Has he completely lost his mind?" they wondered in alarm.

But Rowan had already fled far from the area where his brother stood. He knew better than anyone what kind of monster Victor truly was. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Do not blame me if you die here," Rowan muttered under his breath as he continued to retreat.

Victor swung the sword.

Boom.

A beam of sword light burst forth, cutting through the air with catastrophic force. It advanced relentlessly, leaving behind a path of devastation. Everything in its trajectory vanished. Trees were erased, the ground was torn apart, and even those unfortunate enough to stand in its path were annihilated without resistance.

The destruction extended for hundreds of kilometers before finally dissipating.

Victor did not stop. He had only just begun.

The sheer display of power left everyone who witnessed it in complete horror.

"Come out!" he roared again as he swung the sword in another direction.

This time, no one was foolish enough to remain in his path. They scattered immediately, prioritizing survival over everything else.

Even so, several highly powerful individuals, equipped with what were considered galactic-grade battlesuit, were vaporized without leaving behind a trace.

This single fact revealed a terrifying truth. Victor’s attack power had already surpassed that level entirely.

He descended further into a frenzy, swinging his sword repeatedly. Each strike carved through the land, erasing mountains, forests, and any form of obstruction that might conceal Alex.

His goal was simple and absolute. He intended to remove every possible hiding place until Alex had nowhere left to remain concealed.

And Victor was certain of one thing. Alex had not yet left the realm.

His master had not sensed any spatial distortion. Even if Alex could suppress his presence perfectly, he would still need to distort space in order to leave. Such a disturbance could not go unnoticed.

"He is terrifying. Let us leave. Even if we find the culprit, we will not be able to take any seeds from that monster," some of the others whispered among themselves.

Fear had begun to take root in their hearts. Their initial greed was rapidly replaced by the instinct to survive.

They turned, intending to leave the realm immediately.

But before anyone could act, Victor’s voice rang out once more.

"If anyone dares to use teleportation, every single one of you will die," he declared coldly.

His intent was clear. He could not sense Alex’s presence. If someone else caused spatial distortion, it might create an opportunity for Alex to escape unnoticed. He would not allow that possibility.

Everyone froze where they stood. No one dared to take another step.

Victor raised his sword again, preparing to unleash yet another devastating strike.

But suddenly, the entire realm began to tremble.

The ground shook violently, as though something immense was moving beneath its surface.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Each impact reverberated across the land, growing louder and closer with every passing moment.

All eyes turned toward the north.

The trees in that direction were breaking apart, collapsing as if an enormous force was bulldozing its way forward. The earth itself seemed unable to withstand whatever was approaching.

Then a deep and authoritative voice echoed throughout the realm.

"Intruders, I allowed you youngsters to enter this realm, not to destroy it. You have crossed the limit. From this moment onward, this realm will be sealed for eternity."

The voice carried immense pressure, suppressing everyone present.

Soon, the owner of the voice revealed itself.

It was a massive humanoid figure. Its exact nature was impossible to determine because its entire body was covered in a battle suit of unknown origin. The armor radiated a presence that surpassed ordinary comprehension.

"Master, what is that thing?" Victor asked, his tone no longer as confident as before.

"The realm guardian," the will of the sword replied gravely. "A meta-existence-level entity. I did not expect something like this to be here. Leave immediately."

"Damn it," Victor growled in frustration.

Even in his current state, he understood the danger. Without hesitation, he withdrew and left the area at once.

The others did not need to be told twice. They followed, retreating from the realm as quickly as possible.

No one dared to remain behind in the presence of such an entity.

Once everyone had exited, the guardian raised its hand and snapped its fingers.

In an instant, the entire realm underwent a transformation. Invisible barriers formed, sealing it completely from the outside world. Space itself seemed to solidify, cutting off all possible paths of entry and exit.

The realm was locked away for eternity.

Yet, despite its immense perception and authority, the guardian failed to notice one detail.

Hidden within a quiet pond, far removed from the devastation and chaos above, someone remained.

Alex continued to sit in silence, completely immersed in the deepest level of comprehension.

Unaware of the destruction, the pursuit, and the sealing of the realm, he remained focused solely on understanding the fundamental laws of existence.