Chapter 696 — Human Realm & Followed

Liora’s consciousness slowly returned to the present.

As the images of what had happened in the past flashed through her mind, she finally had a complete answer about humanity’s origins.

Nova Terra could indeed be considered humanity’s birthplace in the Cosmic Universe.

However, that was not the entire truth.

Just as the crazy scientists had previously claimed, humans were not native to the Cosmic Universe! They were indeed aliens, left behind by an unfathomable being!

More precisely...

The other party’s final words rang in Liora’s mind.

...They were kindling carrying the flame of humanity.

Judging from this statement, it was obvious that the state of the true home of cosmic humanity was not very good.

The humans left in the Cosmic Universe were merely a contingency plan, left behind in case their true civilization was destroyed.

Of course, this explanation also raised another question.

How had no one discovered the peculiarity of Nova Terra?

Liora might have wondered the same in the past.

Yet after witnessing the scene at the beginning of the universe, she now had an answer.

Her eyes narrowed as she stood up. Her mind stirred.

Immediately, an illusory river appeared and enveloped her. Dimensional Leap was activated, carrying her to a place she had failed to find before.

Her figure disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer on Nova Terra. Or rather, she appeared outside the Cosmic Universe as a whole.

In a vast white expanse, Liora stood before a gate.

At first glance, it looked ordinary, both in appearance and size.

But upon closer inspection, that impression changed.

The gate seemed to grow larger the longer one observed it. Its appearance also changed accordingly.

Colorful images appeared across its originally plain white surface. They were etched there, as though they had been carved by hand.

The pictures were complicated, yet also simple.

They depicted humans in the primitive age, during the era when fire had only just been discovered.

Then, they followed human life through the ancient ages, showing their development step by step.

Liora observed these patterns for several seconds.

Had anyone else been in her place, they would have believed these images depicted the past of Nova Terra or perhaps the Human Federation.

However, Liora knew that was not true.

What they depicted was not this world, but the civilization from which humans had originated.

After all, this place had been left behind by the owner of that enormous hand long before the Human Federation had even been an idea.

"That person has surely surpassed the Ancient Devil stage..." Liora muttered, recalling the power she had glimpsed when peering into the past.

Although she had only seen images and had not personally experienced it, the power of that being was obvious.

Combined with the fact that no member of the Human Federation had ever discovered this place or the secrets of Nova Terra, it was clear that the unknown creature stood on a far higher level than Rank 13.

Countless thoughts raced through Liora’s mind.

In the end, she organized her thoughts and shook her head before focusing on the giant gate.

She could sense something calling to her from within.

It was similar to the call she had once sensed from the World Devourer Ancestor, obviously stemming from her own bloodline.

Seeing this, Liora paused for a brief moment, as though deliberating her choice.

Then, she stepped forward.

The moment she moved, the gate in front of her seemed to have finally sensed her arrival.

The images on its surface suddenly lit up and became even more lifelike before merging together.

The closer Liora got, the faster their fusion became.

By the time she was a few feet away, the process had finally been completed.

The countless images had merged, outlining a single giant figure.

It was a man wearing clothes made from animal skins and fur. He looked primitive, as if he had existed long before human civilization developed.

However, no one would dare underestimate him.

Despite his plain appearance, the man looked strangely majestic, carrying both a wildness and a gentle quality.

But what attracted most of Liora’s attention was not his appearance. Rather, it was what he was carrying.

A torch.

Its size was even greater than the man holding it.

Although it was merely an image, its aura was terrifying.

With a single glance at it, countless images would emerge in the onlooker’s mind—all of them related to the human race.

The Torch of Human Civilization!

This title subconsciously appeared in Liora’s mind, clearly the name of the torch.

However, the torch’s uniqueness was not the only reason her eyes remained fixed on it.

She could sense something awakening within her.

In the dim Cosmic Sea, one of the many Law Stars that had previously been damaged suddenly trembled.

Hymns to humanity rang out as the illusory figures of human sages emerged in the sky above it.

Above them all was a single figure.

It had Liora’s appearance, but wore an emperor’s robe and held an azure sword. It looked inexplicably majestic, somewhat mirroring the primitive man.

Her Human Clone!

The moment Liora arrived before the gate, this body, still in the Blood Forest Realm, was stimulated.

Its projection descended in the Cosmic Sea.

Its aura resonated with the Torch of Human Civilization, as if the two pillars of humanity were communicating with each other.

A moment later, a thunderous boom snapped Liora back to reality.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized that the man and the torch he was holding had both disappeared.

Unknowingly, the mysterious gate had swung open.

Sensing the call of her bloodline and the connection with her Human Emperor Clone, Liora did not hesitate. With a single step, she walked into the gate.

A moment after she left, a figure suddenly appeared in the white expanse.

It stared at the open gate and tried to approach it, only to discover that it could not get closer at all.

An invisible barrier stood in its way, preventing it from moving any further.

The figure showed no surprise. It seemed to have expected this.

"Has the Human Realm finally opened? It seems that it’s time to begin the plan..."

A soft female voice echoed as the figure began to grow blurry, ready to disappear into nothingness.

But just then, the process stopped abruptly.

An exclamation escaped the figure’s mouth.

When it turned around and saw a familiar face, its eyes opened wide.

"You... Didn’t you go inside?"

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