"Who is that?"

In the forests, many people exploring Sky Island raised their heads in shock, deeply stirred.

They had all seen from afar the invincible Flamebird spewing blood across the sky, its wings broken as it plummeted down, this was a terrifying monster on the level of a Weaver, yet it had been so easily slain?

Moreover, the powerful figure who killed the Flamebird seemed to have flown directly into the depths of Sky Island?

No one knew what truly lay in Sky Island's deepest region, for it was filled with dangers everywhere, no one had dared approach it before.

Has someone finally come today to explore that terrifying perilous land?

But who exactly was the one who made the move...?

...

Deep within Sky Island.

Carlotta and Amelia advanced rapidly, ahead of them stretching untouched wilderness, with occasional scenes of monsters battling erupting here and there.

To avoid wasting time, both had come under invisibility, no monster could detect their presence.

Gradually, a towering mountain peak appeared before their eyes.

Wrapped in swirling clouds and mist, numerous structures could still be vaguely seen upon it.

Carlotta immediately perked up and whispered, "Amelia, did you see this mountain peak earlier?"

Amelia shook her head. "I didn't. I only noticed it suddenly appearing as we drew closer."

"Same as me."

Carlotta nodded.

Their goal now clearly defined, they quickly approached the mountain. As they neared, the scenes atop the peak became increasingly distinct.

An ancient sensation surged toward them from the mountain, accompanied by a diffuse sense of awakening spreading through its slopes, as if Carlotta and her companion's arrival had brought about some change to the mountain itself.

"Whoosh!"

The two flew into the sky above the peak, but the moment they arrived, they felt an extremely intense gravity descend upon them, shattering their ability to fly. They were forcibly pulled down.

"Amelia!"

Carlotta quickly grabbed Amelia beside her. She could barely resist this crushing gravity, but then she saw Amelia's pained expression, her body was being pulled in different directions by gravity and the ground, creating immense discomfort. Even with a magical barrier shielding Amelia, she couldn't fully counteract it, forcing her to fall alongside Amelia.

Fortunately, the intense weightlessness disappeared upon landing.

"Are you alright?"

Carlotta looked at Amelia with concern.

Amelia shook her head. "I'm fine. Flying seems forbidden here."

Even if flight was prohibited, the force was so overwhelming it had momentarily overpowered Carlotta, clearly no ordinary barrier. This place was likely set up by a god.

"So we can only walk?"

Carlotta muttered.

She attempted flight again, and immediately that oppressive, nauseating sensation of weightlessness surged back.

Despite her greatly improved strength allowing her to resist the pressure, the discomfort remained severe, secretly shocking her.

Stepping back onto solid ground, Carlotta said, "Let's just walk. I don't know what gods have set up here, there might still be danger. Better to be cautious."

Amelia nodded.

She scanned her surroundings, committing every scene to memory.

Carlotta too observed everything around. Each sight brought a flash of enlightenment, as if her understanding of divinity grew deeper with every glance.

They walked at a steady pace. Every blade of grass, every flower and leaf along the way seems to carry a special rhythm.

"I feel like I've felt divinity."

Amelia couldn't help but speak up.

"Have you become a Peak tier Weaver?"

Carlotta asked in surprise.

Amelia shook her head, saying she hadn't become a Peak tier Weaver, she was still only a Middle-tier Weaver. But she didn't know why, simply gazing at the surroundings had triggered special insights.

Carlotta pondered her words. She thought this might be related to the environment, she herself had gained numerous insights here, so others experiencing enlightenment wasn't unusual.

But to sense divinity without even becoming a Peak tier Weaver was still astonishing.

Carlotta felt that perhaps others coming here wouldn't gain such insights. Amelia's own exceptional talent was likely the key.

Now Carlotta wasn't in any hurry to move forward. Every step reveals something worth contemplating. She didn't mind spending some time properly observing, it certainly wasn't a bad thing for her.

At that moment, she also wondered whether the High Priestess had already arrived here. After all, anyone heading deep into Sky Island would likely discover this place eventually.

As they walked, Carlotta suddenly paused, silently summoning her information panel to check.

Unaware, time had once again reached midnight.

[ 1: The masterminds behind the three factions whom Carlotta White killed at Sky Island's entrance are extremely furious. Weavers from the three factions are now placing bounties on Carlotta. They are...]

Carlotta curled her lips. What a bunch of fools seeking death. Once she leaves Sky Island, she can spare some time to deal with them.

People who disgusted her couldn't simply be ignored. If she could eliminate them, she should do so quickly, leaving them alive would only bring harm to others.

[ 2: Sky Island was jointly created by the gods. Originally designed as a seal for imprisoning certain beings, during its joint creation an unpredictable accident occurred, making it more suitable for training younger generations. Nevertheless, it still retained sealing capabilities; if faced with an Outer God not in its prime, it might temporarily seal it.]

Carlotta's spirit instantly lifted.

'No wonder Sky Island felt different from other divine artifacts, stronger somehow. It was jointly created by the gods. Other divine artifacts were at most created by individual gods. Aside from Sky Island, the only other divine artifact jointly created by the gods should be the Tower to Babel, right?'

Carlotta realized Sky Island was likely an extremely crucial treasure, she absolutely needed to seize control.

Fortunately, her intelligence sources never failed her.

[ 3: Inside Sky God Mountain at the heart of Sky Island lies the control center of Sky Island. By passing Sky Island's trial, one can gain control over it. The trial has two prerequisites: First, you must rank first among participants during a Sky Island expedition. Second, you must fight against a divine phantom provided by Sky Island, achieving a draw against a god of equal rank during their youth is sufficient. The location of the control center is shown in the map...]

Carlotta was shocked.

She hadn't expected there to be such prerequisites for controlling Sky Island. The first condition she had already fulfilled long ago, but fighting against a god from their youth... she couldn't say for sure whether she could win.

After all, this was a god, something that couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. Even though she'd always been powerful, going up against a god would require her to fight with everything she had.

'A draw is enough, I don't need to win outright. That should be possible, right?'

Carlotta argued quietly to herself.

One has to have some confidence in oneself.

Today's intelligence had been sparse, all related to Sky Island, but Carlotta was still satisfied because all the important points had been covered.

Immediately, Carlotta opened the map included in the intelligence to check her route, intending to head straight to the central hub of Sky God Mountain and assess the situation.

Once she gained control over Sky Island, everything special about this place would essentially belong to her. There was no need to rush into comprehending its so-called divinity just yet.

Without delay, Carlotta quickened her pace, following the directions on the map.

Even when she spotted a building ahead, she didn't consider stepping inside. She already understood the purpose of Sky God Mountain. The structures here probably contained trials of some kind. Completing them might grant rewards, but she had no need for such things.

'Has she discovered something again?'

Amelia noticed Carlotta moving straight ahead without hesitation and realized Carlotta must have gained significant insights. She'd grown somewhat accustomed to this, though she couldn't help but admire Carlotta's occasional displays of uniqueness.

After passing several buildings, they arrived beside a temple. Carlotta was about to walk past when a figure emerged from within, the High Priestess.

Seeing each other, both parties froze for a moment.

Then Carlotta smiled and said, "You really ran fast, didn't even wait for us. Luckily, we're headed to the same destination, or we might have gotten separated."

"It was my haste."

The High Priestess replied with a slightly apologetic tone.

Carlotta casually asked, "Did you find anything inside these buildings?"

The High Priestess nodded, then shook her head, seemingly unsure how to answer.

After a moment of contemplation, she began to recount her experiences within the various structures. It was largely as Carlotta had suspected, each one was a trial site, perfect for training younger generations. But clearly, that wasn't what they were seeking.

"If this were ordinary times, I wouldn't mind setting aside my worries to tour this area and observe the traces left by the gods. That would be a form of remembrance. But now, I'm more interested in what countermeasures the gods left behind against Outer Gods. Unfortunately, I found nothing."

The High Priestess sighed.

Those tools for training the younger generations clearly weren't the countermeasures the gods left against Outer Gods. Relying on these to cultivate future generations to fight Outer Gods would be utterly insufficient.

The High Priestess knew that if the gods had left any countermeasures, they would be simple, direct, and specifically aimed at the Outer Gods.

Carlotta smiled and said, "Then let's continue up the mountain. I plan to go straight to the summit. The buildings along the way probably aren't worth examining."

With that, Carlotta started walking forward.

The High Priestess hesitated, then decided Carlotta might be right and followed. As they passed other buildings, they no longer entered them.

Under these circumstances, their progress significantly accelerated. In a short time, they successfully reached the summit of Sky God Mountain. There, standing proudly atop the peak, was an especially grand and ancient-looking structure.

According to the map provided by the intelligence, this was the entry point to Sky Island's control center.

Carlotta glanced at it and stepped inside.

However, she encountered a problem upon entering. She had been holding Amelia's hand as she walked in, but at the moment of entry, an inexplicable force separated them. Carlotta entered the building, while Amelia remained outside.

Carlotta froze and turned back.

Amelia was also stunned, saying in confusion, "I... can't seem to get in. I don't know why."

She reached out, touching an invisible wall blocking her path.

Naturally, Amelia wasn't the only one blocked. The High Priestess faced the same invisible barrier.

Seeing that Carlotta had entered while she was blocked, the High Priestess couldn't comprehend it. She touched the intangible wall, then suddenly exerted force.

The entire sacred mountain trembled from her action, yet the invisible wall before she didn't change in the slightest.

The High Priestess fell silent for a moment, then asked Carlotta, "What's the difference between us? Why can you enter?"

Carlotta pretended to ponder, then said, "When I entered, my spiritual senses received a subtle prompt. It seems I can enter because I once ranked first on Sky Island."

Amelia looked thoughtful.

The High Priestess frowned.

She recalled Carlotta mentioning this before, during Sky Island's most recent appearance in the Northern Continent, Carlotta had ascended and won first place in that competition.

Was this the reason she couldn't enter?

Carlotta said, "We already know this place is filled with divine trials. Perhaps this is one as well, and the first trial for entering this building is becoming Sky Island's number one. I'll go explore inside first. Amelia, you can wait outside."

Carlotta waved with a smile and turned, walking deeper into the building.

The High Priestess felt helpless. Watching Carlotta's figure disappear, she turned to Amelia and asked, "What do you think?"

Amelia shrugged with a smile. "I'll just wait outside, of course. All the scenery here across the mountain is worth comprehending for me."

The High Priestess narrowed her eyes, inwardly surprised. She realized Amelia seemed capable of sensing divinity, yet Amelia hadn't even become a peak tier Weaver.

Another genius!

She hadn't paid much attention to Amelia's condition before, as her focus had been solely on Carlotta.

'No wonder they became lovers, truly exceptional people always attract each other.'

The High Priestess thought silently.

Amelia chose to wait, but she didn't want to remain idle. She immediately turned and headed down the mountain, intending to explore the other buildings.

She had no intention of competing for first place on Sky Island right now, knowing that once the competition ended, Sky Island would close, making it impossible to accomplish many things. It was better to see what discoveries she could do elsewhere.