The answer came almost immediately.
Darkness swallowed my surroundings before another vision unfolded inside my mind.
The first thing I saw was the Soul Sea itself.
Far beneath its turbulent surface, where almost no light reached, a large school of gigantic stingray-like creatures glided through the endless waters with remarkable grace. There were more than forty of them, each easily hundreds of meters across. Their broad bodies shimmered with deep shades of blue and gold, while intricate crimson markings stretched across their backs like naturally carved formations.
The vision silently followed the group as they swam through the enormous underwater world.
Soon, an immense mountain emerged from the darkness ahead of them. Unlike the jagged peaks scattered throughout the Soul Sea, this one possessed a perfectly circular opening passing directly through its center, as though someone had pierced the entire mountain with a single strike countless ages ago.
The school of stingrays passed through the opening without slowing down.
I instinctively focused my attention on the mountain, expecting the entrance to reveal itself.
Nothing happened.
No hidden gate appeared. The vision simply continued following the creatures as they disappeared into the endless darkness beyond the mountain.
Several seconds later...
Everything vanished.
The black markings around my eyes gradually receded, and I found myself sitting inside my room once again.
This time, the cost was surprisingly small. Only a modest portion of my Soul Force had been consumed, confirming that the question itself hadn’t required the Eyes to search particularly deeply.
I frowned.
"That’s... strange."
The Eyes had never given me false information.
They answered exactly what was asked.
Which meant the problem wasn’t the vision.
The problem was my interpretation of it.
I replayed every moment in my mind, carefully examining every detail. The mountain with the hollow center had certainly been important, but the vision hadn’t lingered on it. Instead, it had spent almost all of its time following the school of stingrays.
That couldn’t be a coincidence.
I leaned back against the chair and slowly rubbed my chin.
"So what exactly were you trying to tell me?"
Were the creatures simply swimming near the entrance?
Did they know where the entrance was?
Or...
Were they themselves the key?
The more I thought about it, the less convinced I became that the mountain had been the true focus of the vision. The All-Knowing Eyes had answered my question by showing me those creatures first and foremost, almost as though they were deliberately directing my attention toward them.
A slow smile spread across my face.
"Interesting... It looks like finding the entrance begins with finding those stingrays."
That conclusion felt far more convincing than assuming the mountain alone held the answer. The Eyes had never wasted information before.
If they wanted me to notice the creatures...Then those creatures mattered.
Without any further delay I flashed outside the house and began flying toward the council hall. I knew Evelyn was on my side but the others still needed to agree and follow our plan.
Very soon, I landed outside the Council Hall.
The massive stone structure stood at the heart of the Ironhart Settlement, looking no different from what I remembered a few days ago, yet the atmosphere surrounding it had changed completely. Before I even stepped inside, I could already sense several powerful Saint auras gathered within.
Taking a steady breath, I pushed open the enormous wooden doors and walked inside.
My gaze immediately settled on Evelyn.
She occupied the central seat of the circular chamber with the calm authority that naturally came from being both the oldest and strongest Saint within the settlement. Seated around her were Dean, Marcus and Samuel, while the final chair was occupied by an elderly man I had never met before.
His silver hair reached almost to his waist, and although he looked frail enough to be mistaken for an ordinary old scholar, the immense Soul Force quietly resting beneath his calm expression immediately told me otherwise.
The conversation inside the hall came to an immediate stop as every pair of eyes shifted toward me.
Evelyn was the first to smile.
"You’re right on time."
"I’ve learned that arriving late isn’t appreciated around here."
A few soft chuckles echoed around the room before she gestured toward the empty chair beside her.
"Come. Sit."
I nodded before taking the vacant seat.
Once everyone had settled once again, Evelyn folded her hands on the table and spoke.
"I’ve already explained your proposal to everyone present. Naturally, I omitted certain details that are better left unspoken until absolutely necessary, but they understand the overall objective and, more importantly..." She looked around the room before smiling. "...they’ve agreed to help."
I looked at the four Saints one by one before inclining my head.
"Thank you."
Marcus waved his hand dismissively.
"Don’t thank us yet. We haven’t accomplished anything."
Samuel laughed.
"If anything, we’ve merely agreed to join what may very well become the most suicidal expedition in the history of the Prime Territory."
"I prefer calling it ambitious," Dean corrected with a grin.
"That sounds much better."
Even I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
The atmosphere inside the chamber relaxed considerably before Evelyn returned the discussion to the matter at hand.
"So," she said, "do you know where the Twelfth Soul Current is?"
Every eye immediately focused on me.
I shook my head.
"Not exactly."
A hint of disappointment briefly appeared on Marcus’s face before I continued.
"But I believe I know how to find it."
That immediately regained everyone’s attention.
"The information I have isn’t complete," I admitted honestly, "but it’s enough to point me in the right direction. I should be able to locate the entrance very soon."
Evelyn slowly nodded.
"Good."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Then the next question becomes much more important."
"How many people do you believe we should take?"
The room became completely silent. Every Saint present understood the importance of that decision.
Too few people, and the expedition might fail before reaching the trials. Too many, and secrecy would become impossible.
I thought about it carefully before answering.
"As many experts as we can gather."
Marcus frowned.
"You mean Saints?"
"Not only Saints."
I slowly looked around the table.
"I want the strongest fighters we have, but strength alone won’t be enough. If the trials truly were created by the Ruler of the Null Realm, then I refuse to believe they’ll only test combat ability."
Samuel quietly nodded.
"That makes sense."
"We’ll need formation masters, scholars, scouts, spatial experts, healers—anyone whose knowledge might become useful."
I paused briefly before adding,
"The fewer weaknesses our group has, the higher our chances of clearing whatever awaits us."
Dean rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So... an elite expedition."
"Exactly."
"No unnecessary numbers."
"Only the very best."
The four Saints exchanged thoughtful glances before Evelyn finally spoke again.
"In that case, I already have a proposal."