[ Congratulations! You have broken through to Foundation Establishnt Realm ]
[ Status ]
[ Na: Vahn Necrotis ]
[ Title: Master Storyteller
[ Lifespan: 17 / 150 ]
[ Physique: Void Refining Physique ]
[ Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishnt - Stage 1 ]
[ Cultivation Arts: Art Of Healing (Verse -1), Nine Heavens Lightning Swords, Dream Manipulation Art, Shadow Transformation Art, Ancient Shadow Summoning Art ]
[ Elental Affinities: Light (Bonded), Darkness (Innate), Lightning (rged) ]
[ Special Skills: Divine Cook, Saber Mastery, Curse Monarch’s Halo ]
--
Vahn’s breakthrough into the Foundation Establishnt Realm, contrary to what might be expected from a cultivator with his complex lineage and massive energy reserves, was initially smooth without any major trouble. His relentlessly hard training and the stabilizing influence of Lilith’s spiritual guidance had paid off.
With imnse focus, Vahn successfully condensed his first Drop of Liquefied Qi.
It was a tiny, shimring droplet of grey essence, floating within the vast, foggy expanse of his Dantian. But its existence signaled a revolutionary change: its potency was easily ten tis stronger than the normal gaseous internal energy surrounding it.
The process, however, was agonizingly slow. Condensing the boundless "Ocean" of his Qi, drop by precious drop, would take weeks, if not months, of unbroken ditation. That inefficiency grated on Vahn’s practical nature.
But that was when the Second Technique of the Void Refining Manual ca into his mind.
"Let’s see if it could make any difference.. "
Vahn ntally activated the technique, recalling the forbidden diagrams and commands he had morized.
As soon as he used the Manual, a dark vortex imdiately appeared inside the Spiritual Ocean of his Dantian.
"Buzz!"
It wasn’t a destructive entity, but an engine of terrifying efficiency. The dark spiral began to pulse, and its gravitational pull was absolute. It rapidly devoured the gaseous Internal Energy of his Ocean, pulling it inward with irresistible force.
The incoming gas was instantly crushed, compressed, and purified at an alarming rate, and the vortex began to convert it into liquid energy. The tiny first drop was quickly joined by dozens, then hundreds of shimring, concentrated droplets.
Vahn watched the spiritual phenonon unfold inside his body and was shocked beyond words.
This wasn’t just fast; it was monstrous. It wasn’t cultivation; it was a spiritual black hole, consuming and condensing energy with impossible speed.
Does that an all of his training and preparation were useless?
No. Because to guide those internal energy and maintain control over the process, the energy control and Spirit Sense are irreplaceable.
But of course, once again he realized that the Void Refining Physique was not just a powerful physique; it was a cheating device, forcing the very laws of cultivation to bend to its nature.
Ti passed inside the cave in a strange harmony and peace.
That night, just before dawn, Lilith slowly moved from her long slumber. Her eyelashes fluttered, and for a brief mont, she simply lay there, listening to the soft crackle of the fading campfire and the quiet rhythm of another’s breathing nearby.
"Was I asleep for this long...?" she murmured to herself. "Well, I shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, I never had anyone tell to sleep or rest. Not even my mother. Not my brother of the sa blood."
"But... you did," she whispered softly as her gaze drifted toward the figure seated a few paces away.
Through her still-blurry vision, she could see Vahn sitting cross-legged in deep ditation. His body was glowing faintly with spiritual energy.
A faint warmth rose in her chest, unfamiliar yet strangely comforting.
"At first, I thought you were just a lucky boy who happened to stumble upon heaven-defying potential," she said quietly, almost afraid of breaking the silence.
"But now that I understand you more and more, I can say you’re so different than others. You see in a way no one ever has. You’ve given these strange emotions I never thought I could feel. Each day with you becos a new mory for ."
Her lips curved slightly, eyes though veiled, expressed her true thoughts.
"I always find myself drawn to that faint smile of yours when you look at . You make feel like... there’s soone out there watching over . Like I’m not alone anymore."
"But am I really allowed to change? Am I allowed to feel this freedom?"
Just as she was in this intense internal conflict, a firm and warm voice reached her ears, cutting through her doubts with absolute certainty.
"Yes, you are!"
Lilith froze, stunned that her deepest, most guarded thoughts had been answered aloud.
Vahn opened his eyes, the faint glow around him disappearing. He hadn’t been fully unconscious; his deep ditation and expanded Spirit Sense had allowed him to hear her every whispered word.
He didn’t just achieve breakthrough, he even stabilised the cultivation, reaching stage 2 in a single session.
The Void Refining Manual’s Second Technique made it super faster. The boundless "Ocean" of gray fog had condensed about 500 drops of Liquified Qi.
His Foundation was far from complete. Once fully condense all the grey fog, he could begin his next step of Cultivation.
Nevertheless, he was nearly 3 ti stronger than before, when he was Qi Refining Practitioner.
Regardless, putting all of that in the back of his mind for now, he turned hus attention toward her with his gentle and resolute expression
"Your fate is not determined by your bloodline, your title, or your mother’s oppression, Lilith. It’s determined by your own will," Vahn stated, his voice ringing with the clarity of his newfound power.
"You are allowed to feel anything you want, and you are allowed to be happy. Don’t let others’ shadows define your path."
Lilith sat up, pulling her veil tighter, her body radiating confusion and a lingering vulnerability. She had been caught, her cold mask completely shattered by her own confession.
"You... you were awake?" she managed to say, though her voice could hide the fluster in her voice.
Vahn simply smiled, the warmth in his eyes genuine. "Yes. Long enough to hear the most beautiful thing I’ve heard since entering this world."
Lilith remained speechless for a mont, her usual sharp retort lost in a sudden rush of conflicting emotions.
So, she quickly changed the topic:
"Your spirit energy seems stronger and denser. You must have reached the Foundation Establishnt Realm, I assu."
Vahn nodded, not wanting to embarrass her further after she’d been caught in her vulnerability. "Yes, Instructor. Just now."
Hearing his affirmation, she commanded, "Then it’s ti you learn how to fight with humans. The dynamics of combat change entirely when facing an intelligent, tactical opponent who uses arts, arrays, and sches."
Lilith then stood up fully, and looked beyond the cave entrance.
"For this, we’ll move to a City. The forest has taught you savagery; the city will teach you cunning. Be prepared."
She quickly reverted back to her instructor role, though her voice still lacked its usual absolute steel.
Vahn couldn’t disagree. He also understood that fighting a Human Cultivator and a mindless Spirit Beast wasn’t the sa matter. Beasts relied on instinct and elental power; humans relied on deception, cultivation hierarchies, and organized attacks.
"Understood, Instructor," Vahn affird, sheathing the Hellbringer Saber.
His eyes shone with renewed ambition. The forest had elevated his power; the city would be the testing ground for his skills, his sches, and his newly acquired Forbidden Arts.
Reviews
All reviews (0)