The first rays of dawn painted the sky in hues of defiant orange and bruised purple. Jun Hao sat on the temple steps, the cold stone biting into his thighs. He'd barely slept, the battle against Aethelgard replaying in his mind like a broken record. Each strike, each parry, each flicker of fear. He gripped his hands into fists.
"Damn it," he muttered, the words swallowed by the crisp morning air. "I swore I wouldn't be afraid. I won't let that…that shadow define me." He stared at the rising sun, a fierce determination hardening his features. "From this day forward, fear is a ghost of the past. Weakness is an insult. I have two goals, two paths twisting through the thorny forest of my life, and reaching the pinnacle of the Martial Dao is only one of them. I will push beyond my limits, I will claw my way to strength, and I will be better. Every single day."
Suddenly, a sleepy voice, laced with a morning rasp, sliced through the silence. "Master? Master, are you… you out here?" Bai Feng stumbled out of the temple, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Even cultivators in the Layered Core Realm slept, apparently. Though they claimed it was for…meditative purposes. Right.
Jun Hao groaned inwardly. His personal motivation monologue was officially interrupted. "Oi! Bring your sister! We're training. All. Day." He punctuated the last two words with a forceful clap of his hands.
"Training? Before breakfast?" Bai Feng whined, his face crumpling like a discarded dumpling wrapper. He looked on the verge of tears.
"No breakfast," Jun Hao said, his voice hardening again, although, he did feel bad, "You're a Layered Core Realm cultivator! You don't need food! Go rinse your mouth, comb your hair, and get out here. We have a mountain of a schedule ahead of us, and we're climbing it today."
Bai Feng shuffled back inside, bellowing, "Bai Ning! Master says no food and all training!"
Moments later, the siblings emerged, their faces a study in misery. Bai Ning, bless her heart, gave it one last shot. "Master…really no food? Maybe just a little… snack?" Bai Feng, ever the supportive brother (especially when it came to sustenance), nodded vigorously. They were foodies, plain and simple.
Jun Hao sighed. He couldn't break that pure, innocent, almost hungry look on their face. "Alright, fine," he relented, earning a collective, hopeful smile. "We'll eat at that greasy spoon out front of the village. I still don't know why this dusty backwater is called 'City of Shifting Sands.'"
"Well," Bai Feng said, perking up, "it was named that way because it had the potential to become a big city in the future, master."
"Whatever. Let's just go, eat quickly, and get back here."
The village was a patchwork of mud-brick houses and sun-baked stalls. When they reached the "greasy spoon," a ramshackle building with a surprisingly welcoming aroma, the bartender grinned. The other patrons, normally a gruff and suspicious bunch, actually offered nods of acknowledgment. Jun Hao was finally becoming a local.
"Hi, will you give these two a proper meal, I'll pay," Jun Hao said to the bartender, with a smil
"But… I thought cultivators at the Layered Core Realm don't need food to stay alive?" The bartender asked, scratching his head, visibly confused.
Jun Hao chuckled. "What can I say? They're… stubborn. And they love food." He looked at the siblings, both already eyeing the menu with ravenous intensity. "Hey, how old are you guys, anyway?"
"I'm 18 years old, and my brother is 19," Bai Ning said, already halfway through choosing a meal, "But age doesn't really matter in cultivation, cause at some cases you become immortal, you only celebrate the birthday, but not the age."
"I guess so," Jun Hao said, with a smile, "You guys are way too tall, though, for 18 and 19 year olds, you look like you are 29 years of age."
The bartender brought out steaming bowls of rice and savory soup. The siblings dove in with gusto, slurping and chewing with an enthusiasm that was both endearing and slightly terrifying.
The two finished sooner and the went back to the temple.
Back at the temple.
Jun Hao cleared his throat. "Alright, settle down you two. Today, I'm going to flood your meridians with Core energy. I'm giving you a lot of Core to absorb. No slacking."
He produced a mountain of shimmering cores, handing out 200 to each sibling and pocketing 600 for himself. The siblings wasted no time, settling into lotus positions and beginning to absorb the cores. Each core they absorbed made their bodies stronger, their senses sharper, their energies more potent. Their bodies began to glow, an ethereal aura radiating outward.
"Ugh," Bai Ning shuddered, "It's like I'm swimming in an icy ocean."
"And I'm getting baked in the blazing sun, master!" Bai Feng exclaimed.
Jun Hao rubbed his chin. "I better start absorbing these cores myself. System, any advice before I turn myself into a Core-stuffed dumpling?"
[Yes, Host. I recommend utilizing your Cloning talent. You can attend to other matters while your clone efficiently absorbs the cores. Don't worry about wastage; any benefits gained by the clone will be directly transferred to you.]
[Furthermore, any disadvantages suffered by the clone will not affect you. If, for example, the clone's hand is severed, you will not experience any pain. Your Cloning talent also has a unique failsafe.]
"And that is?" Jun Hao asked, intrigued.
[If you are mistakenly killed, but your clone somehow survives, you will be resurrected minutes later.]
Jun Hao stared at the air in disbelief. "That's the craziest, most ridiculously convenient thing you've told me all day, system."
"Alright, let's do it. Create two clones." Jun Hao waved his hand, and two perfect carbon copies of himself materialized out of thin air, everything from their clothes to their expressions exactly the same. He smirked. This was going to be an interesting day.
The clones, mere reflections of his ambition, diligently absorbed the Nyx cores. Each clone devoured their share of 300, their faces impassive as they fueled Jun Hao's relentless pursuit of power.
"I can feel it," Jun hao muttered. "The energy is surging through my core.
Jun Hao, impatient for a greater leap, addressed the System. "System, I need a rune. Something… transformative. Something that will forge my soul anew and allow me to summon a being of immense power, something that will make me break through the soul forging realm."
[Affirmative, Host. I have identified two unique runes specifically attuned to your energy signature and capabilities. They would be ineffective for any other individual.]
Jun Hao fixed his gaze on the System panel, his breath catching slightly as he read the descriptions.
[System Suggestions]
[Species Summoning Rune: Enables the summoning of a unique entity, bound to the user's soul and capable of immense growth.]
[Soul Forging Rune: Reforges the user's soul, removing impurities and unlocking dormant potential. Essential for those seeking to transcend mortal limitations.]
The descriptions were almost too grand, bordering on ludicrous. Yet, the System had never steered him wrong.
"How much for these…" Jun Hao trailed off, searching for the right word, "…miracles, anyways will I break through soul forging realm soon?"
[Each rune costs 200,000 System Points, Host. 400,000 in total.]
Jun Hao winced. "400k? I just got that money!… Gone. Poof! Oh well… Worth it." His eyes gleamed with manic intensity. "Anything that will make me stronger. System, I purchase both. Activate the runes. Now."
He closed his eyes, bracing himself. The System complied instantly.
"Hnmmmp...Nothing happened. Did I just buy a couple of knock-offs?" Jun Hao muttered, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.
The runes finally kicked in.
It wasn't a sudden burst of power, but a slow, agonizing burn. The pain began deep within his bones, a searing heat that intensified until his skin felt like it was melting. His soul felt like it was being torn apart and violently stitched back together, the runes using his own spiritual energy as a crucible to forge a new, purified spirit. He bit back a scream, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. Beads of sweat streamed down his face.
"Gotta… hold on," he gasped, his voice strained. "Just… a little longer…"
His grip on consciousness began to slip. Visions swam before his eyes, fragmented images of past lives, potential futures, and terrifying, unknowable realms. Just as he felt himself about to succumb, a gentle, golden energy erupted from his core, blasting straight into the sky like a beacon. It wasn't the violent, chaotic energy of a breakthrough, but something… ethereal. Something he had never witnessed before.
The disciples, startled out of their cultivation, stared in awe at the celestial display. "What is that light, master?" Bai Ning asked, her voice filled with awe.
"It's…beautiful," Bai Feng whispered, his eyes wide.
The energy reached the heavens, bathing the City of Shifting Sands and surrounding towns in its radiant glow. Children pointed and shouted, "Look! A cultivator!" Their voices filled with excitement.
News of the phenomenon reached far and wide. In a nearby town, a female cultivator from the renowned Sword Sect, recognized the energy as something extraordinary. Driven by a sense of duty and a thirst for knowledge, she raced towards the source.
She arrived at the temple, her robes billowing behind her, and attempted to enter. But she was met with an invisible barrier, an impenetrable domain that shimmered with power.
"What is this?" She frowned, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "A barrier? I'm an Eragon Bound Realm cultivator! You're telling me I can't break through a simple domain?" Her hand glowed with monarch energy as she struck the barrier with a fierce attack.
The attack bounced off the domain, sending her flying backwards. She landed with a thud, her face pale with shock.
She couldn't believe her eyes. Whatever was happening inside that temple was beyond her comprehension.
" Is somebody trying to break through soul forging, but that doesn't happen in cultivation when a person tries to break through, I'm a mistaken?.