A brilliant, radiant sphere of light erupted from Kaelen's core, pulsating with a malevolent power that seemed to tear the very fabric of the cave apart. It surged from his dantian, a harbinger of something ancient and forgotten—an energy birthed from the very depths of the world, drawing from the darkest corners of time and space.
The Ouroboros Sigil, engraved deep within his soul, rotated slowly, devouring every fragment of spiritual energy that flooded into the cave. The sigil's power pulled the ambient essence with ruthless efficiency, gathering it as if the very concept of balance—of elemental and spiritual forces—was but a cruel joke. The cave trembled under the weight of the gathering storm.
As the sigil worked its grim magic, the myriad tunnels and passageways within the cave began to resonate, their walls vibrating with unnatural power. Energy poured forth from these tunnels—dark, unrelenting currents of spiritual essence that washed over Kaelen like a torrent of shadow. The air grew thick with an oppressive weight, each breath a struggle against the crushing force of the world itself.
The once-quiet cave was now suffused with an eerie glow as Kaelen's power grew, the sphere of energy at his core blazing brighter and brighter. It illuminated the damp, jagged stone walls with a harsh, unyielding light.
Then, a sudden sound cut through the air—a splash as something large and dark rose from one of the pools. A creature, monstrous in size, emerged from the shadows, its eyes glowing an unnatural, venomous green. Its massive head reared up, revealing fangs dripping with venom as its gaze locked onto Kaelen.
It was a Dreadcoil Leviathan Spawn, its body slick and serpentine, exuding an aura of death and hunger. Though still young, it carried the ferocity of an ancient predator, its very presence enough to make the air grow cold with fear. But there was something more in its eyes—fear. The beast, despite its predatory instincts, hesitated.
The Spawn lurched forward, moving with horrifying speed, its body gliding over the water as it closed in on Kaelen. It was mere inches from him now, hunger burning in its mind—but still, it did not strike. Instead, it reared back, hissing loudly, its enormous coils slithering against the stone floor, eyes wide with uncertainty.
The tension in the air thickened, the cavern's temperature dropping with every passing moment.
Kaelen did not move.
Even in his meditative trance, his awareness stretched out like a dark shadow. He felt the creature's presence, sensed its raw, bloodthirsty intent—but he did not open his eyes. His mind was focused, rooted deep in his meditative state, drawing in the abyssal power around him.
The Ouroboros Sigil continued its ceaseless work, siphoning the spiritual energy from the very fabric of existence, churning it through Kaelen's body like the gears of an ancient, infernal machine. His injuries, once grave, began to heal, but it was more than that—breakthrough was imminent.
The sealed pathways within Kaelen's body—the twelve primary meridians that had long held him back—began to tremble, then crack under the immense pressure of the energy flooding in. The power from the cave—uncut and primal—began to tear through his blockages, breaking down centuries-old barriers that had once stifled his growth.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Each blockage shattered like brittle glass, the meridians opening one after another, releasing a flood of dark power. It was as if the very earth itself was yielding to him, bending to his will.
The vast, endless tunnels surrounding the cave, veiled in layers of mist, continued to pour more and more energy into the frenzied storm that Kaelen was becoming. There was no end to it, no limit to the spiritual essence at his command. It came in waves, relentless, unyielding, as though the world itself had chosen him as its instrument of destruction.
Two hours passed.
Kaelen's body began to radiate with an unnatural glow, a faint, sickly sheen creeping across his skin as the purged blood and impurities were forced from his body. His muscles rippled with power, his veins pulsing with dark energy as his cultivation spiraled upward.
In that moment, the power that had once bound him shattered, and his cultivation surged forward.
He ascended through the Awakening Stage: Third Realm—breaking into the Awakening Stage: Fourth Realm in a single, effortless motion. But the ascent did not stop there. It surged onward, breaking past the Fourth Realm and into the Awakening Stage: Fifth Realm, his power rising relentlessly like an unchained beast. The air around him crackled with energy, and still, the force did not falter.
It was only the beginning.