6 months passed since Ash decided to leave the imperial capital. Since then he hadn't done much adventuring at all. The first thing he did was find a isolated cave and began cultivating. His goal was to break into the first official realm, the body tempering realm. There were a multitude of ways one could go by this, but Ash did it all manually.
Every morning before the sun rose he climbed mountains that surrounded his cave wit boulders on his back. First he began light only carrying a about 60 pounds, but the more he did it the more his body adapted. Years ago his recursion upgraded to 'Ascension of Patterns' however this wasn't all it helped. His recursion now happened quicker and he adapted faster.
By the time the sun rose he practiced his sword mastery. Currently he didn't know much aside from the basics so that's what he trained. In his vision he could see thousands if not hundreds of thousands of patterns. Each of these patterns signified a basic form of sword mastery. He practiced this everyday and each completed pattern fed him instant mastery.
His routine became very montonaous, however with the goal of reaching the beginning of cultivation, Ash was more determined than ever.
Currently he sat crosslegged in his cave. His hair flowed down his back freely while he had his eyes closed. Time seemed to pass quickly has he sat stilled. Then after a few hours the cave rumbled.
RUMBLEEEE
BOOM!
A small ripple went throughout the room and then after a moment passed Ash's eyes fluttered open.
[Master, congratulations you have finally reached the Body Tempering Realm.] Riya's beautiful voice echoed inside of his mind.
"Indeed and it was much faster than I anticipated. Recursion is a gamechanger."
[Well, you did personally create the ability. Also it's not even shown it's true prowess yet, you have many more evolution thresholds to reach.]
Ash nodded his head hearing this.
"Next, is the Core Formation realm right?"
[Correct, now your body is ready to hold mana. So, now you will have to focus on creating a core in your daitain. This core will be metaphysical, though it will be in your daitain the real thing is in another plane of existence.]
"Right, and how long does it normally take one to reach that level from body tempering?"
[Well, for people around here it will normally take 5-10 years. For geniuses it could take a year to five years.]
"Alright, I will breakthrough into the core formation realm. After that I will officially begin my adventure." He declared before reentering cultivation. This would be his first time channeling mana so he closed his eyes and concentrated.
Days passed since he began and to his surprise recursion had begun showing its prowess once again. The more contact his body made with mana, the easier it was for him to intake mana. The first few days his mana intake was slow, but now not to say it was insane speeds but it was undoubtedly impressive.
And the crazy thing is that it will only get faster.
----
The imperial training grounds were bathed in the warm light of early morning, where six young men and women sat cross-legged on the soft grass. Their faces were lit with bright smiles of achievement, each wearing a look of satisfaction as they sat in stillness. They had just completed the six months of intense training prescribed by Master Selene, and now, the fruits of their labor were finally apparent.
Standing before them, Selene observed each of them with approval. Her sharp eyes flicked from one face to another, taking in their determined expressions and the subtle changes that marked their entry into the Body Tempering Realm.
"Congratulations, you are all officially cultivators now," Selene said, her voice warm but firm. "As Body Tempering cultivators, you'll experience some minor changes. Your lifespan will increase to 300 years, and the control over your innate abilities will become easier to manage. This is just the beginning."
The young cultivators exchanged looks, their smiles widening at the thought of the additional years of life and the promises of future power.
"Master Selene," a young lady spoke up. She was Lina Velshore, a bright-eyed girl with short, platinum-blonde hair that framed her face. She had sharp, calculating blue eyes, a reflection of her intellect. Her slender form was deceptive — her will was as strong as any of the others.
"Now that we're cultivators, do we get to fight and fly?" Lina asked eagerly, her voice filled with excitement.
Selene chuckled, her lips curling into a smile.
"Not just yet, Lina," Selene replied, shaking her head. "Although you are cultivators now, you are still only slightly stronger than mortals. Your bodies have been tempered, but the real challenge begins when you step into the next realm—the Core Formation Realm."
The young cultivators seemed to settle back slightly, but their expressions were still eager, eyes alight with curiosity and anticipation.
"How do we take the next step?" Toran spoke up, a fire in his voice. He couldn't help but think of Ash, even though he lacked the talent he didn't believe he would fall behind one bit.
Selene nodded, her expression serious now as she prepared to explain the true journey ahead.
"The Core Formation Realm and every realm afterwards are divided into four sub-stages: early, middle, late, and peak." She paused, letting the weight of her words settle in. "To enter the early Core Formation Realm, you must form your initial core. At first, the core will be unstable, fragile. You will need to cultivate it, refine it, and stabilize it until it becomes solid. Once your core stabilizes, you will enter the Middle Core Realm. The Late Stage is when you begin mastering basic skills and techniques found in the Imperial Library. The Peak represents the perfection of your core, where you reach the pinnacle of your cultivation for this realm."
There was a moment of silence as the group absorbed this information. Toran was the first to speak up again, eager as ever:
"So… we need to make our core, and it's fragile at first?" Toran asked, his brow furrowed in thought. "How do we keep it stable?"
Selene gave him a pointed look, impressed by his focus.
"Exactly. To keep the core stable, you must cultivate with precision. Focus on your inner energy, align it with your soul, and make sure to balance it. Any imbalance will cause the core to destabilize and collapse, and you'll need to start over. But don't worry; by the time you reach the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, your understanding of energy and control will be far greater than it is now."
Lina raised her hand once again, her curiosity piqued.
"How long does it take to form the core and move to the next stage?"
Selene paused before answering, her voice thoughtful.
"For most cultivators, it takes anywhere between five years to ten years. But for the exceptionally talented, like you six, it can be done in less. Don't rush it. Focus on your growth, and the speed will come naturally."
The young cultivators exchanged looks, some excited, some pensive, but all of them determined.
"What happens after the Core Formation Realm?" asked Joren, a tall, quiet boy with green hair and keen green eyes.
Selene smiled, sensing his quiet curiosity.
"Beyond Core Formation, you'll enter the Spirit Foundation Realm, where your soul begins to fully manifest its spiritual power. After that, the path gets more complex, but that is a long way off. First, you need to master the core."
The conversation continued as each of the six cultivators asked more questions, eager to understand what lay ahead. Their excitement was palpable, and their hearts burned with the desire to rise further in the world of cultivation.
As the sun began to climb higher in the sky, Selene dismissed them for the day.
"Now, go and meditate. Begin the process of forming your core. The journey is long, but you are ready. I'll check on you tomorrow," she said with a nod.