After the Aetherium's awakening, Mo Yuan noticed profound changes within himself. He could now linger in his sea of consciousness for extended periods, the mental strain diminishing as the gate's presence stabilized his mind. More remarkably, he could faintly resonate with the gate, coaxing out sparks of light that pulsed with the Aetherium's alien energy. Over two months, he honed this ability in secret, meditating nightly in the Shadowfang Forest. Each session yielded a new spark, and by now, twelve of these luminous fragments hovered in his mental dimension, shimmering with potential. Sensing they were key to his cultivation, Mo Yuan resolved to take the next step.
The next morning, he ventured to the Mo Clan's library, a sprawling hall filled with ancient scrolls and jade slips detailing cultivation techniques. As a former "genius" turned outcast, his arrival drew immediate attention. Whispers followed him—elders muttered about his past stagnation, and younger disciples snickered, their voices laced with mockery. "What's he doing here? Still chasing a dream he'll never reach?" one sneered. Another laughed, "A defective constitution can't handle real manuals—he'll just embarrass himself again." Mo Yuan ignored them, his expression stoic, his focus unwavering. The Aetherium's pulse in his core steadied him, a silent reminder of his unique path.
He entered the Foundation Establishment section, where the air thrummed with the residual qi of advanced techniques. The sneers grew louder as he browsed the shelves, disciples casting sidelong glances and elders shaking their heads. Mo Yuan pulled out manual after manual—Celestial Harmony Scripture, Iron Meridian Flow, Lunar Tide Technique—and studied them intently, sitting cross-legged amidst the stacks. Yet, no matter how he tried to align his energy with their methods, the techniques failed. The qi flows described in the texts clashed with the Aetherium's influence, leaving his dantian unresponsive. Frustration mounted as the day wore on, the library growing quieter as others left, their disdain lingering like a shadow.
By evening, exhaustion weighed on him, but as he closed the last manual, something shifted. In his sea of consciousness, one of the twelve sparks flared without his command, its light enveloping the mental space. In an instant, the knowledge from every Foundation Establishment manual he'd read—dozens of techniques and principles—converged. The spark wove them together, refining and adapting them to the Aetherium's unique energy. A new manual formed in his mind, its pages ethereal and glowing, tailored exclusively to him. It bore no name yet, but its flows resonated with the silvery power in his dantian, promising a cultivation path unlike any in the Mo Clan's records.
Mo Yuan's eyes widened as he felt the manual's structure imprint itself in his consciousness. The sneers and criticisms faded, irrelevant against this revelation. He rose, the library now empty save for the soft rustle of scrolls, and stepped into the night with a newfound resolve. The Aetherium had not only awakened his potential but was forging a destiny uniquely his own. Tomorrow, he would test this custom manual in the forest, ready to ascend beyond the limits of his clan's understanding.
As Mo Yuan stepped out of the library into the cool night air, a subtle shift in his dantian caught his attention. His cultivation had subtly advanced, likely to the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment, yet the elders and disciples around him remained oblivious. A faint smirk crossed his lips—this meant he could conceal his progress, a skill that could be his lifeline. The scorn he'd endured over the years had taught him a harsh lesson: trust no one, not even his parents, whose cold disdain had grown alongside his younger brother's rise. Keeping a low profile was his best defense against those who might see his resurgence as a threat. With that resolve, he returned to his modest chambers, determined to harness the power within.
Inside, he sat cross-legged, delving into his sea of consciousness. The twelve sparks glowed around the boundless gate, and the custom manual imprinted in his mind unfurled its ethereal pages. Channeling the Aetherium's energy, he began cultivating, the silvery qi flowing through his meridians with an intensity that set him apart. Days blurred into weeks, and a month later, he emerged from his trance, startled to find himself at the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment—and on the cusp of the seventh. The speed of his progress was staggering, even to him; time had slipped away unnoticed in his focus.
While eating a simple meal of rice and spirit herbs, Mo Yuan sensed something extraordinary. Though his cultivation registered as the sixth stage, the density and purity of his qi felt far superior, rivaling a seventh-stage cultivator—and possibly even an eighth. To test this, he decided to train at the Verdant Crucible, the Mo Clan's most rigorous training ground, known for its qi-rich environment and challenging terrain. But first, he needed a new martial technique. The Iron Tempest Fist, gifted during his brief genius days, no longer suited him, especially since he'd never touched the clan's resources from that time, preserving them intact.
Heading to the clan's resource hall, he exchanged those unused spirit stones and elixirs for something he'd always admired: a saber. He selected the Lunar Eclipse Blade, a sleek, silver weapon with a crescent-shaped guard that hummed with latent energy. Pairing it with the Crimson Moon Slash technique—a fluid, devastating saber art—he felt a surge of excitement. With his new gear in hand, Mo Yuan left immediately for the Verdant Crucible.
A stage one beast is at qi condensation stage, stage two is at foundation establishment ...and so on
As Mo Yuan stepped into the Verdant Crucible, the air thickened with qi, the mist-shrouded trees whispering with the presence of spirit beasts. His Lunar Eclipse Blade gleamed at his side, and the Crimson Moon Slash technique flowed through his mind as he began his training. His first encounter came swiftly—a sleek, iridescent serpent slithered from the undergrowth, its scales glinting like polished jade. He named it the Emerald Viper in his mind, sensing its aura at the peak of Stage 1, equivalent to a late Qi Condensation cultivator. Its hiss was a challenge, and Mo Yuan drew his saber, nerves steadying as he channeled his Aetherium-infused qi.
The fight was clumsy at first. Mo Yuan swung the Lunar Eclipse Blade, the Crimson Moon Slash technique unleashing a crescent of silvery energy that grazed the Viper's scales. It retaliated with a venomous strike, forcing him to dodge and expend more qi than intended in his inexperience. After a tense exchange, he found an opening, driving the blade into the serpent's skull with a decisive thrust. The Emerald Viper collapsed, its life fading, and Mo Yuan panted, exhilaration mixing with exhaustion. It was his first kill, and the effort had drained him more than he'd planned.
Before he could catch his breath, a low growl rumbled through the mist. A Frostfang Wolf, its fur a shimmering white and its eyes glowing with peak Stage 2 strength—comparable to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator—emerged. The sight of the wolf sent a jolt of panic through Mo Yuan. Still reeling from the serpent, he turned to flee, his legs burning as the wolf gave chase with relentless speed. Branches snapped under its paws, its howls echoing through the Verdant Crucible. With his life on the line, Mo Yuan stumbled into a clearing, turning to face the beast as it lunged.
Desperation drove him to retreat into his sea of consciousness. The boundless gate pulsed, its silvery light flooding his mind with clarity and analytical precision. Time seemed to slow as the Aetherium's power sharpened his senses. He analyzed the wolf's movements—its leap, the angle of its jaws, the rhythm of its breaths—and countered with a refined Crimson Moon Slash. The blade arced, severing the wolf's front leg, and a follow-up strike pierced its heart. The Frostfang Wolf crumpled, blood staining the forest floor. Mo Yuan collapsed beside it, gasping, the gate's influence fading but leaving him stunned.
He had misjudged himself. Killing a peak Stage 2 beast with his sixth-stage Foundation Establishment qi suggested he could rival a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator—a leap beyond his expectations. The realization ignited a fire within him. Determined to test his limits, he delved deeper into the Verdant Crucible, where the mist grew denser and the aura of stronger beasts loomed. The Aetherium's power, tied to the gate, had unlocked a potential he'd only begun to grasp. With each step, he vowed to explore the depths of his strength, ready to face whatever challenges the forest—and his own destiny—threw at him.