…

  An entire hour passed with Lian’er digging and digging and digging but ultimately she still found nothing, not even the slightest trace of this supposed Heavenly Wonder!

  Pout.

  In this hour Lian’er’s visage gained a pout, one that grew more prominent the more time passed until after the hour of digging ended she was ‘forced’ to arrive at an unpleasant conclusion.

  The one that the reason why she didn’t find anything was because there probably wasn’t any Heavenly Wonder to find!

  Or else she was confident that with an entire hour of digging with the ray of light acting as a ‘guide’ of where to search she was nearly 100% sure that she would already have found it…

  Normally, that would be the point where she left to go search for other opportunities in this Secret Realm, as to not waste any more of her precious and unfortunately limited time, but—

  She was reluctant, she wasn’t content with the idea of leaving just like that!

  After all, while she was beginning to accept that maybe there wasn’t any Heavenly Wonder or similar treasures to find, her senses weren’t playing tricks on her, and the ray of light was still clear as day and very much there, which was what pushed her to believe that there should be… something!

  “Humph! I won’t leave, I am sure that there is something here, you won’t fool me…” snorted Lian’er in a strange mix of annoyance and stubbornness as she ultimately decided to stay, all the while wearing a pronounced pout…

  With her decision taken, the beauty relocated herself to a new location, one which was some distance from the ray of light while being well hidden, in a way that allowed her to keep sight of it while at the same time remaining out of sight, and then?

  With her ‘hiding’ place secured, the beauty decided to camp here until something happened!

  …

  Thirty minutes later…

  Flash.

  Suddenly, space distorted and warped before the recognizable forms of Mikael and Tharvonis manifested in mid-air, floating only centimeters from the ray of light.

  Flicker.

  The instant both geniuses were teleported out of the Inheritance Site, the ray of light flickered once before its brilliance dimmed, and within seconds it entirely vanished without leaving the slightest trace of it ever having been there!

  And why wouldn’t it?

  It had, after all, already done its job, which was to create a large-scale beacon in a way that would attract the maximum amount of attention!

  This was done so that the instant both Trial Takers were teleported out, they would face plenty of fighters who would grow greedy for their gains, and while this might have looked cruel, they had after all been warned of the dangers of Phase 4, and now they needed to overcome them… but—

  If the only presence, which was that of the hidden Lian’er, was to be believed, it was clear that the attention-grabbing ray of light actually didn’t attract much attention, at least not anywhere near the level it should have…

  At first glance it looked weird but it was actually normal, the Inheritance Site and all of its mechanics had been created millions of years ago, and consequently the conditions of the Secret Realm were far different compared to the present.

  At that time this Phase 4 was ‘perfect’, but now with the Secret Realm having experienced major changes it had made a large part of the Phase 4 ‘useless’, in a way that what should have been a dangerous free-for-all between the Trial Takers and numerous other cultivators had instead turned into a ‘simple’ 1 vs 1 duel between the two Trial Takers.

  Nevertheless neither Mikael nor Tharvonis had any ideas of what Phase 4 should have been, so after giving their surroundings a quick scan and not seeing nor noticing anything strange except for the ray of light that had now disappeared under their wary glances both warriors didn’t care about their surroundings anymore.

  Instinctively their instincts, gaze and senses focused themself on the greatest threat—the other Trial Taker!

  Both warriors floating opposite from each other locked gaze and then—

  Without further ado or even a single word both men threw a punch at the exact same time, but what was clearly notable was that both of them were clearly holding back, having used only their Physical Strength and nothing else!

  This was clearly a probing stride to estimate the other's true strength as both knew that the other Cultivation Realm clearly couldn’t be believed as an accurate representation of their real power!

  BOOM!

  Their fists collided in midair, knuckles meeting knuckles in a violent and brutal display that created a terrifying explosion of air and shockwaves that could have easily razed a town!

  Crack.

  ‘Too strong!’ Mikael’s pupils dilated as the instant he felt his fist collide with that of the larger Varnari, he began to hear his bones bend and even start to break, in a way that made him certain that if this confrontation continued as it was, he would be considered lucky to have only a couple of broken bones, with the most probable outcome being the annihilation of his entire arm!

  Swish, tap, kick.

  Using his perfect control over his own body, combined with his incredible battle experience and his Precognition, Mikael angled and tilted his body in a way that minimized to the absolute maximum the pressure and weight on his arm.

  But he knew that it wouldn’t be enough, so he followed by using his free palm to forcefully push the side of Tharvonis’s wrist in a way that made the latter’s punch ‘harmlessly’ pass by Mikael’s side.

  But even then it still wouldn’t be enough, as while he was safe from the Varnari genius’s punch, he was entirely open to the latter’s counterattack… at least if he didn’t act.

  Knowing that, he instantly moved, contracting the muscles, joints, and tendons in his left leg in a display that would have made any biologist kill themselves, before using all of his concentrated power to kick right at Tharvonis’s torso with all the speed he could muster!

  Howwwl, BOOM!

  The wind howled and bent under his movements as he moved so fast that he looked like nothing more than a blur, one that clearly caught Tharvonis off guard, because the latter only had the time to raise an arm to defend himself before Mikael’s foot collided with his torso, sending him flying with a terrifyingly loud explosion!

  ‘At least Mid Stage Core Formation Realm Body Strength, and…’ a glint that was partly excited, partly worried passed in his eyes, ‘...maybe even Late Stage!’

  That was the thought that flashed through Mikael’s mind as he ‘multitasked’, with a part of him calmly analyzing the situation while another was excitedly looking in the direction where Tharvonis had been sent flying, his blood boiling in excitement at the heaven-shaking battle that was to happen!

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  “HAHAHA, that’s the spirit, Sar’khaen! But this round I win!” laughed Tharvonis as he flew back, a wide, battle-hungry grin on his visage, and… his torso, the very same that had just been struck by a kick strong enough to destroy diamond, looked— it looked entirely unaffected!

  And this wasn’t an illusion or even the famous Varnari regeneration at play, but was truly the case, he was well and truly unaffected by Mikael's kick!

  And the reason why this was the case was because Mikael’s kick, while unimaginably strong for a mortal, was actually weak compared to what he should have been able, and this was because he had needed to sacrifice his attack power for speed, or else—

  Or else, even with the ‘perfect’ timing thanks to the above advantages it still wouldn’t have been enough to compensate for the absolutely immense disparity in their raw physical stats!

  “You did win… but–” Mikael calmly acknowledged the reality that Tharvonis was overwhelmingly superior on the physical side before extending his right hand toward his back, wrapping his fingers around Sangrelia’s handle, and then—

  Ssshhk!

  A sharp shiing echoed as Sangrelia was drawn, her sharpness so unreasonable that even the air itself seemed to be sliced apart by her blade, but it was nothing compared to what Tharvonis was feeling.

  The instant Mikael drew his sword, Tharvonis felt this warrior’s aura undergo an earth-shattering change, gaining a terrifying sharpness and lethality as the threat level he instinctively sensed from this impressive human warrior instantly multiplied!

  At the same time, he felt a terrifying bloodthirst emanating from the beautiful longsword in Mikael’s hand as it locked onto him, her bloodlust so heavy that it seemed as though it could drown a sea and bury him beneath it.

  But that wasn’t even the worst; the worst was the sensation that he was currently being locked onto by millions upon millions of swords from every direction, as if the world itself had become his enemy and was ready to cut him down at any instant.

  An expression of surprise appeared on Tharvonis visage, “Sword..I-Intent! You have mastered Sword Intent!” he exclaimed in shock but it didn’t last long as his expression morphed in one of further excitement and battle lust.

  Clack!

  A loud sound resounded as Tharvonis violently collided his two knuckles in excitement before loudly laughing, “AWESOME! OUR BATTLE WILL BE LEGENDARY!”

  The instant Tharvonis finished speaking his perceived power suddenly multiplied as he threw himself at Mikael, but this time the proving was clearly done and he wasn’t holding back anymore.

  He was using the full might of his Qi and Physical Strength in tandem which was only further amplified by the Martial Art he had mastered and was now using.

  Titanbone Combat Form – Titan Step

  The instant he moved it had Mikael’s eyes widen, Tharvonis was moving at a far far faster speed compared to before, it was to a point that the previous him which Mikael already had difficulty equaling actually looked… slow!

  Before Mikael could blink Tharvonis was upon him, looking like he would crash onto the human warrior, but Tharvonis control and battle sense and experiences weren’t so pitiful to make a ‘rookie’ mistake like this one.

  Just before colliding with Mikael he took an ‘offensive position’, his hips twisting as he engaged his spine, his entire body looking like a coiled spring that, when unleashed, would deliver unimaginable power!

  Titanbone Combat Form – Mountain-Crushing Blow

  This accumulated power erupted all at once in the form of a dreadfully powerful punch, heading straight at Mikael, one which true to its name had the power to crush a mountain!

  ‘If this hits me, I’m dead!’ was the thought that passed through Mikael’s mind, but contrary to the panic that would have been expected he was perfectly calm, even though he could feel death breathing down on his neck, and the reason…

  ‘This isn’t an anime with turn-based attacks!’

  This thought flashed through his mind as the preparation of the last seconds—during which Tharvonis was talking or preparing—erupted all at once with unimaginable power!

  Aura, Mana, Vitalis at Max, Precognition, Cloudbreaking Stride, Moonpiercer Sword Art, Sword Intent, his extreme Energy Control, and even Myriad Lighting Convergence Physique +++ in the form of Purple Lighting Harmonization Art erupted all at once!

  Purple Lightning Harmonization Art in particular is one of the two Cultivation Techniques he ‘recently’ created in a way that they would help him in understanding and, more importantly, using his newly acquired Special Physique to its full potential!

  And this is how this specific Cultivation Art was categorized by the Records when he finished creating it:

  [Purple Lightning Harmonization Art

  Level: Early Stage Core Formation Art

  Introduction: An extremely valuable Cultivation Technique for some and entirely useless for others, this is what Purple Lightning Harmonization Art is!

  This is a Cultivation Art that was specifically developed by Mikael Angelini to ‘tame’ his Myriad Lightning Convergence Physique +++ whose special Purple Lightning Qi was interfering with nearly all of his other Cultivation Techniques in a way that their power was reduced while the Qi consumption greatly increased.

  This Cultivation Art solves both problems at once and works passively in a way that, as long as his understanding of this Cultivation Technique was at Perfection—which it was, since he created it himself—his previously unstable Purple Lightning Qi fell under his total control, allowing him to easily transform it into any other type of Qi without difficulty or loss.

  If he needed it he could, for example, ‘create’ the Lunar Qi which is needed for the Moonpiercer Sword Art.

  But this Cultivation Technique didn’t stop there, or else it wouldn’t be considered ‘extremely valuable’, as it not only allowed him to operate his Cultivation Techniques like before acquiring the Myriad Lightning Convergence Physique +++ but also allowed him to amplify them!

  Because of the Purple Lightning Qi’s characteristics—notably the fact that it is far stronger compared to a more normal Qi of the same Cultivation Realm—in a way that, in a situation where both sides are equal in quantity and quality, the Purple Lightning Qi would effortlessly overwhelm the other side!

  All Cultivation Techniques used while using Purple Lighting Qi as their base, before it transformed into another type like the Moonpiercer Sword Art for example where the Lunar Qi would as its base be Purple Lighting Qi, would have their power and potency drastically enhanced without any further cost!

  Because of its characteristics, the Purple Lightning Harmonization Art is a Cultivation Art that is priceless to any who possess the Special Physique Myriad Lightning Convergence Physique, while being entirely worthless to all other cultivators.

  Note: While powerful, this Cultivation Technique isn’t perfect by any measure, with its main weakness being the fact that it ‘only’ affects Cultivation Techniques and grants them a large boost but leaves all types of Cultivation Method entirely unaffected and unenhanced

  And this is because Cultivation Techniques are generally considered to be the ‘outer layer’ of a cultivator, as he can decide when to use them or not; they are essentially ‘technique and skill’, but not ‘core change’.

  Cultivation Methods are different in the fact that they affect a cultivator’s ‘core layer’, with their changes being ‘semi-permanent’ in the sense that by learning a Cultivation Method you change yourself fundamentally, whether it’s by increasing Qi Potency, Qi Amount, enhancing body strength or others.

  No matter what it affects, the fact remains that this change is, in the overwhelming majority of cases, something passive and ‘semi-permanent’, and because of that fact and that it ‘touch’ one ‘foundation’ having a Cultivation Technique that modifies and enhance them is a far far far harder endeavor!

  In the future, refining this Cultivation Technique so that it also modifies and enhances Cultivation Methods could be an extremely worthwhile endeavor.]

  Got thoughts? Comments and reviews help shape future arcs—your voice matters.

  ———

  A/N:

  In this chapter we saw some probing between two battle maniacs(one more than the other, eyes onto Tharvonis….)

  At the same time some ‘reveal’ onto the Myriad Lighting Convergence Physique +++ where we saw some results of Mikael research on it, but how will it work concretely that’s to be seen…

  Last thing, somewhat unrelated but I forgot some chapters ago, when we saw the ‘Real Stats’ of Mikael with the Myriad Lighting Convergence Physique +++, the reason why all of his stats were higher was because people with Special Physique, Bloodlines, Superior Races and numerous others can be stronger than random cultivator of the same level and this is what his Special Physique bring him.

  (The boost is primarily on Energy for logic reason, Body somewhat of a boost because the Energy is contained ‘into’ the body while Mind and Soul had a small ‘bonus’ boost but the Physique insn’t focused on them so the boost is minimal)

  I tried to somewhat explain it as I forgot about it, hope this made it clearer if it was unclear before.

  ———

  Enjoyed the chapter? A rating or favorite helps more readers discover Ascension Through the Records.

  Read ahead on Patreon:

  Thanks for walking this path with me.

  — End of Chapter —