I sat cross-legged in the center of my cultivation chamber, my entire being focused on the critical threshold I was approaching. Energy swirled around and through me, pushing against an invisible barrier—the boundary between Inner Strength Grandmaster and the Consummate realm. After months of preparation, countless resources consumed, and immeasurable effort, I was finally on the verge of breakthrough.
My meridians burned with golden light as I circulated my energy in precise patterns. The rare herbs and spirit beast cores I'd consumed had pushed my power to its absolute limit. One final push was all I needed.
"Almost there," I whispered, feeling the boundary beginning to give way.
Then I felt it—a disturbance in the energy of the Mystic Realm. Someone powerful had arrived. No, not just someone. Multiple presences, and at least one of them radiated the unmistakable aura of a Half-step Martial Saint.
