The night had been long, heavy with memory and the weight of promises. But when dawn's first light spilled across the sky, Kael's eyes opened with sharp determination.
There was no time to linger in grief or hesitation. His mother's belongings rested safely within his chambers, but his vow to her demanded more than sorrow—it demanded power.
And so, while the clan still stirred in slumber, Kael slipped silently from the estate and vanished into the wilderness.
---
Into the Depths of the Forest
The Verdant Abyss Forest stretched beyond the clan's walls, a place few dared to wander. Towering trees clawed at the sky, their roots twisting like ancient serpents. The air shimmered with the hum of spiritual energy, dense and wild.
Kael's steps carried him deeper and deeper, far from human presence, until the only sound was the rush of wind and the distant roar of rivers.
Finally, he reached a clearing at the forest's heart—a place where the earth itself pulsed with qi, where mist rose from hidden springs and light filtered through in golden shafts.
"This will do," Kael whispered.
He sat cross-legged upon the mossy ground, pulling from his robe the pill awarded to him after the Third Trial. It gleamed with golden luster, carved with intricate runes that pulsed faintly.
A 3 Grade Qi Pill—a treasure that could help even seasoned cultivators shatter barriers.
Kael held it in his palm, studying it. "I'll use you… not just to heal my wounds, but to forge my foundation stronger."
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill.
---
The Pill's Fury
The moment the pill dissolved, it was as though a furnace ignited within him. Heat surged through his veins, flooding every meridian with unbearable force.
Boom!
A shockwave of qi burst from Kael's body, scattering leaves and rattling branches. The ground beneath him cracked, spiderweb lines spreading outward.
Kael gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his brow. "Too much energy… if I lose control, my meridians will tear apart."
He closed his eyes, drawing his mind inward. The techniques Sylara had drilled into him echoed: Guide the flood, do not resist it. Bend with the current, and shape it as your own.
His qi circulated, flowing through the pathways of his body in an ever-tightening spiral. Slowly, painfully, he began to seize control.
---
Hours passed. The pill's energy showed no signs of fading, instead roaring stronger within him, like a dragon demanding release.
And then it happened.
A titanic surge erupted from Kael's core, exploding outward.
Above him, qi condensed, shaping itself into a massive figure—an avatar of himself, towering six stories high. Its body was translucent, woven of raw energy, but its eyes glowed golden, mirroring Kael's own.
The earth trembled beneath its weight, trees bending as though before a storm.
"This… is my qi?" Kael whispered, awestruck.
The avatar raised its hand as Kael raised his. Their movements mirrored perfectly, like master and reflection. With each breath, Kael felt his injuries knitting faster, torn muscles repairing, bones reinforcing.
The qi was no longer just healing him—it was rewriting him.
---
Mastering Late Sage Four
But power without mastery was chaos.
The energy raged still, threatening to burst beyond Kael's control. He forced his consciousness into deeper focus, guiding the avatar, honing the flow of qi within him.
Every cycle of energy through his body felt like fire and ice tearing through his veins. He roared, veins bulging, but he did not yield.
Hours turned into a day, and a day into two.
Kael's body was drenched in sweat, his aura flaring uncontrollably. Animals fled for miles, sensing the storm of power.
Finally, after countless circulations, he felt it—the subtle shift, the clicking of a lock undone.
Crack!
Inside him, something shattered. Not his body, but the invisible chains that bound his cultivation.
Late Sage Four… perfected.
Kael's aura expanded, sharper, denser, refined like tempered steel. His qi avatar solidified, no longer wavering, standing like a guardian colossus.
---
The Immortal Book's Fusion
But it did not end there.
The Immortal Book, long dormant within him, stirred. Its presence flooded his soul, wrapping around his heart and spirit like a cocoon.
Golden light erupted from his body, brighter than the sun, piercing through the canopy and painting the forest in radiance.
Thump. Thump. Thump. His heartbeat echoed like a divine drum.
The book's voice whispered in his mind—not in words, but in truths. Fragments of ancient knowledge, flowing like rivers, weaving into his very cells.
His blood vessels glowed, his bones shimmered with divine inscriptions, his organs pulsed with luminous vitality.
The Immortal Book was no longer a foreign power. It became him.
Kael gasped, trembling as the transformation settled. His body felt weightless yet solid, fragile yet indestructible.
"Finally…" he whispered, eyes blazing gold. "I've perfected Late Sage Four. And the Book… it's mine now."
---
The Mountain River
The forest had been torn apart by the breakthrough—trees felled, earth split. Kael needed rest, a place to cool the burning furnace that still lingered within him.
He walked until he reached the base of a mountain where a great river thundered down in a waterfall, spraying mist into the air.
Without hesitation, Kael stepped into the river, sitting beneath the crashing water.
The icy torrent struck his skin, soothing the heat, calming the storm of energy within him. Steam rose where water touched his glowing body.
For hours he sat there, unmoving, the river cleansing his wounds, his soul steadying.
---
The Calm After the Storm
As dusk fell, Kael opened his eyes. His reflection shimmered on the river's surface—his gaze sharper, his aura steadier, his very presence transformed.
He flexed his fingers, and the water rippled unnaturally, as though responding to his will.
"I've changed," Kael murmured. "Not just my body… but everything."
The forest seemed to bow before him, birds circling overhead but daring not to land.
At last, he rose from the water, droplets cascading from his frame. He turned back toward home, every step steady, his resolve iron.
The world would not see the timid son of a poisoned mother anymore.
It would see the cultivator who had mastered Late Sage Four, bearer of the Immortal Book, destined to shake the heavens.
And as the stars blinked awake above, Kael whispered to himself:
"This is only the beginning."