The two weeks following Axel's successful defense of his seventh rank passed in a blur of intensive training and careful political navigation. Each morning began with three hours of formation study under Elder Shen's exacting instruction, followed by combat practice, mission work to maintain his sect contributions, and evening cultivation sessions that pushed his Foundation Establishment Late stage toward its peak.
The results were remarkable. Axel's formation mastery advanced from basic competency to intermediate proficiency, allowing him to construct complex spatial arrays that most disciples took years to learn. His combat capabilities refined through daily sparring with Liu Feng and occasional exchanges with other ranked disciples. And his cultivation base grew steadily stronger as the Primordial Pillars continued their optimization.
But the looming challenges from Chen Hua and Zhao Lin—ranked fourth and fifth respectively—cast a shadow over his progress. Both were Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators with years of experience, advanced techniques, and faction backing that provided resources Axel couldn't match.
"You're going to lose," Liu Feng said bluntly one evening as they reviewed combat recordings of previous ranked duels. "I'm not trying to be discouraging, just realistic. Chen Hua has been Peak for over a year and has access to Modernist faction techniques that counter most standard defensive styles. Zhao Lin is even worse—he's a combat specialist who's defeated every Mid and Late stage challenger for the past eight months."
"So what's your advice?" Axel asked, watching Chen Hua demolish an opponent with a technique that created dozens of Qi clones that attacked from multiple angles simultaneously.
"Delay the duels as long as possible. You have two weeks before they can force the challenges. Use that time to breakthrough to Peak yourself, or develop techniques specifically designed to counter their fighting styles." Liu Feng pulled up another recording. "Alternatively, you could forfeit the challenges and accept dropping to unranked status. Losing to fourth and fifth rank doesn't actually hurt your reputation—everyone expects lower-ranked disciples to lose to higher-ranked ones."
"Forfeiting seems cowardly," Axel objected.
"Forfeiting is strategic. You maintain your actual ranking while avoiding duels you're unlikely to win. Then you challenge back up when you're stronger." Liu Feng paused the recording. "Pride makes cultivators do stupid things. Don't let it make you waste resources on fights you can't win."
It was sound advice, but something in Axel resisted accepting it. He'd fought his way to seventh rank. Giving it up without even attempting to defend it felt wrong, regardless of the strategic logic.
"I'll make my decision after consulting with Elder Shen," Axel said finally.
The Formation Master's perspective was different from Liu Feng's pragmatism. When Axel explained the situation during their next training session, Elder Shen listened carefully before responding.
"The question isn't whether you can defeat Peak cultivators," the old master said. "The question is whether you understand why they're challenging you now instead of waiting for you to climb higher."
"Political pressure?" Axel guessed. "Their factions want to eliminate me before I become a bigger threat?"
"Partially. But also fear." Elder Shen manipulated a spatial formation as he spoke, creating intricate patterns that folded three-dimensional space in impossible ways. "You've been in the sect for three weeks and you've already reached Late stage, defeated multiple ranked disciples, and demonstrated spatial manipulation talent that usually takes years to develop. Smart observers realize you're not going to stop at seventh rank—you're going to keep climbing until something stops you."
"So they're trying to stop me now while they still can?"
"Exactly. If they wait another month, you might reach Peak yourself. Two months, you might breakthrough to Core Formation. Better to challenge you now when they still have clear advantages." Elder Shen completed his formation, causing a small object to teleport from one workbench to another. "The real question is whether you're willing to reveal more of your capabilities to survive these challenges."
Axel understood immediately. He'd been carefully concealing his true power—hiding his Late stage cultivation behind suppression techniques, using only a fraction of his Primordial Pillars' potential, never demonstrating the full extent of what his Hongmeng Bloodline provided.
But fighting Peak cultivators while concealing so much power was probably impossible. He would need to reveal more, accept the increased attention and political complications, or lose the duels.
"What do you recommend?" Axel asked.
"I recommend you stop thinking like someone trying to hide and start thinking like someone preparing to dominate." Elder Shen's eyes gleamed with an intensity that reminded Axel this gentle teacher was also a Golden Core cultivator with six centuries of experience. "You have a Mythical-grade foundation and what's probably the most powerful bloodline to appear in this world for ten thousand years. The only question is whether you have the courage to use those advantages."
The blunt assessment struck something deep in Axel. He'd been playing defensively, trying to avoid attention, limiting himself to stay under the radar. But Elder Shen was right—that strategy only worked temporarily. Eventually, his capabilities would be revealed regardless of how carefully he concealed them.
Maybe it was time to stop hiding and start establishing himself as someone too dangerous to challenge casually.
"If I'm going to reveal more power," Axel said slowly, "I need to understand what I'm revealing. Can you help me analyze the full capabilities of my foundation?"
Elder Shen smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that. Come with me—there's a specialized formation chamber I maintain for exactly this kind of assessment."
The chamber Elder Shen led him to was unlike anything Axel had seen before. The entire room was a single massive formation—walls, floor, ceiling all inscribed with patterns so complex they seemed to move when viewed directly. Spatial distortions made the room feel simultaneously vast and intimate, as if occupying multiple dimensional spaces at once.
"This is an Analysis Formation I designed specifically for assessing unusual cultivation methods," Elder Shen explained. "It can measure Qi purity, foundation stability, technique efficiency, bloodline manifestation, and dozens of other parameters that normal observation misses."
He activated the formation with a gesture, and the room filled with soft golden light. "Sit in the center and release your spiritual pressure completely. Don't suppress anything—I need to see your foundation operating at maximum capacity."
Axel settled into the indicated position and gradually released the concealment techniques he'd been maintaining constantly for weeks. His spiritual pressure expanded immediately, filling the chamber with power that made the formation arrays flare with increased intensity.
Foundation Establishment Late. But the formation was reading something more, analyzing depths that went beyond simple cultivation stage.
"Remarkable," Elder Shen breathed, watching displays only he could see. "Your Qi purity is ninety-three percent—that's Core Formation quality from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Your meridian density is four times normal for Late stage. And your dantian capacity..." He shook his head in disbelief. "You're storing roughly eight times the Qi that a normal Late stage cultivator can maintain."
"Is that the foundation quality?" Axel asked.
"Partially. Mythical-grade foundations provide significant advantages, but what you're showing goes beyond that. This is bloodline manifestation." Elder Shen manipulated the formation, focusing its analysis on specific aspects. "The Hongmeng Bloodline is optimizing your cultivation at a fundamental level—improving efficiency faster than any technique or pill could achieve."
The system interface appeared, apparently triggered by the formation's deep analysis:
[COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT DETECTED]
[REVEALING DETAILED CAPABILITIES]
[CURRENT CULTIVATION STAGE: FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT LATE (PEAK)]
[EFFECTIVE COMBAT POWER: FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT PEAK + 40%]
[BREAKTHROUGH TO CORE FORMATION: POSSIBLE WITHIN 4-6 WEEKS]
[CURRENT LIMITATIONS:]
[TECHNIQUE LIBRARY: LIMITED]
[COMBAT EXPERIENCE: MODERATE]
[BLOODLINE AWAKENING: ONLY 4%]
[MAXIMUM POTENTIAL VS PEAK CULTIVATORS:]
[CHEN HUA (RANK 4): 67% VICTORY PROBABILITY]
[ZHAO LIN (RANK 5): 71% VICTORY PROBABILITY]
[RECOMMENDATION: ACCEPT CHALLENGES]
[VICTORY WILL ESTABLISH DOMINANCE]
[FAILURE RISK: ACCEPTABLE]
Sixty-seven and seventy-one percent victory probability. Better odds than Axel had feared, but still far from certain. The system was apparently confident he could win, but recognized significant risk.
"What does the formation tell you about my chances against Peak cultivators?" Axel asked Elder Shen.
"If you fight at full capacity? You'd probably win against anyone below absolute Peak—those who've refined their foundation to its absolute limit before attempting Core Formation breakthrough. Chen Hua and Zhao Lin are solid Peak cultivators, but neither is at that transcendent level." Elder Shen deactivated the analysis formation. "The question is whether revealing that much power is worth the political complications it will create."
"What complications specifically?"
"Every faction will intensify recruitment efforts. Some elders will take direct interest in you as a potential successor or research subject. Disciples who currently see you as competition will start seeing you as an existential threat—expect more extreme responses, possibly including 'accidents' during missions or attempts to sabotage your cultivation." Elder Shen's expression was serious. "Power attracts attention. Exceptional power attracts dangerous attention."
Axel absorbed this sobering assessment. But he'd already made his decision—hiding indefinitely wasn't sustainable. Better to establish himself as formidable now and deal with the consequences than to continue playing weak while his rivals grew stronger.
"I'll accept both challenges," Axel decided. "Schedule them a week apart—Chen Hua first, then Zhao Lin. That gives me time to study their techniques and develop specific counters."
"Bold choice," Elder Shen approved. "I'll provide formation-based tactical analysis of both opponents. And..." He pulled out several jade bottles filled with pills. "These are specialized Foundation Establishment resources—they won't make you stronger permanently, but they'll optimize your condition for important duels. Use them wisely."
The next week was the most intensive training period of Axel's life. Mornings with Elder Shen focused on developing formation-enhanced combat techniques—spatial manipulation applied to fighting, methods for creating temporary dimensional advantages, even experimental approaches that combined formation theory with direct cultivation techniques.
"Most cultivators treat formations and combat as separate disciplines," Elder Shen lectured. "But at high levels, they're the same thing—both involve manipulating reality through will and power. You're learning this integration far earlier than normal because your bloodline gives you the spatial intuition required."
Afternoons were dedicated to combat simulation. Elder Shen had access to advanced training formations that could replicate fighting styles with remarkable accuracy. Axel spent hours facing virtual opponents modeled on Chen Hua and Zhao Lin, learning their patterns, developing counters, refining his responses until they became instinctive.
Evenings continued his regular cultivation, but now supplemented with the specialized pills Elder Shen had provided. His foundation continued its relentless optimization, approaching the absolute peak of Foundation Establishment Late. The Primordial Pillars were preparing for eventual breakthrough to Core Formation, restructuring themselves in anticipation of the transformation.
And something else was happening—something the system tracked with increasing interest:
[FOUNDATION APPROACHING CRITICAL THRESHOLD]
[CORE FORMATION BREAKTHROUGH CONDITIONS DEVELOPING]
[GOLDEN CORE GLIMPSE IMMINENT]
[WARNING: PREMATURE GLIMPSE DANGEROUS]
[RECOMMENDATION: ALLOW NATURAL PROGRESSION]
[ESTIMATED FIRST GLIMPSE: 48-72 HOURS]
"What's a Golden Core Glimpse?" Axel asked Elder Shen during their next formation lesson.
The old master looked up sharply. "How do you know that term? It's not in basic cultivation texts."
"My... Bloodline mentioned it," Axel admitted, trusting Elder Shen's discretion about the cultivation assistance he received.
"A Golden Core Glimpse occurs when a Foundation Establishment cultivator at absolute peak temporarily perceives the nature of Core Formation without actually breaking through. It's like standing at the base of a mountain and suddenly seeing the view from the summit—you understand what you're working toward even though you haven't climbed there yet." Elder Shen set aside his formation work. "It's relatively rare, typically happening to exceptional cultivators with perfect foundations. The fact that yours is approaching suggests your advancement is faster than even I realized."
"Is it dangerous?"
"Not directly. But it can be disorienting—you'll experience power far beyond your current level for a brief moment, which can make your actual capabilities feel inadequate by comparison. Some cultivators become obsessed with recapturing that glimpse, pushing for breakthrough before their foundation is truly ready." Elder Shen's expression became stern. "If and when you experience the glimpse, remember it's just preview, not promise. Don't let it make you reckless."
The Golden Core Glimpse came three days before Axel's scheduled duel with Chen Hua.
He was in evening meditation, cultivating as usual, when suddenly his perception shifted dramatically. The world seemed to expand, or perhaps his awareness did—it was difficult to distinguish between the two. His spiritual senses, normally extending a few miles at most, suddenly reached across the entire sect and beyond.
He could perceive every disciple, every formation, every concentration of Qi within dozens of miles. The information was overwhelming—thousands of individual spiritual signatures, hundreds of active formations, countless flows of energy moving through natural and artificial channels.
But more than the expanded perception, Axel felt power. Not his actual power, but a glimpse of what Core Formation would provide. The sense that his current capabilities were just seeds waiting to flower, that everything he'd accomplished so far was preparation for transformation into something fundamentally different.
The Golden Core that would eventually form in his dantian—he could sense its potential now, perceive the shape it would take when his Primordial Pillars underwent the next evolution. It would be golden, yes, but also something more. Patterns within patterns, dimensions folded into a structure that was simultaneously three-dimensional and four-dimensional, existing in multiple spatial states simultaneously.
This was the Hongmeng Bloodline's influence, he realized. A normal Golden Core was simply condensed and refined Qi. His would be something more—a spatial-temporal construct that operated on principles most cultivators never touched.
The glimpse lasted perhaps thirty seconds before fading, leaving Axel gasping in his quarters as normal perception reasserted itself. His actual power felt almost pathetic compared to what he'd just experienced, like returning to walking after flying.
Liu Feng was staring at him with wide eyes. "What just happened? Your spiritual pressure spiked so high I thought you were breaking through to Core Formation right here in our room."
"Golden Core Glimpse," Axel managed, his voice shaky from the intensity of the experience. "I saw... I felt what Core Formation will be like."
"That's..." Liu Feng struggled for words. "That's not supposed to happen to Foundation Establishment Late cultivators. Golden Core Glimpse typically occurs at absolute Peak, right before breakthrough. You're not even at Peak yet."
"My foundation is unusual," Axel said, which was becoming his standard explanation for anything that defied normal cultivation expectations.
The system interface appeared, confirming what had occurred:
[GOLDEN CORE GLIMPSE: COMPLETE]
[BREAKTHROUGH PATHWAY ESTABLISHED]
[CORE FORMATION REQUIREMENTS CLARIFIED:]
[FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT PEAK (NOT YET ACHIEVED)]
[SUFFICIENT QI ACCUMULATION (78% COMPLETE)]
[TECHNIQUE MASTERY (ADEQUATE)]
[MENTAL PREPARATION (ADEQUATE)]
[TRIBULATION READINESS (UNKNOWN)]
[ESTIMATED TIME TO BREAKTHROUGH: 3-4 WEEKS]
[HONGMENG BLOODLINE AWAKENING: 4% → 5%]
[MAJOR THRESHOLD REACHED]
[NEW CAPABILITIES UNLOCKING...]
Five percent bloodline awakening. The system had indicated this was a significant threshold, and Axel could immediately feel the difference. His spatial perception, already enhanced, sharpened dramatically. He could now sense dimensional structures in formations without conscious effort, perceive weak points in spatial barriers instinctively, and even detect minute distortions that indicated spatial storage treasures or concealment techniques.
Most remarkably, he gained a new intuitive understanding of his own Primordial Pillars. They weren't just nine structures supporting his cultivation—they were nodes in a multidimensional network that would eventually span realms he couldn't yet imagine. The Golden Core Glimpse had shown him the next evolution, but the bloodline awakening let him understand the ultimate destination.
"You need to rest before the duel with Chen Hua," Liu Feng insisted, pulling Axel from his contemplation. "Golden Core Glimpse is spiritually exhausting—most cultivators need days to fully recover."
But Axel felt fine. Energized, even. The five percent awakening had apparently come with enhanced recovery capabilities that let him process the glimpse without the usual exhaustion.
"I'm stable," he assured Liu Feng. "Actually, I feel better than before—more focused, more certain about the path forward."
Three days later, Axel stood on the main arena platform facing Chen Hua, ranked fourth among outer disciples. The arena was packed—word had spread that a rising Late stage cultivator was challenging a solidly established Peak cultivator, and everyone wanted to see whether talent could overcome experience.
Chen Hua was impressive—perhaps twenty-five years old, with the bearing of someone completely confident in their abilities. His spiritual pressure was controlled but immense, announcing Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation refined to near-perfection. The Modernist faction symbols on his robes marked him as someone with significant backing and resources.
"Junior Brother Axel," Chen Hua said formally. "I respect your accomplishments, but this challenge is premature. You have potential, but you lack the experience and cultivation depth to compete at this level. I suggest you withdraw and challenge again when you've reached Peak."
It was phrased as advice but delivered as intimidation—an attempt to make Axel doubt himself before combat even began.
"I appreciate your concern, Senior Brother Chen," Axel replied evenly. "But I'm prepared to test myself against your capabilities."
"Very well." Chen Hua's expression shifted from diplomatic to focused. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
The judge confirmed the terms—Chen Hua's fourth rank position against Axel's seventh, with the winner taking the higher ranking—and signaled the start.
Chen Hua didn't hesitate. His hands blurred through a complex seal sequence, and suddenly the arena filled with dozens of perfect duplicates of himself, each radiating identical spiritual pressure and attacking from different angles simultaneously.
This was the technique Axel had studied in recordings—Thousand Mirror Assault, an advanced Modernist faction method that created Qi constructs so realistic they confused even experienced cultivators' spiritual senses.
But Axel's enhanced spatial perception, boosted by the five percent bloodline awakening, could see what others couldn't. The duplicates were hollow—they looked solid and felt real to normal spiritual senses, but they were just formations projected through space. Only one was actually Chen Hua.
Axel identified the real opponent instantly and charged directly at him, ignoring the dozens of illusory attacks from the duplicates. His fist, blazing with concentrated golden Qi, struck toward Chen Hua's center mass.
Chen Hua's eyes widened in shock—nobody should have been able to identify the real body that quickly. He barely managed to raise a defensive technique before Axel's strike connected.
The impact sent Chen Hua sliding backward, his duplicates flickering and destabilizing from the disruption to his concentration. He recovered quickly, abandoning the illusion technique in favor of direct combat.
"Impressive perception," Chen Hua acknowledged, his spiritual pressure intensifying as he prepared more serious techniques. "But perception alone won't defeat me."
What followed was the most intense duel Axel had experienced yet. Chen Hua was Peak, with years of combat experience and access to techniques that Axel's basic training couldn't match. But Axel had advantages Chen Hua couldn't account for—the Mythical-grade foundation that made his Qi far more efficient, the spatial manipulation skills Elder Shen had taught him, and the Hongmeng Bloodline providing insights that went beyond normal cultivation.
They traded hundreds of strikes across ten minutes of sustained combat. Chen Hua's techniques were refined and powerful, backed by Peak cultivation that should have overwhelmed a Late stage opponent. But Axel's foundation meant he could match that power output while spending less energy, his efficient circulation letting him sustain intense combat longer than Peak cultivators expected.
The turning point came when Chen Hua attempted his ultimate technique—a devastating assault that created spatial distortions around Axel, attempting to trap him in compressed dimensional pockets. It was a technique that required exceptional Qi control and would have overwhelmed most Late stage cultivators.
But Axel's spatial perception, enhanced by both formation training and bloodline awakening, saw the technique's structure clearly. He recognized the formation principles Chen Hua was using, identified the weak points in the dimensional compression, and disrupted them with precisely targeted Qi strikes that shattered the spatial distortions before they could fully manifest.
Chen Hua's face showed genuine shock as his ultimate technique collapsed. "You're a Formation Master? Nobody mentioned—"
Axel didn't give him time to recover. He closed the distance with Foundation Establishment Late speed and struck with a Qi-enhanced blow that caught Chen Hua off-guard, breaking through his hasty defense and landing solidly against his ribs.
First clear hit.
"Victory to Axel King," the judge announced. "Ranking positions exchange—Axel King assumes fourth rank. Chen Hua drops to seventh rank."
The crowd erupted in shocked excitement. A Late stage cultivator had just defeated a Peak cultivator in ranked combat—something that virtually never happened in normal circumstances.
Chen Hua stood slowly, one hand pressed against his injured ribs, his expression mixing pain with grudging respect. "Well fought. Your foundation and techniques are more refined than I anticipated. The Modernist faction underestimated you."
He performed a formal bow despite his injury. "I hope to challenge you again once I've refined my own abilities further. Perhaps then I'll provide a better contest."
Axel returned the bow. "I look forward to it, Senior Brother. Your techniques taught me much."
As medical disciples attended to Chen Hua's injuries, the political implications began settling in. Axel had just claimed fourth rank—high enough to receive significantly increased resource allocations, priority access to sect facilities, and consideration for inner disciple promotion within a year.
But he'd also just humiliated the Modernist faction's chosen representative. The political complications Elder Shen had warned about were about to intensify dramatically.
Liu Feng appeared at the platform's edge, his expression mixing pride and concern. "That was incredible and terrifying. Fourth rank at Foundation Establishment Late. But you realize you've just made yourself an even bigger target, right? Both Modernist and Traditionalist factions are going to see you as a threat that needs to be controlled or eliminated."
"I know," Axel acknowledged. "But hiding wasn't working anyway. At least now everyone knows challenging me carries real risk."
One week later, Axel faced Zhao Lin on the same arena platform. Ranked fifth, Foundation Establishment Peak, Traditionalist faction's pride—Zhao Lin was everything Chen Hua had been plus two more years of experience and a reputation for never losing to anyone below Peak.
The duel was brutal. Zhao Lin fought with conservative precision, refusing to provide openings, forcing Axel to engage in a grinding attrition battle that tested stamina and efficiency rather than burst power.
But Axel's foundation meant he could sustain high-intensity combat longer than Peak cultivators expected. And the spatial manipulation techniques Elder Shen had taught him provided subtle advantages—creating slight dimensional distortions that made Zhao Lin's strikes land half an inch off target, compressing space to make Axel's movements faster than they appeared, folding distance to close gaps that should have been too large to bridge.
After fifteen minutes of sustained combat, Zhao Lin's Qi reserves were noticeably depleted while Axel remained relatively fresh. The Traditionalist disciple recognized the same pattern that had defeated Chen Hua—he was losing the efficiency battle against an opponent with a superior foundation.
Zhao Lin attempted a desperate final assault, pouring his remaining Qi into a technique that created a storm of razor-sharp wind blades. But Axel's enhanced perception let him navigate the attack with minimal damage, and when Zhao Lin overextended in his desperation, Axel struck with a perfectly placed counter that ended the duel decisively.
"Victory to Axel King. Fourth rank defended. Zhao Lin drops to seventh rank."
The political fallout was immediate and intense. Both major factions had now seen their representatives defeated by the same independent disciple. Some saw it as humiliation requiring response. Others saw opportunity—if they couldn't control Axel through defeating him, perhaps they could recruit him through demonstrating value.
By evening, Axel had received three separate summons from high-ranking inner disciples, two direct messages from Core Formation elders, and one particularly concerning note from an Ascendant Realm supreme elder who "looked forward to meeting the exceptional young disciple who'd so thoroughly disrupted the outer disciple rankings."
"You're going to be very busy," Liu Feng observed as they reviewed the summons. "Welcome to the problems of success—everyone wants your attention, your allegiance, or your elimination. Sometimes all three simultaneously."
Axel sat in their quarters that evening, processing everything that had happened. In three weeks, he'd climbed from seventh rank to fourth. He'd defeated multiple Peak cultivators as a Late stage cultivator. He'd experienced a Golden Core Glimpse and reached five percent bloodline awakening. His formation mastery had advanced to intermediate levels, and Elder Shen had begun teaching him truly advanced spatial techniques.
The monthly evaluation was one week away. The Heavenly Ascension Trial selection process would begin immediately after. And somewhere in the next month, Axel would need to breakthrough to Foundation Establishment Peak and begin preparing for the massive tribulation that would accompany his Core Formation advancement.
His cultivation journey was accelerating, each achievement opening new doors while simultaneously creating new challenges.
The Primordial Pillars pulsed within his dantian, their structure continuously optimizing, preparing for the transformations ahead. Five percent bloodline awakening hummed in the background of his existence, providing advantages that would compound as he climbed higher.
Axel King had glimpsed the Golden Core. He understood now what he was working toward, what transformation awaited when his foundation completed its evolution.
The path forward was clearer than ever before.
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