The afternoon wore on pleasantly. Food was ordered—dishes that smelled incredible and radiated faint spiritual energy. The adults ate and talked while Celestia continued to entertain Runar with stories and occasional demonstrations of tiny ice crystals forming in her palm.
His runic eyes absorbed everything, analyzing techniques, studying energy flows, observing how cultivators interacted with each other. The subtle hierarchies, the respectful nods lower-realm cultivators gave to higher-realm ones passing by, the way everyone in the restaurant gave a wide berth to a single table in the corner where a Solar Flare realm cultivator sat eating alone.
This is the world I'll be living in, Runar thought. Social dynamics built on power, but with civilization maintaining order. Interesting.
Eventually, as the twin suns began their descent toward the horizon, Lirien stood reluctantly.
"We should head back," she said. "Jake will be home soon, and I need to prepare dinner."
Seraphina stood as well, embracing her friend warmly. "Let's not wait so long next time. And we'll let you know as soon as we're settled in our new house. Celestia is already planning her first visit."
"I'll bring the best spirit candies!" Celestia announced, waving enthusiastically at Runar as Lirien placed him back in the stroller. "The ones with starfruit essence! And maybe some crystal sugar treats! You're going to love them, Baby Runar!"
Runar managed a little hand wave in return—mostly involuntary motor response, but it made Celestia squeal with delight and everyone else smile.
"See? He already likes me!" Celestia said triumphantly. "Bye bye, Baby Runar! See you very, very soon!"
The trip home was quieter, but Lirien seemed genuinely happy, humming softly as she guided the stroller through the evening streets. The city lights were coming on—runes glowing to life throughout the architecture, casting everything in soft, ethereal illumination that shifted between colors.
Runar's runic eyes drank in every detail. The defensive formations woven into building walls. The transportation arrays at major intersections. The way spirit stones were embedded into street lamps to power the lighting runes. Even the subtle detection formations that monitored for threats—he could see it all now.
This world's integration of cultivation and technology is fascinating, he thought. Runes are the bridge. They always are.
By the time they arrived home, the twin suns had set completely, and the four moons were rising in the darkening sky—each one a different size and color, their combined light painting everything in a surreal mix of silver, blue, pale gold, and soft pink.
Jake was already home, working in his study. He emerged to greet them, listening to Lirien's excited recounting of the afternoon while helping prepare dinner.
"Seraphina's moving back? That's excellent news," Jake said warmly. "Aldric's a good man. Star Fusion realm at his age—very impressive. And their daughter taking such a liking to Runar..." He chuckled. "Our son's already making connections."
If only you knew the connections I'll be making eventually, Runar thought wryly. Though having a talented friend close to my age could be useful. Celestia seems genuinely kind, not just cultivation-obsessed.
The evening routine played out as usual. Runar was fed, changed, and placed in his crib. His parents ate dinner, talked quietly in the living room about Seraphina's return and what it would mean to have close friends nearby again, then began preparing for bed.
The house settled into comfortable silence as the night deepened.
Runar lay in his crib, his enhanced mind tracking time with perfect precision. His parents' breathing gradually deepened into the rhythms of sleep. The city outside grew quieter as most people either entered meditation for cultivation or simply rested.
He waited.
And waited.
At midnight exactly, when both the silver and blue moons were at their zenith and the house was completely still, Runar finally opened his eyes fully.
Now.
His runic eyes activated subtly, confirming what his enhanced hearing had already told him: his parents were deep in sleep, their breathing steady and slow. No one else was awake in the nearby houses. Even the ambient spiritual energy of the city had settled into its nighttime ebb.
Perfect conditions.
Time to prepare, Runar thought, his excitement building despite his efforts to remain calm. First, the bloodline serum and physique enhancements. Then cultivation.
He focused on his system interface.
[SYSTEM: READY TO ASSIST]
Withdraw: Primordial Essence Bloodline Serum.
A small crystalline vial materialized silently in the air above his crib, floating down into his tiny hands with perfect control. The liquid inside swirled with three distinct colors—gold for phoenix essence, silver for dragon essence, and deep blue for kun peng essence.
Runar examined it with his runic eyes, analyzing the intricate runic formations within the serum itself. The system hadn't lied—this wouldn't change his species. The runes were carefully designed to extract only the beneficial properties of each bloodline while maintaining perfect human genetic structure.
Phoenix: Regeneration, rebirth, fire affinity, vitality
Dragon: Physical power, longevity, pressure resistance, adaptability
Kun Peng: Transformation, spatial affinity, speed, flexibility
All the benefits, none of the drawbacks or species alterations.
Perfect.
He brought the vial to his lips—awkward with baby motor control, but manageable—and drank.
The effect was immediate and intense.
Heat exploded through his body. Not painful, but overwhelming—like every cell was suddenly on fire. His baby body went rigid, his back arching involuntarily as the bloodline essence integrated into his very existence.
Golden light flickered across his skin. Silver patterns traced along his bones. Blue energy swirled through his meridians.
The process took thirty seconds that felt like thirty hours.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
[PRIMORDIAL ESSENCE BLOODLINE SERUM: SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATED]
[HOST REMAINS 100% HUMAN]
[ACQUIRED TRAITS:]
Phoenix Rebirth Constitution (Passive regeneration, extremely difficult to kill) Dragon Emperor Vitality (Lifespan multiplier x10, physical capabilities enhanced) Kun Peng Spatial Affinity (Natural talent for space-related techniques and laws)
[SYNERGY DETECTED WITH UNIVERSAL REFINEMENT PHYSIQUE]
[OVERALL ENHANCEMENT: +500% TO ALL PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES]
Runar took a shaky breath, his infant body trembling from the transformation. He felt different. Stronger, more vital, more real somehow. His cells hummed with new power, each one reinforced by the bloodline traits.
Good. Now the physique enhancements.
Withdraw: Physique Enhancement Essence x13.
Thirteen small jade bottles appeared, arranged in a circle around him. Each one contained a single drop of translucent liquid that seemed to contain entire galaxies within.
One essence can enhance a physique by one sub-level, Runar recalled. My Universal Refinement Physique is currently Low Divine Grade. Thirteen enhancements would bring it to...
He did the math quickly:
Low Divine → Mid Divine (3 essences)
Mid Divine → High Divine (3 essences)
High Divine → Peak Divine (3 essences)
Peak Divine → Low Supreme (4 essences)
Low Supreme Grade physique. That's... that would make me one of the most physically gifted beings on the entire planet.
He opened the first bottle and drank.
The transformation was different from the bloodline serum—subtler but deeper. He could feel his physique evolving, the fundamental runic structure that defined his ability to refine energy shifting, optimizing, becoming more sophisticated.
He drank the second bottle. The third. Each one building on the previous enhancement.
By the sixth bottle, his body was glowing with soft white light, the Universal Refinement Physique actively working to integrate the improvements.
By the ninth, the light had intensified to the point where Runar worried it might wake his parents. But the system seemed to create a subtle barrier, containing the radiance to just his crib.
The tenth bottle pushed him to Peak Divine Grade. He could feel the threshold approaching—the barrier between Divine and Supreme.
Three more, Runar thought, his baby body sweating despite the cool night air. Three more and I'll have a Supreme-grade physique before even starting cultivation.
The eleventh bottle. The twelfth.
The thirteenth.
The world shifted.
Runar felt his physique break through the barrier with an almost audible crack. Divine Grade limitations shattered like glass, and suddenly his body was operating on an entirely different level.
[PHYSIQUE ENHANCEMENT COMPLETE]
[UNIVERSAL REFINEMENT PHYSIQUE: LOW SUPREME GRADE]
[NEW CAPABILITIES UNLOCKED:]
Can now refine energy from ANY source, including previously incompatible types Efficiency increased to 99.9% (nearly perfect conversion) Passive absorption increased by 1000% Can survive and cultivate in extreme environments (including void of space) Automatically adapts to any cultivation method or technique Physical body can now contain Supreme-grade energies without damage
[SPECIAL EFFECT: PRIMORDIAL REFINERY] Can now refine and purify ANY substance, not just energy Includes: pills, treasures, techniques, even other physiques (through special methods)
[WARNING: Supreme-grade physique will be EXTREMELY noticeable to high-level cultivators. Recommend concealment measures.]
Runar lay in his crib, panting despite his enhanced body. The transformation had been profound. He didn't just feel stronger—he felt fundamentally different. More efficient. More capable. Like his body had been upgraded from a basic car to a spacecraft.
I need to be very careful about this, he thought soberly. A one-month-old with a Supreme-grade physique would cause... problems.
But that was a concern for later. Right now, he had one more preparation to make.
Withdraw: Time Dilation Increase Token.
A small, glowing token appeared in his hand. It looked like a coin made of compressed time itself, its surface showing images that shifted between past, present, and future.
System, apply this to the Infinite Qi Realm.
[APPLYING TIME DILATION INCREASE TOKEN...]
[PROCESSING...]
[COMPLETE]
[INFINITE QI REALM TIME DILATION: 1:1000 → 1:10,000]
[EFFECT: 1 second outside = 10,000 seconds inside (approximately 2.78 hours)]
[NOTE: This enhancement is permanent and will scale with future system upgrades.]
Runar smiled despite his exhaustion. Everything was ready. Bloodline integrated. Physique enhanced to Supreme grade. Time dilation increased to absurd levels.
Now came the main event.
It's time to cultivate.
He pulled up his system interface one final time, reviewing his prepared resources:
World Qi Pills x100 (primary energy) Balance Qi Pills x1,000 (stabilization) Star Qi Pills x500 (supplementary) Eternal Nexus Ascension technique (ready to activate)
This is it. After this, there's no going back. I'll officially be a cultivator.
Runar took a deep breath—his baby lungs filling with air that felt different now, charged with potential.
Activate: Eternal Nexus Ascension. Begin foundation establishment.
[CONFIRMING: HOST WISHES TO BEGIN CULTIVATION]
[WARNING: PROCESS WILL BE INTENSE AND CANNOT BE INTERRUPTED]
[ESTIMATED TIME: 6-8 HOURS]
[RECOMMEND: ENSURE COMPLETE PRIVACY]
I'm sure. Begin.
[ETERNAL NEXUS ASCENSION: ACTIVATING...]
[INITIALIZING FOUNDATION PROTOCOLS...]
[PREPARE FOR TRANSFORMATION]
The technique activated, and Runar's world exploded into sensation.