Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 105!
Because it was my birthday this week, I've been a bit busy IRL, so I only had a little time to write this week. But I did change something (relatively) major about the story: my writing style. You won't see it in this chapter but instead from chapter 116. I went from focusing on the MC in the POV to expanding a bit about other characters. It's a bit vague, but you'll understand what I mean once you read it.
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Demian's P.O.V.
Not knowing what to expect, his surprise grew as the situation became clearer. As if Time and Space lost any meaning, his consciousness was instantly brought into that strange World, right above a colossal mountain located in the south of what seemed too large to be considered an Island, but too small to be a Continent. Whatever it was, he was brought there for a reason. As he wondered what he was supposed to do, he suddenly felt his consciousness pulled again, this time into the Sea below, his entire being merging with the raging waves, with any of his true body's sensation disappearing, replaced with the feeling of turning into an uncountable amount of water droplets linked together as if they were a single being whose sole purpose was to rise together before crashing on the steep mountain side to finally recede. The endless cycle repeated again and again, as human concepts such as fatigue or boredom had nothing to do with Waves and Water in general. With no idea about how much time passed, his sense of self having almost entirely disappeared, with only the core of his consciousness left free from the 'incarnation phenomenon' he was experiencing, he subconsciously noticed the huge and sharp rocks jutting from the cliff face starting to lose some of their sharp ends through the relentless water's erosion. With unrelenting cycles of crashing Waves, even the densest Element could be pierced through and destroyed, evidenced by what was happening 'in front of his eyes'.
As soon as the core of his consciousness registered the result of his own actions, he felt a change in his perception. No longer bound to the 'entity' known as Waves, his Senses actually followed the water vapor evaporating from the warm sunlight hitting the water's surface. After rising upward for a while, he finally reached a black cloud floating gently in the sky. That cloud was accumulating more and more moisture before the latter began to recondense into water droplets from the cold wind swirling around. Predictably, with their density increasing, the now liquid water started pouring from the sky as heavy rain. Because of the cloud's erratic movements, the rain water did not fall back into the Sea, but instead landed on the colossal mountain's side before being absorbed through the dry earth. Similar to this previous situation with the 'Wave Entity', this time, Demian's consciousness followed every drop of water coursing through the ground among a mind-boggling number of paths, until every drop of water reached a half-filled subterranean cavity inside the mountain, adding even more water to its already plentiful reserve. Once his consciousness arrived underground, it started to expand, encompassing most if not all of the water present there. An unknown time later, as every water droplet was within his Soul Sense, he noticed a good amount flowing away from one side of the cavity, leading to somewhere unknown.
As if the item sensed his curiosity, he felt his consciousness moving again, following the rushing stream of water through a twisted underground path. Again with the vague impression of Time passing, and the water housing his consciousness finally reached the exit, which was a stone aperture on the mountain's side. At that point, the young man's consciousness felt a bit weary from the powerful stimulation, although his Mind was too dispersed to consciously realize it. Fortunately, the Item seemed to be aware of his mental exhaustion, and the last leg of the journey passed in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, with an almost dream-like quality that was completely different from the previous 'Four Water States' he experienced. From a small brook, growing into a big stream, then a mighty river, he finally cycled back to the Sea where he started his intense experience. As soon as those droplets containing his consciousness merged into the raging waves, he felt his consciousness being expelled from the strange Item and back into his Upper Core, where he noticed that not a drop of Soul Power remained. 'No wonder I feel like I'm about to pass out. If it wasn't for my Perk, I'd probably faint on the spot...' He groggily contemplated while subconsciously noting that his Soul Cultivation Technique was still autonomously circulating, helping him recover his depleted reserves. Thankfully, it was just recovering and not recultivating from scratch, which meant it would not take long for him to be back at full capacity.
As the Soul Power gushed in, Demian observed that for one unit of Soul Liquid flowing in, multiple units of it flowed out from the Sphere as if it cost nothing. Not only that, but he could feel some kind of Energy replenishing and improving every other part of his body. 'Could it be...?' He wondered briefly, as his cognitive abilities recovered completely once the quantity of Soul Power crossed a certain threshold. It was as if his brain had been squeezed dry of any trace of Energy before being 'watered' again with the 'fuel' it needed to function. 'I really need to be careful about not having my Elemental Soul Energy bottom out if I don't want to find myself in some tricky situations... Or any of the other two, for that matter.' He thought briefly before his attention was attracted by the mysterious Sphere emitting another of its pulses, although this time, it felt much more gentle. Indeed, this time, its goal was completely different. No longer upgrading anything, it was instead sending a message. Or more specifically, relaying a message that someone else left inside it. How did he know that? Well, the indistinct humanoid shape materializing above the strange sphere was the first clue. The second being what the golden presence had to say next. ["Demian Mikhailov. Or should I say, Damian Knight? It's been a while, lad. 18 years, give or take, if my memory is correct."]
Those few words and the strangely familiar magnetic voice made his heart skip a beat and threw his thoughts into disarray for a few seconds before he was finally able to string out a few coherent sentences. "You... Are that Entity? I mean the one who sent me to this World." Despite having a million other questions, none of them could leave his lips but this one, probably because of the few doubts hidden deeply in his Heart. Were his memories reality or just a dream? Did he truly live 30 years in that parallel Earth, or did that Entity implant some fake memories inside his head? If it were true, why would he do so much for him? And what about... So many questions, but before he could ask any of them, the blurry being without a hint of Aura responded. ["That I am, lad. Well, a sliver of thought from the main body left inside the Chaos Soul Ring, to be more specific."] Pausing for a second, the 'Soul Sliver' added in a language unknown to him, but still strangely understandable. ["I can read your thoughts, by the way. Everything is true. Not only that, but I also left a few surprises for you in this World, although nothing like the three Perks I granted you and this Chaos Artifact I refined for you. That one is a bit experimental since it's the first time I had to craft something of that Grade for someone so weak. Keep in mind that a mere trace of its Aura could obliterate a Mortal World, let alone someone as weak as you. The results seem quite good, though, from what I observed those last few months."] Shaking his head slightly, he added. ["Let's put that aside for now. This Soul Thought is there to explain this Artifact's functionalities, leave you a message, and then turn itself back to be the link between you and the Artifact. Otherwise, it'd be impossible to use it. For you, that is."]
Despite having so much to ask, Demian knew what his priorities were. After all, with what had just happened, he could tell that this Artifact was no less overpowered compared to his Perks, and he thus needed to understand how it worked. That was why he stayed silent and listened to the other's following explanation. ["The Chaos Soul Ring has two main functions. The first is something you've been using since you received it, which is powering the use of your three Perks. To be a bit more specific, your Perks are high-level Runes inscribed on your Soul. Those Runes need Energy to function, and you'd be incapable of fueling them effectively. Thus, the Ring acts as a link between a higher-level Energy and also breaks it down sufficiently for your use."] Halting his words for a brief moment, the Entity then resumed. ["That was for the first function. As for the second, the Ring can be transformed in the same way as what just happened and acts as an 'Incarnation Experiencing Item'. With its help, your consciousness will be sent to experience different phenomena related to your current Cultivation Base and suitability. In your case, you were comprehending Water Intents, so the Ring incarnated you into different water phenomena, which is extremely helpful to comprehend Elements. It's much better than observing them from the outside. Also, the higher your Cultivation Base, the stronger and broader the effects. You'll understand the specifics as your power grows."]
His explanation confirmed Demian's guess on the ring's benefits, even answering a question he had kept in his mind since the start: How did his Perks work, and where did the Energy fueling them come from? After all, something could not come from nothing, right? Well, maybe at that kind of 'height', something could be created from nothing. In any case, he had no way to know for now. Instead, he said. "I understand. By the way, I really have to thank you for everything you've done for me." His words elicited a few chuckles from the 'man' who replied. ["I see you still have doubts. Why did I help you, correct? Rest easy, it's nothing nefarious. Think of it as hitting two birds with one stone. You receive a life-changing opportunity, and I draw some benefits from your success. The greater the success, the greater the benefits I receive. Nothing more, nothing less. Speaking of which, the message from my real self is this: 'If you have any more questions for me, you better grow strong enough first. In the meantime, the Ring will be my last helping hand for your Cultivation Path. Only if you die will I help you reincarnate in another world, although I doubt that's something you wish for. As for the rest, it's up to you, lad. Good luck."]
As soon as 'he' stopped talking, the light comprising 'his' body lost its cohesion, turning the humanoid shape into a fuzzy light cluster before the latter vanished in a way that Demian was incapable of understanding. One instant it was there, the other it was not, and all that without creating any fluctuation. At least, none that he could sense, which, to be fair, did not mean much. Feeling a bit frustrated at the disappearance of the only source of information about the Entity, his Perks, and his previous life, at least the only one he had access to, the young man felt a surge of both frustration and powerlessness. The former from how unwilling that Entity was to share information, and the latter since his current strength did not allow him to do anything to change 'his' mind. Who could he blame but himself for his low Cultivation Base? Shaking off those negative thoughts, he told himself. 'No, I can't be ungrateful toward that Entity. I've already received so much, I'm not even sure how I'll be able to repay him for his help. I know 'he' said 'he' didn't really care and that with 'his' power, it might just be a matter of a single thought, but if I take it for granted, then how different I'd be from those entitled brats I despise so much.' After taking a few long breaths, he felt his turbulent emotions settle down, leaving his mind calm enough to ponder what he should do. 'I've already reached the Peak in the Soul, Energy, and Body Systems, so the only thing left is to condense an Intent for each of them and break through to the Extreme State for the Soul and Energy System. From what Teacher said, pushing my Special Physique to the Peak of the Elementary Grade through the Innate Intent should be equivalent to the other System's Extreme State, so it should save a bit of time for me.' Another deep breath later, he resumed his pondering. 'Others may not succeed, but by using the Chaos Soul Ring, it should only take me a few 'Incarnation' rounds to achieve it. Speaking of which...'
Having made his decision, his attention turned toward his Upper Core, which had experienced major changes compared to its previous 'empty state'. The whole space was now filled with Soul Liquid floating swiftly and in a somewhat chaotic manner. The Gate linked to his Energy Channels was only gushing Soul Power intermittently, more specifically when the already present Energy was slowly consumed. Naturally, the consumption was very low, inconsequential even, at least compared to the colossal reserves he had acquired. Interestingly, the membrane had also gone through nine rounds of expansion, among which three were much more significant. Not only that, he could sense how much tougher it became, able to bear a lot more impact than previously. The exact degree of its defense was, however, a mystery, and he was not stupid enough to test it. 'Mmhh? What is...?' A brief thought surfaced in his mind when he felt his Soul Power, which had reached a Flawless Purity, seemed to be brewing something. 'Is it possible that Flawless Purity is not the limit? I thought it was the refinement limit for my Energy at any given Rank...' Feeling some doubts at what his Senses told him and his strange conjecture, he simply decided to put it aside since, although 'close', the transformation would not occur right away. He could sense that it seemed to lack a sort of trigger. What was that trigger? He had no clue, and with all that had just happened, he felt pretty numb about any more 'surprise'. 'Time will tell.' He concluded wisely.
His introspection done, he chose to move his focus to the memories pertaining to his recent Incarnation experience, savoring all the sensations while trying to solidify his comprehension. 'The Tide Intent... Tides are essentially waves, or in other words, Sea movements influenced by external intervention, creating a cycle of ebbing and rising Tides, from Low to High and High to Low in a never-ending pattern with changing form and trigger but with the same fundamental principles...' As those memories surfaced in his mind, a wave of comprehension washed over his Mind, which would have overwhelmed his previous self, but was now easily caught, examined, and filed for further extrapolation. Naturally, his experience of Incarnation did not stop at being a wave, but also encompassed turning into rain water, gathering in a subterranean source, and later transforming into a river. If one were to divide all those states into Intent, which were basically water phenomena, it would be well beyond the three Intent he was planning on condensing. The Tide Intent, which covered the principles of ebbing and rising, the Rain Intent, which was about Evaporating and Condensing, the Source Intent, using the principles of Growth and Flow, and lastly the Weight Intent, whose name was pretty much self-explanatory. Truthfully, those four were not the only Intents 'available', but merely those he could gain a preliminary understanding about and also the ones that fitted him the best. Although the former was probably the result of the latter.
Whatever the case, those four were plenty for the moment, maybe even too much if it was not for the Chaos Soul Ring. However, with a shortcut to great power and longevity with no risk and no permanent side effects presented to him, Demian was not one to brainlessly refuse. No, instead, he would strive to comprehend those four and may even be able to receive a surprise. After all, normal Cultivators only condensed their Intent to break through to the Core Formation Rank, while those Heaven Geniuses did the same at the Peak of the Chi Gathering Rank. As for him? Not only would he condense Intent at the Peak of Tier 1, but he would also condense four of them at once. How strong would that make him then? Ridiculously strong, that much was obvious, but as for how much, only Time would tell. In the meantime, he would be busy digesting his gains from the previous experience for a while longer before moving back to the house. 'Speaking of which, I wonder how much time passed...' He thought briefly before his eyes fluttered open to check the time. As soon as his eyes opened, what met his gaze was Sergei's curious and admiring expression. Noticing Demian's movements, the man remarked playfully while wearing his usual smile. "You really enjoy flaunting your talent, don't you?"
Feeling a bit confused, the young man asked. "What did I do?" Hearing his question, a few chuckles escaped the older man's lips before he made a small gesture for Demian to stand up and instructed. "Let's return to the guest house. We'll be more comfortable chatting there." With a quick nod, the young man did as he was told and followed Sergei to the wooden building while looking around, only now noticing that night had fallen for a while now with the bright light of the moon and the numerous stars illuminating the grove filed with the noise of nocturnal animals, which meant that the entire day and part of the night was spent breaking through and Incarnating. Although he had a feeling that the latter was the main culprit behind such a long time flowing by without his knowledge. 'The stronger I get, the more Time loses significance. I still remember when I was in high school, and five minutes felt like five hours. But now, I spent twelve+ hours cultivating, and it felt like a few minutes had gone by. And I'm only at the Peak of Tier 1. What will happen when I reach a Level where my lifespan crosses the 10,000 years mark or even beyond? What about those true Immortals? Is it as exaggerated as in those books with millions of years merely equivalent to the blink of an eye?' His Mind filled with random thoughts, he could not help but let out a wistful sigh, which prompted Sergei to ask. "Something bothering you?" Feeling a bit pensive, Demian replied. "Just trying to adjust my mindset with the whole living forever situation and what comes with it... I'm having some difficulty wrapping my mind around it, that's it."
Chuckling slightly, Sergei then retorted. "You're only 18, barely started cultivation, and you're already thinking of living forever. Wait until you've lived for a few hundred years, and your perspective will change." Shaking his head slightly, Demian corrected. "Actually, I'm more confused about how my perception of Time is twisting. I can feel it's starting to slowly lose its meaning." Pausing for a brief moment to gather his thoughts, he then added. "If you take the me of a few months ago, a few hours focusing on one thing, even something I enjoyed, was exhausting for me. But now... Now, I can spend a whole day cultivating, and it feels to me as if only minutes went by... It's a bit... Confusing, I guess? Or maybe 'unsettling' would be a better word. I'm not really sure." A short silence settled between the two men before Sergei shared some of his insights with him. "The change in Time perception is something every Cultivator faces as they grow stronger and their lifespan increases, especially those younger Cultivators like you and me." Seeing a bit of curiosity on Demian's face, Sergei explained with a playful smile. "Yes, I AM considered a young Cultivator. At least for someone with my Cultivation Base. That being the case, I have only one piece of advice for you: Cherish the time you have, no matter how long, whether in what you do or who you're with. Otherwise, you'll only be filled with regrets." Shaking his head slightly, the older man said absentmindedly. "So many Cultivators pursue Cultivation blindly, putting everything else aside and at the end of their lives realized that they wasted their chance of tasting what life had to offer them."
Feeling a bit confused, Demian retorted. "But if your Cultivation Base grows, so does your lifespan, right? So, isn't it best to raise your Cultivation to get more time alive, even if it means sacrificing other things for a while?" Hearing his question, Sergei's head turned toward the young man with a knowing smile before replying. "I never said Cultivation could not be pursued. I only said it couldn't be a blind pursuit. In everything, balance is key. It's something I'm sure you should be familiar with." Noticing the thoughtful look on the younger man's face, he continued. "Interestingly, although the length of Time matters, I find quality to be much more meaningful. Those who only strive to lengthen their lifespan will either do their best to live longer in the vain hope that sufficient quantity would lead to a significant increase in quality, or will have their Heart so eroded by their meaningless way of living that only the 'sweet' release of death becomes appealing to them. So, it's best if you balance the two so you don't accumulate regrets in your long life as a Cultivator. Especially you, who are so lucky to have three exceptional women by your side. Cherish them dearly, and strive to live as long and as well together. Life can be very short, and worthy lifelong partners are extremely hard to find."
Nodding his head, with his head full of thoughts, Demian replied. "That's my plan. To be honest, I'm still a bit confused about... Everything, I guess. And especially about my relationships."