Verus reached down and poked a leaf with a finger. He then cycled some of his strange new ki through the digit as he withdrew it, and the leaf was lifted up as result. A second later, the ki dissipated and the leaf fluttered back to the ground.

Verus groaned and looked up at the sky. “How I’m I supposed to use this?”

Maybe this attunement was so rare because it was completely useless.

For the last few days, Verus and his companions had stayed at the waterfall so that Escora could cultivate. Meanwhile, Verus had spent all his time experimenting with the translucent ki and meditating on its nature. It had turned out to be a frustrating experience. So far, he’d only managed to use it to stick things together. That was less than ideal.

Without a cultivation technique to reshape the essence within his core into a proper shape and composition, Verus could only use small amounts of the ki for now. His core was currently still a simple hollow orb of human essence. This situation was made even worse because the new ki seemed to disturb human ki and dissipate upon contact with it, which made storing it in his body next to impossible.

He wasn’t even sure what the ki was called. He’d meditated on its nature for hours, but it was still mysterious. It was definitely a negative type of ki, but it acted differently from the others. They negated different forms of energy. Cold devoured heat, and darkness absorbed light.

Verus’s new ki seemed to work differently. It pulled and pushed on matter in weird ways. For instance, emitting the ki in an uncontrolled way stirred the air, pushing it away, until the ki dissipated and then the air rushed back. The force generated by this was too weak and soft to be useful as a weapon. It would be like hitting someone with a pillow. Even human ki was better for emissions, and that was terrible.

However, the invisible ki had another effect if he emitted it as a controlled beam and hit something with it. Then, when the beam began to break down, it contracted, pulling the target toward Verus and sticking it to him. This effect was a little more powerful, but still nothing that could be used as a direct attack. A life spent learning martial arts gave Verus some ideas about how to utilize this ability though. It was no fire blast or lightning bolt, but it was a sneaky way to get a strong grip on an opponent. He apparently needed to go over his grappling techniques.

Verus’s experiments on producing essence using the new ki were a complete failure, which wasn’t a total surprise. Creating essence was a more advanced ability and most people depended on proper techniques that had been developed over centuries to do it. There was no way Verus could expect to grasp all the uses of this ki right way. Proper mastery of a type ki took many cultivators decades, even when they had guides and teachings to help them. It didn’t help that Verus’s usual good instincts for ki circulation and manipulation weren’t helping him. Unlike with human ki, it was almost like the part of himself that he called the Warrior had no idea what to make of this ki either. Disappointing.

Once again, it seemed Verus’s only real option was to depend on the promise the drunk elder had made. Once he had a real cultivation technique, he could rebuild his core by transforming his new ki into essence. This would greatly increase his ability to use and store his new ki. He could also then raid the library and get his hands on some proper techniques for it. It wasn’t like he was short on shards. However, for now, using his new grabbing technique would be good practice for other things.

Verus had no idea what the proper name of his new ki was. He should probably come up with at least a temporary name for the ki though, so he didn’t get confused. Judging by how it acted and the impressions Verus could remember from his last moments in the eternal plane, this ki seemed to be associated with nothing. Weird, but true. He wasn’t sure how nothing ki could exist, but he supposed it was a negative ki, and they were all a little weird if you thought about them. Cold was the lack of heat, and nothing was the lack of… physical stuff.

However, nothing ki was a less than flattering name and didn’t exactly roll off the tongue, so he’d have to go with void. Yes, void was far more impressive sounding. He had a void ki attunement, not a nothing ki attunement.

Void wasn’t a type of ki Verus had ever really heard about before, but he was only an outer disciple, and he was fairly certain it wasn’t illegal. That was very important. They were taught about all the illegal or restricted ki types, and they were mostly emotional ki. Besides, illegal ki types were usually very impressive, and void ki really wasn’t. It was literally power over nothing, and why would sticking things together be illegal?

While on sentry duty the next day, Verus sensed three unknown people headed toward the font, so he went and got Warin before heading out to spy on them. They left Escora behind because they didn’t want to bother her yet, but they did equip the camouflage bracelets.

Approaching the trespassers unseen, Verus and Warin peered at them from behind a thick tree trunk. There were three of them, trudging through the forest toward the waterfall. Verus was immediately unimpressed. The two young men and one woman looked even scruffier than Warin and him did. They were dirty and exhausted. More importantly, their spirits felt weak. He didn’t recognize them either, which meant they weren’t from the Great Wind Sect. They had to be from another sect taking part in the event, and probably not a powerful one.

Warin’s first reaction was pity. “Maybe we should offer them some food?”

Verus gave him an unamused look. “This is the wrong place and time for charity. Let’s scare them away from the font. I doubt they’ll choose to fight us.”

His instinct proved correct. When Verus and Warin stepped out and warned the three trespassers that the font was already claimed, the trio immediately apologized and turned to leave. They looked relieved not to have been attacked.

“I’m glad it didn’t come to violence,” Warin said as they were walking back.

“Sometimes it’s necessary. This is a competition. Everyone is here to compete.”

Warin grunted as he stepped over a muddy puddle. “I know that. I’m just not feeling at my best right now. Fighting would be a lot of work.”

Verus chuckled as he eyed his friend. He did seem to have lost a little more weight, but it was probably just all the exercise he was getting. He was looking a little pale too though. Well, they’d been in the forest for quite a while now. It was understandable that he needed a break.

Around noon the next day, Escora began ascending to the Tempered Realm. Verus sensed her ki flare and ran over to watch. Warin soon joined him.

Escora was sitting in a cross-legged meditation pose on top of a flat-topped rock that sat at the very edge of the water. Her eyes were closed and there was a strained expression on her face as she focused intently on her cultivation technique and cycling her ki throughout her meridians.

As her core blazed with more power than she’d ever put off before, the ki around the young woman reacted. It flowed toward her from every direction, becoming visible to the naked eyes and circling around her with enough

force to stir the wind. The water was also affected. The pond water began slowly swirling around and lapping at the edge of her rock. Even the waterfall was pulled toward Escora, bending in her direction, but not reaching her.

Soon, the ki around Escora was many times stronger than in any place Verus had ever been before. Worry for his companion filled him as he watched, for he knew what came next. It had been explained many times by the sect’s lecturers.

Ascending to the Foundation Realm had been easy for Verus and most of the other disciples. The hard part had been the years of cultivation in the Origin Realm it had taken to develop their meridians and core. There was no rushing that. Once they’d fully formed their core though, all they’d had to do was achieve connection with the world through enlightenment. This was usually a gentle process that required nothing more straining than learning to shed your sense of self and become one with the flow of ki outside your body, but the next ascension was very different. Those that would reach the Tempered Realm had to withstand the elements and be tempered by them. They had to prove they could withstand the power and insight they wished to claim.

As reacting to Verus’s thoughts, the flow of ki around Escora suddenly changed dramatically. Speeding up, it descended upon Escora like a shrieking gale. The strained expression on the young woman’s face became a pained grimace as she fought to repulse the storm of ki attempting to tear her apart. It was like the world itself had become her enemy.

“I wish we could do something,” Warin said as he watched.

Beside him, Verus nodded. Any attempt by outsiders to interfere would most likely ruin Escora’s ascension. This was her test, given by heaven itself, and there was nothing they could do to help.

The strongest type of ki around Escora by far was water, and it soon began glimmering with insight as it spun. As he watched, Verus saw hints and flashes of the enlightenment Escora was seeking. The sound of rushing rapids and lapping waves reached his ears, giving him visions of flowing rivers. Once she’d comprehended this concept, Escora’s ability to use water ki would greatly improve and the heavens would grant her greater understanding of the true nature of reality. Only through such enlightenment could you truly ascend to immortality and godhood. A cultivator had to see past the illusion that was the physical world and find the spiritual.

Slowly, Escora’s own core began to resonate with this insight as she resisted the ki’s attempt to destroy her. Then, enlightenment dawned, and the young woman’s expression changed to one of joy. Immediately, the ki around her halted its attack. Instead, it vibrated with her insight, exalting her triumph over it as it began to flow into her body like a roaring river.

Several minutes passed before Escora had absorbed the last of the ki. Only then, did she open her eyes and shakily climb to her feet. She looked unsteady, but her core roared with more power than ever before, like a river turning in on itself. She had successfully reached the Tempered Realm. Her body had been strengthened and her internal ki system had been toughened to resist external influences, for she had now truly claimed her ki as her own.

Verus wanted to be jealous, but she was his friend and he felt happy for her. She’d earned her ascension, and it wasn’t like he was stagnating anymore. He’d finally found an element he was attuned to, even if he had no idea what to do with it yet.

“Congratulations upon taking another step toward true enlightenment. Heaven and the Archon have blessed you,” Warin told her as he gave a formal bow. Verus did likewise. This was the ceremonial accolade they’d been taught to say to the newly ascended.

“Thank you,” Escora replied with an excited smile. “I’m sure both you will get here soon enough.”

“What now?” Verus asked her.

“Well, I’m very hungry so I’ll think I’ll grab something to eat before testing out my new abilities. I should be ready to get going tomorrow though.”

Warin groaned. “So we’re still going to head for the tower?”

Escora’s grin winded as she laughed. “Of course! Where else will a find a proper challenge for my new powers? The Reaches won’t be open to us all that much longer, and there’s no point in wasting a single second of it! My tribe would be very disappointed if I didn’t squeeze every bit of value from the imperials running this place.”

“Great…”

“We can find you a place to hide if you’re not feeling up to the challenge.”

Sighing, Warin glanced at Verus and shook his head. “No, I’ve come this far. There’s no point stopping now.”