◇ Third Person POV ◇

The young cultivator finally reached the peak after a long period of running. The mountains in the Heavenspring Mountains were usually sized at 10kilometers tall and spans the distance of 50 – 90 kilometers. The young cultivator ran halfway of that distance, and was panting as he arrived at the top.

When the young cultivator finally stood at the peak, he sat wasted no time and took of all of his clothes. His white fair skin and perfectly symmetrical and muscular body was in full glory for the world to see. However, without any traces of shame, the young cultivator took out a cultivation mat from his Spatial Ring, laid it on the ground, and then sat on it as he started meditating.

He cultivated the Purple Lotus Perfection Sutra, the core cultivation method of the Purple Lotus Sect, and was one of the most powerful cultivation method from the current era as it refined Primordial Chaos and refined it into the purest form of Spirit Qi.

In the cultivation world, it was common sense that the purer one’s Spirit Qi was, the more powerful his strength would become. Not only that, the person would also have fewer bottlenecks and he/she would gain enlightenment easier due to closer attunement to nature.

And the Purple Lotus Perfection Sutra was a cultivation method that was based from Primordial Lotus Sutra, an ancient cultivation method that refined Primordial Chaos, and was further improved and perfected till it now became the Purple Lotus Perfection Sutra.

As for the young cultivator, the entire mountains suddenly brightened a bit as Spiritual Essence from the Heaven And Earth increased in density around him and formed a purple mist. It was a purified Primordial Chaos, one that his current body could withstand.

It was common knowledge in the Purple Lotus Sect that Primordial Chaos had differing colours depending on how much chaos it contained.

Purple Chaos was the colour when Primordial Chaos was purified by Order, and was practically harmless to any living being.

Dark Purple Chaos was a slightly chaotic Primordial Chaos that wasn’t perfectly purified by Order. It had chaotic force that could kill and corrupt any weak cultivator just be nearing it.

Grey Chaos was an extremely chaotic Primordial Chaos that was impossible to refine without a perfected body, and powerful Spirit Roots.

And Lastly, Black Chaos was the Purest Form of Primordial Chaos in its most chaotic state. It brought about absolute destruction, and it could destroy anything that existed within Order.

The young cultivator was cultivating with the Purple Chaos, and was absorbing an incredibly dense amount of Spiritual Essence at the same time. It showed that despite his carefree attitude, this young cultivator, was without a doubt, a true genius.

And as if proving the statement above, it seems he was actually gaining enlightenment...

◇ Ray’s POV ◇

Hm? What is this? A purple mist? It feels nice being in contact with it...

Although it’s a bit strange watching a naked dude above me, the purple mist that he summoned(I think?) feels kind of nice. I think I know now, this might be the Primal Chaos I’ve read about. I feel stronger the more I absorb.

However...why won’t it enter where I am. Is there something preventing me from absorbing what the guy summoned? Or maybe I’m not allowed to absorb energy from the outside. Or maybe even both?

Well, if that’s the case, I simply have to do my best in absorbing the energy. Let’s see...

I see. It seems feasible. It’s very slow, but I think it’s even faster than how fast I cultivate normally. The amount I absorb usually don’t change even if I kick the cultivation method into full throttle, but it’s different when I try to absorb the energy from outside.

Even though this feels a bit exhausting, I’ll still do my best.

◇◇◇

Huh? Did I cultivate in a daze again? It keeps happening everytime I cultivate lately. I hope it doesn’t have any strange side effects.

Anyway, I wonder how much time passed...I see. It should only be a few hours, the naked dude is still up there and the mist had grown thicker?

Anyway, this is a chance. I want more of those purple mist...

◇◇◇

Hm? I feel strange...

I feel like I’m about to break through some barrier inside me. Something that’s restraining something within me. I don’t like the restraining feeling. It’s unpleasant, and now that I’m aware of it, I know cultivation can ease it. That’s why I’ll just keep absorbing the mist.

◇Third Person POV◇

As the young cultivator slowly opened his eyes, he noticed that he had broken through from the early stages of Foundation Building to the Intermediate Stage.

“So the story about enlightenment in these mountains was actually true... But was there a need to be naked? Or maybe, there was a perverted mountain spirit here? Well, at least it had worked itself out—...huh? Spiritual Fluctuations?”

As the young cultivator was talking to himself, he suddenly felt an extremely faint Spiritual Fluctuations. It was as if it was hidden, and he couldn’t exactly pinpoint where it was. However, he realized on thing...

“This feeling...a breakthrough? It does not seem human either. What is it? A spirit?”

If that was the case, then it wouldn’t be strange. Spirits after all, were beings that were naturally formed by Heaven and Earth. As such, they were extremely valuable catalysts for breakthrough, tonic, and every part of their body, including their soul was an extremely valuable treasure.

“Hmm...It looks like its breakthrough will fail. Was it leeching off the Purple Chaos I summoned earlier? Ordinary spirits would have dispersed from the sheer suppression from the mist so whatever this is, it might be a big deal...”

Primordial Chaos was a power that exceeded Heaven and Earth, as such, Spirits did not hold much chance in surviving the Suppression Hierarchy that was set up by Heavenly Dao. Spirits would disperse at brief contact in normal cases, but the one the young cultivator noticed was different. It seems to have absorbed and refined that Purple Chaos he summoned.

“Well, let us help this one. It is fate that it is breaking through right this moment. I might as well not deny it its chances of getting stronger.”

And so, the young cultivator, who had already worn all his clothes, used his cultivation method again to summon the Purple Chaos. Instead of absorbing it, however, he just perceived as to where the Spirit was hiding by seeing which part would get disappear. As such, he noticed that the mist would disappear as it made contact with the ground.

“Hm? What is this? The peaks of the mountains here in Heavenspring have powerful energy suppression beneath the ground yet, why is this one able to absorb from it? Could this perhaps be a sealed demon? Then I hope I am making the right choice...”

The young cultivator had a frown on his face as he spoke. However, he didn’t stop his help as he willed the mist to go beneath the ground. If it was normal Spiritual Essence, it would have bounced off but Primordial Chaos was of the highest order in the hierarchy of natural energies.

After a while, the young cultivator felt that the fluctuations had become ‘saturated’, so he stopped and dispersed the Purple Chaos.

“That much is enough. Any more than that shall be greed and would not bode well for your future.”

He then observed for reactions, and then heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that the being beneath the ground had no complains. If it had attacked in anger, then the young cultivator would have killed it even if he needed to rip out his left hand in substitute for a sword. After all, slumbering greed that awakens and freed would bring calamity in the world without fail.

As the fluctuations settled for a bit, the young cultivator saw dark clouds gather above the mountain peak.

“Heavenly Tribulation? Dear me. It looks like this one is breaking through Golden Core Realm. Although I can beat it with my current power, I’m not sure I can kill it.”

The young cultivator once again said with a frown.

He then took a few steps back, each step cover a hundred meters in order to avoid the Heavenly Lightning. A while later, thunders resounded as a blinding flash of lightning fell into the mountain top, obliterating the ground as revealing a single edged curved sword. It had a black blade and its sharp edge shone like silver. Its front guard was longer than its back guard as it curved an elegant curve downwards. Beneath the guard was black feathery fur and a handle with simple design similar to a mortal’s katana.

The young cultivators eyes widened at the sight as he marvelled whether this could be fate. He had been searching for a good sword for years, and now, because of him, a sword was about to gain full sentience as it was trying to rise in the hierarchy of Order and was now facing its tribulations.

“Looks like I finally get to have a blade. However, it’s curved edge might mean I’ll have to recreate a new sword style.”

It had seemed the young cultivator had decided to take the sword as its master.

The dark clouds were still above the sky as ascending to the Golden Core Realm meant withstanding three lightning blows. It was a feat that was impossible for a sword which had never experienced a single battle before, but the Purple Chaos was above the heavens in Hierarchy of Order. As such, the power that was suppose to break the sword, only strengthened the sword further.

BOOM!!!

A booming sound formed as lighting fell once again and hit the sword, but it was once again suppressed by the Purple Chaos that was coursing within the sword. It strengthened the sword further as its aura sharpened.

The young cultivator once again had his eyes widened at the sight. The Purple Chaos he had summoned had such powerful synergy with the sword. As such, he wanted to enter a contract with the sword even more. It was a treasure, no doubt.

BOOOM!!!

The third and last lightning fell as the 20 meter crater on the ground doubled is size as lightning tried to destroy the sword, but the Purple Chaos was still present in the sword. In the end, the Heavenly Lightning was suppressed as it only served to nourish the sword further, breaking through the limit and pushing the sword into the second level of the Spirit Stage.

Unlike cultivators, spirits had a different cultivation realm as they started from Mortal, Earth, Spirit, Heaven, Saint, and Divine.

And cultivators had realms of Body Tempering, Qi Refining, Foundation Building, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Formation.

It was indeed similar, but not the same. Spirits were existences that had the favour of the Heavens, as such, they started experiencing Tribulations from the 3rd Realm, the Spirit Stage, while cultivators only experience Tribulations from the 4th Realm, the Golden Core stage.

The young cultivator approached the sword as soon as the Tribulation Clouds disappeared and the sword lit up as it morphed into human form.

“Hm?”

The young cultivator was confused about something, but he didn’t stop as he kept walking to the ‘sword’ that was now in human form.

“Congratulations. It seems you had passed the Tribulation without much trouble, and even managed to break through the second stage of the Spirit Stage. How fortunate indeed.”

The ‘sword’ in human form, looked at the young cultivator with tired eyes as he asked.

“Who are you...?...”

The young cultivator smiled at the sword whose human form resembled a human child 18 years of age and answered.

“Light. My name is Light Winterwinds. A pleasure to meet you.”

The sword in human form seemed to struggle keeping his eyes open, but he still managed t speak.

“...Ray...nice to...me..et...you...”

And then, he passed out.