Calm Wanderer
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(AKJ) Chapter 109 - Chapter 109 - Minor Water Cycle Intent and Earth-Shattering changes
🕑 Added 2025-04-17 08:42:38 +0000 UTCBright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Demian's P.O.V.
The next few days flowed away as if mere illusions, with every member of the Mikhailovs experiencing significant progress. The most impressive was Bryn, who had not only reached the Peak of Tier 1 in every single system with her Vitality, Soul Power, and Inner Energy refined to Flawless Purity, but she had also condensed the First-Grade Golden Jade Intent, triggering a round of Bloodline purification and giving her access to more information and Cultivation Techniques. It also boosted the effect of her Intrinsic Physical Power and gave her a much deeper mastery over the Metal and Earth Elements. From what Sergei told them after sparring with her, her Vitality Power should place her beyond the Ninth Level Foundation Building in terms of pure physical strength, although she was still far away from being able to threaten Core Formation Cultivators. As for her Soul Power and Inner Energy, they were slightly weaker since they did not receive the same enhancements from her intrinsic Power and First-Grade Intent. That being said, she should still be as strong, or even stronger, than the average High Foundation Building Cultivator. Naturally, that was mostly raw power, and she still needed a way to harness it, which meant she had to master suitable Spells, Soul Skills, and Body Techniques. Well, with her Bloodline memories and ridiculous Talent, Demian was not really concerned about her, merely wondering how long it would take her to master what she needed to perfectly master her strength. ‘As expected of someone with a protagonist’s build!’ Demian had thought when he heard his teacher’s assessment of his cousin’s improved might a few days prior. At that time, probably not wanting the other three to feel discouraged from the disparity, he had added. “The fact that Brynhild has Nine Energy Channels unlocked means that reaching a high Rank will be fairly easy, but also that her strength will be superior to most Cultivators at the same Level. Naturally, the disparity will lessen as her Cultivation Base grows higher. That being said, talent is not completely set and can be improved with some rare resources, so don’t be too discouraged. Although I believe you all know about that more than I, don’t you?”
Demian and Seraphine were not really bothered by the latter’s older sister’s progress since they both knew that it was just a matter of time before they unlocked the rest of their Energy Channels, and that was discounting the fact that their respective Cultivation Base was also at the Peak of Tier 1 with only the fact that they hadn’t condensed an Intent yet and Sera was still in the process of purifying the Energy condensed from the three System. However, although she was happy for her daughter, Adeliya still felt a bit down from the growing distance between her own Cultivation base and those of the others, especially as their Level did not reflect their strength at all, exceeding any but the most talented Cultivators around. Fortunately, with Demian stating his intention to Bond with her a few days prior and a bit of gentle coaxing that may or may not have involved some tongue action, it did not leave too deep an impact on her, except for the fact that she had some trouble breaking the bottleneck separating her from the Low Seventh Level. To be fair, the barrier between the Sixth Level and the Seventh was relatively sturdier since it separated the Mid Chi Gathering Rank from the High Chi Gathering Rank. With her Mid-Earth Grade Talent, though, it should not stop her for too long. As for the other two Systems? She was still playing catch-up because of not having access to his Perks. Yet. She was not one to stay disheartened for long, though, something he was swiftly reminded of as her many pointed gazes directed at him increased the feeling of urgency present in his Heart. Thus, he turned his attention almost entirely to comprehending his Intent with the help of the Chaos Soul Ring in its Disk-World Form.
For days, he focused on studying Water Phenomena, leaving only a few hours every night to practice Dual Cultivation with Sera, which seemed to have a positive effect and gave him many inspirations, although being less effective than the ‘Incarnation Feature’ of the Ring, which was more specific in its approach. Nonetheless, it did help him unwind and as a great man once said: ‘Making Love is like eating good food, balanced ‘consumption’ helps keep both one’s Mind and Body healthy’. Of course, Demian was one who enjoyed following good advice, especially when it suited him well, and thus regularly practiced ‘bedroom activities’. At least, after Sera woke up from her ‘sex-coma’ after a day and a half, which was half a day longer than he had expected at first. However, it was not too surprising given how much Essence she lost due to going well beyond her physical and mental limits. For a ‘normal’ Cultivator, it would probably take weeks, if not months, of rest coupled with the use of precious resources to recover from the strain. Thus, having her ‘restored’ after such a brief time and without doing anything else but sleep was what should be considered surprising. ‘Good thing we’ve got my perks or that might have been problematic... Then again, without it, she would never have gone that far. So, I guess it’s really a non-problem.’ Demian thought briefly before plunging his Consciousness inside the Disk-World for the umpteenth time since the Chaos Soul Ring transformed into its current form.
This time, however, the sensations he received were different, along with his expectations. Indeed, through the multiple Incarnation ‘travel’, his understanding of Water Phenomena increased at rocket speed, bringing him ever closer to the fabled Intent Condensation ‘level’. Originally, with ‘only’ three distinct Intents to condense, it should have taken him much less time, merely a matter of two or three days, as his Physiology Perk had a much more potent boosting effect on the Incarnation Feature than he previously expected. Knowing that, though, he became greedier, and not only started comprehending a fourth Intent alongside the other three, but also acted on a ‘random’ idea he had during his nightly activities. ‘Intents are Aspects of an Elemental Law. So, shouldn’t they be able to link up with each other? Would it be a group of Intents? Or would it turn into its own special Intent?’ The young man was not sure, but since both his gut feeling and logical brain told him it should be possible, he decided to go through with it. That was why he was only now on the verge of a transformative breakthrough, thus his anticipation. ‘A few days less or more don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, to be honest. Especially since, besides those rare people like Bryn, no one could have reached this step as quickly. Unless they’re cheaters like me. But, those don’t count.’ That was his last structured thought before the majority of his consciousness Incarnate into a set of violent Waves crashing heavily against the colossal mountain’s side, eroding little by little the steep cliff reaching heights inconceivable for a Mortal Mind. The cycle was the same every time, although the form differed slightly with each iteration, giving rise to a strange paradox. On the one hand, those variations, although slight, created an almost infinite number of possible situations. The results, however, always followed the same main steps, which gave the illusion of inevitability. Was this the representation of Fate in action? If it existed, was it gently directing events by giving the right nudges at the right time, leaving some free will to the living beings residing in this World? Or was everything an illusion, and living beings were mere puppets on invisible strings, with the puppeteers being some unfeeling ‘Heaven’s Will’?
Whatever the case, Demian was sure he was still too weak to delve into the subject and receive any real answer. After all, compared to the fabled World Will, what was he as a mere Peak Tier 1 Cultivator? Mere moving dust, if even that. Thus, he decided to shelve all those questions to one side of his Mind to revisit at a much later time, once his Cultivation Base reached a transcendent Level. In the meantime, most of his attention was on sensing the flow of those seemingly disjointed Phenomena. All different, but each had a similar flavor, following some sort of deeper principles that applied to each of them but also allowed them to each have their own form. From External to Internal, from Different to Similar. Connecting the Internal to the External, the Similarity to the Difference. Finally, his Mind, filled with inspiration, seemed to link to something deeper, eliciting a rising feeling of Unity, seemingly a truth both overly complex and ridiculously simple at the same time. It traced a direct line from Individuality to Collective, without losing any characteristics from either. Thus, a wonderful Cycle was born. It was a Cycle of Water, giving rise to Myriad forms but always following the same simple underlying Aspects. ‘One as the foundation, two to create movements which then form Infinite variations...’ He pondered as a wave of comprehension washed over his Mind, triggering an incredible transformation inside his body, especially inside his three Cores (Upper, Middle, and Lower). Trusting his Perk and the organized aspect of such a breakthrough, he only helped push along what seemed to be fated to happen, most of his attention being directed at the fresh understanding blossoming inside his Heart.
Nonetheless, he still subconsciously noted even the smallest alteration his body was experiencing. It started with an etheral seed-like item condensing in the center of his Upper Core, using the Soul Power present there as a sort of anchor for its materialization. After a few hours, the perfectly round sphere finished condensing completely, its appearance having no difference from a solid object in his Soul Sense’s eyes and emitting waves of fluctuations which looked to have a nurturing effect on his Soul Power. The latter, interestingly, seemed to serve as protection for it in a manner reminiscent of symbiotic relationships happening in the wild. Unsurprisingly, that particular Seed corresponded to the Source Intent he was previously comprehending and was formed by a mix of his own comprehension and the ‘World’s blessing’, or whatever that Entity who guided the process was. ‘One down, three to go?’ He briefly thought as another Intent Seed started naturally condensing in his Lower Core, located below his navel. There, his Inner Elemental Energy, which was previously flowing chaotically, started following a strange pattern, leaving only a small empty space in the center of the Inner Space. There, another ethereal sphere also appeared, absorbing a wave of Elemental Energy before gushing it back with an added characteristic, reminding him of those majestic waves he had incarnated his consciousness into multiple times. ‘First-Grade Tidal Wave Intent condensed!’ He noted inwardly as the appearance of that particular Seed started linking with the Source Intent Seed located in his Upper Core, although the said link was too fragile to trigger any transformative change with only those two included.
However, it was not over, and those two were merely half of the Seeds he planned to condense. Thus, the breakthrough continued, and a third Intent Seed began materializing in his Middle Core, located inside his heart. There, a phenomenon that, although pointed toward the same end goal, had a different process than the previous ones, was happening. Indeed, that particular Intent Seed was not a purely external one, but instead was the one buried inside his Body’s Essence and triggered the apparition of his Special Physique. At first, Demian thought it would either be a ‘normal’ Water Intent, such as the Rain Intent, or be a repetition of those two from his Soul and Energy Cultivation Techniques. But the result was completely different from his expectation, as a sensation of Heavy Weight with some Water characteristics erupted from the Spherical Energy construct in his Core. From his recent research, he knew it was the hallmark of the First-Grade Weight Intent, a somewhat straightforward but extremely useful combat-focused Intent. Once again, the Tidal Wave Seed created a new connection, linking the three Seeds together, with the Source Seed as the generator, the Tidal Seed as the ‘mover’, and the Weight Seed acting to densify the flowing Energy. Interestingly, the previously flimsy connection grew much stronger, although the young man could still feel something missing. ‘Generation, Flow and Density... It seems to lack Transformation.’ He guessed as a fourth Seed was about to be condensed, although he was not sure where it would appear since his three Cores were already ‘spoken for’. At this point, he was merely following the motions, leaving the ‘organizational’ part to the World Will. ‘I can feel its presence growing, but why can’t I sense where it... What the fuck?!’ He wondered before exclaiming inwardly.
The reason for his inner outburst was the fact that the Rain Intent, instead of picking a Core to settle down in, chose to go a completely different route. Indeed, with the characteristics of infinite changes, from Water Fog to Icy Rain and everything in between, it was the epitome of flexibility, able to adapt to every situation, combat or otherwise, and what the Intent’ Seed’ did next was strangely fitting to this attribute. Leaving the Cores aside, the Seed chose the newly formed link between the three other Seeds as its ‘home’. More specifically, it took possession of that connection and merged it with three of his Energy Channels: The Heaven Channel, the Mortal Channel, and the Earth Channel, the three each directly leading to their respective Core. ‘So weird...’ He thought, amazed at the fantastical events happening inside his Body, events that did not seem quite finished yet. Indeed, following the merger, the Rain Intent Seed seemed to have provided a ‘physical’ Framework for the other Seeds’ following actions. Instead of staying in their respective Cores, those three Spheres dissolved and thoroughly combined with that special connection until they were indistinguishable from each other. Interestingly, none of the Attributes of those Seeds were lost. Rather, the opposite happened, as not only did the ease of mobilizing them grow much more, but their intensity did as well. In other words, both his Mastery over those Water Aspects and his raw strength increased. It was such that a slight mobilization of power would be enough to crush his previous ‘Intentless’ self. However, those benefits only grabbed his attention for a brief moment before his focus shifted to the fundamental alterations taking place in his Energy Channels. ‘That Intent Energy seems to have created a sort of... Cycle? Right! It looks a bit like the Water Cycle I theorized after my first Incarnation experience. Although it looks a bit incomplete... Is it because my understanding is lacking? That’s probably the case. After all, each of those four Intents is merely comprehended to the First Grade. There are still a Second and Third Grade afterwards...’ Pondering for a few moments, he then decided. ‘I’ll just call it Minor Water Cycle Intent. I’m sure once I reach the Second Grade in each of those four, I’ll be able to advance this Cycle Intent as well. It’ll just take more time than if I had only one Intent.’
It may have been a lot more work, but the result was worth it. Indeed, getting a massive increase in strength, along with the establishment of a strange connection between his three Cores, something that his intuition warned him would be of massive help on his Cultivation Path, was worth the hassle. As soon as the Cycle was completely established, a tremor shook his entire body, and a whirlpool of Elemental Energy was attracted inside his body, triggering new changes. Suddenly, his Vitality seemed to have found its anchor point, bringing his Physique to the true Peak of Elementary Grade. As for his Inner Elemental Energy, it easily crossed the threshold to reach a state of Flawless Purity. His soul power, however, was already Flawless, thus could not be improved further. Or at least, that was what he expected before sensing the transformation occurring with it, something utterly confounding for the young man. After all, there was a reason why it was called Flawless Purity. It simply meant that for a certain Rank, Purity could not go further ‘naturally’. Of course, Demian was aware that there was nothing absolute in the Cultivation World since Cultivation itself was the act of breaking limits imposed at birth on individuals. However, the new state of his Soul Power was still baffling. With his current level, he was only capable of sensing the strange fluctuations coming from the Energy, which was difficult to describe. ‘Maybe something like Nature? Heaven and Earth? If I had something to compare it with, it’d be easier... It’s definitely a higher-grade though...’ He pondered while sensing his Soul Power and noting the difference between its previous state. ‘Raw power seemed to have increased... It’s also much easier to control it... Mmhhh... My thoughts are a lot clearer, too. So, does that mean my comprehension talent improved as well? I guess I’ll need to check it in the next few days.’ He decided, observing the following changes happening to his Spiritual Channels this time.
As that massive amount of Energy washed over his entire Body, he felt a vibration coursing through his Nine Energy Channels, whether they were unlocked or not. However, the most violent tremor was felt around his throat, where the Source Channel was located. Normally, as a locked Channel, he only knew its approximate location since it differed slightly between individuals, but was incapable of sensing its exact position. However, the strange resonance brought the mysterious vessel to his Senses, although the others’ positions were still vague. Before he could do anything about this new information, though, he felt the barrier blocking the connection between the latter and the Energy structure inside him jolting slightly as if it had just received a mighty hammer blow. One blow, two blows, three blows, and the barrier shook more and more fiercely each time. Four blows, Five blows, Six blows, and the barrier began to grow cracks. Seven blows, Eight blows, Nine blows, and the obstruction finally disintegrated into dust, leaving the previously unusable Source Channel completely free to connect to the Energy ‘circuit’ with the rest of his unlocked Channels. ’So this is the feeling of having 6 unlocked Energy Channels!’ He exclaimed inwardly while enjoying the sensation brought to him by this new breakthrough. When it came to immediate benefits, he noticed a few of them, each very significant. With the connection of his three Upper Channels, his Upper Core experienced another round of expansion, increasing his Soul Power capacity multiple times compared to the past. He also felt his other two Cores benefiting, although not to the same extent. His Energy circulation also felt a lot smoother, and his Energy Absorption had also increased greatly. Again, his Vitality and Inner Energy did not benefit as much as his Soul Power, but there were still some improvements on that front. When it came to Purity, there was no visible change, although it was not too surprising at this point.
‘There may be other benefits, but I can't really tell for now. That being said, I wonder why my three Upper Channels seemed to have grown much more ‘closer’ together. With the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Minor Cycle, it seems that there is now a Crown, Heaven, and Source Minor Cycle as well... I wonder what other effects it‘ll have...’ He pondered for a while on the Earth-shattering changes his Body had just gone through, despite having only planned to condense a few Intents when he started this Cultivation Session. After a while, he shoved his wistful thoughts to the side and exclaimed delightedly. “Now that I’m done with the first part of my plan, I only need to master a few Spells and techniques, and I can trigger my tribulation. Finally, I’ll be able to bond with Liya!”
