Cultivation Through Artifacts

'Damn... I feel like my arm is about to be torn off!' cried Khal inwardly, trying to move but only in vain.

No matter how hard he attempted to move left, right, back or forth, Andre's palm was like a magnet, stuck on his shoulder while pushing down on him like an eternal mountain!

The weight felt tremendous, but luckily not to the point where he would die. Though, Khal was pretty sure if Andre wanted to, he could kill him right here and now, smashing his body as effortlessly as taking a deep breath!

"Just admit your defeat. I don't plan to crush the bones inside your arm much less kill you," said Andre calmly and quietly that made every person in the Arena turn dead silent in an instant.

"Is this for real? I see things right or what? Khal is really on the verge of losing?" several people began to feel shocked while many had eyes wide open!

In their imaginations, Khal was an extremely powerful existence that was able to rival a Natural Cultivator above his own Cultivation Stage, yet now, he was struggling to fight someone on his own level!

Did the world go crazy or did Khal simply underestimate Andre from the start thus this is why he was currently on the losing end? Or maybe... did he get weak?

But what none of them realized was that Khal didn't get cocky and underestimated Andre nor did he get weaker. He was just simply caught off guard by Andre that's all.

But even like this, Khal knew he won't lose as he still didn't use several powers of his. This is why he just smiled and was about to open his Stellar Domain when suddenly a change occurred inside his body.

Crack!

"?" feeling like something inside his left hand cracked but not his bone, Khal glanced inside his body with the help of his Heaven's Eyes only to see something unexpected.

"The gate... It's slightly opened!" thought Khal but soon his face turned complicated and worry replaced his joy.

"Is this bad or good news?" Khal didn't know what to expect if he decided to wait and watch his sealed gate be forced open, but soon he got an answer.

[Use your Essence and open the sealed gate!]

Hearing the voice in his head that felt kind of urgent, Khal was surprised but still did as he was told. Closing his eyes while resisting Andre's Talent, Khal collected his Essence inside his heart and pushed it toward the gate that will open the Essence Path into his left arm!

BAM!

Right as his Essence reached and touched the gate, the weight on his body doubled, while his arm felt almost like breaking off from its place!

But no matter how painful did it feel, Khal realized that something this time was different, and time seemed to slow down almost into a crawl inside his eyes.

"What... Is this?" mumbled Khal and tried to move his body but found it out he was unable to.

[You are currently in the Enlightenment State!]

"Enlightenment... State? What is that?" questioned Khal, seemingly confused as he never heard nor read such a definition before.

[The Enlightenment State is a unique state of mind where you can comprehend things better while time flows slowly around you.]

"And why can't I move?"

[Because the Enlightenment State affects your mind only and not your 'real' body. Think about it as a separate space where you can see and inspect everything, but with better understanding, clearer mind, and without moving.]

"I kind of get it now." Khal nodded and closed his eyes.

Now that time flowed extremely slowly, he knew he had time to soothe his mind out while also think a way to open his first sealed Essence Path.

But just as he closed his eyes, something unexpected happened. The Arena together with every individual in it vanished while suddenly he found himself standing before an extremely huge mountain!

"What?" Khal immediately opened his eyes and soon found himself back in the Arena where time flowed slowly, but after he closed his eyes he was standing before the mountain once again!

"I can... Move?" Khal was pleasantly surprised to see as his body moved without problem, not like when he opened his eyes.

[This is an illusion that comes from the Essence Path you try to unseal. If you can understand its meaning, you can open the sealed gate!]

"I see. But, wait... Since when did you start to talk so friendly?" asked Khal and to his surprise, an answer came right away.

[Your Body Essence.]

"Eh? Do you mean whenever I exchange my Body Essence for newer abilities, you... evolve?"

[Yes.]

When Khal heard this he nodded and thought, "Kind of thought but still... Hearing I was right, still makes me uneasy."

Khal wanted to say something, but soon a huge earthquake interrupted him.

[You should hurry up. Your Enlightenment State won't persist for too long, so you will have at most 15 more minutes.]

"Damn. What should I do now then? I mean, just staring at a mountain won't help me, right?"

[Why not ascending it then?]

"That's..." Khal seemed startled by that statement but after thinking about it a bit deeper the voice was right.

"Yeah, you are right. Thanks," said Khal and without any further ado began to run toward the mountain.

But not even after he took his first step, he felt as if he stepped into mud, his feet quite hard to raise.

"?" Khal took another few steps forward, but every time he did, a powerful force almost akin to gravity began to pull his body down, slowing his movement down with every step he took!

"Mud? There is no mud, then why can't I move properly?" thought Khal but he didn't get an answer this time. It seemed the voice didn't want to help him or maybe even itself was unable to answer that question.

Soon, after taking his 50th step, Khal felt the force turning wilder, almost like someone this time not only tried to pull him down but even pushed him from above by his shoulder, especially by his left hand!

And moments later, the feeling gradually began to turn into that similar painful sensation that he felt before entering the Enlightenment State but this stronger!

"Enlightenment... Understanding what each Essence Path means..." Khal mumbled quietly, but after several minutes of thinking, he just sighed and said, "But really... What should I understand from pain and the weight on my body? Even the time limit is on my neck, giving me no time to think properly! Argh, this is annoying!"

Khal felt like tearing his hair out from frustration, but soon his hands stopped while his brows gradually lowered into a deep frown.

"Annoying? Why do I even feel annoyed? This is not me at all."

As Khal thought about this, finding it strange to see himself getting so stressed so easily, suddenly his eyes widened and brightened up like stars.

"That's it! I got it!"