Death… And Me

Now that they've regrouped, Calina decided to tell Rean and Roan about something.

"I think I've already reached the highest level I could in the Core Formation Realm. Do you think I should try a breakthrough?"

Rean and the others were surprised by that. After all, the amount of Spiritual Energy in this world was lacking compared to Sunkan Planet. But then again, Calina had been sharing that robe that helped accumulate Yin Energy from the environment with Malaka. It definitely played a role in her final stretch in the Core Formation Realm.

Roan then put his hand on her shoulder before sending his Spiritual Energy and Sense inside her body. He verified her meridians, dantian, foundation stability, everything. Calina could use her Spiritual Energy to block Roan's view if she wanted to, but she trusted him.

After a few seconds, Rean did the same thing. In Rean's case, it was even easier to check it due to his Light Element Affinity. After he finished, Roan asked him.

"I think she could breakthrough. What do you think?"

Rean agreed with Roan with a smile.

"Yes. Calina's foundation is as sturdy as it could be. In the end, there's an advantage to the lack of Spiritual Energy of this planet. We need to spend a lot more time accumulating the necessary energy, which prevents damage to our foundations. She can go ahead with her breakthrough without a problem."

Calina was happy to hear that. She was pretty sure she was fine, but it was always good to hear a second opinion.

It was then that Malaka intervened.

"In fact, I'm also ready to try to enter the Late Stage of the Core Formation Realm."

Rean and Roan weren't surprised by that. Malaka had the lowest cultivation between their group, so it was common sense that she was the fastest one. Agis had already broken through to the Late Stage, after all. Well, that is if you ignore Frandin's existence.

Rean and Roan checked her condition as well and confirmed that Malaka was right. Although she could accumulate a bit more energy, it wouldn't make a difference in this place.

"Core and Soul Fusion Realm, huh? Alright, let Calina try it first."

Qia then looked at Rean before asking.

"Now that I think about it, you passed me in cultivation after you spent those ten years with the Lakures, no?"

Rean shook his head as he replied.

"Not really. When I entered that natural formation, you were already at the Peak of the Core Formation Realm. By the time Roan and I left that place, we had just barely broken through into the same realm as you. That being said, you're definitely ahead of us at the moment. As for Calina, she had always been in front of us, so it's normal that she got to the threshold first."

Rean then asked something else.

"By the way, how far do you think you are from the Core and Soul Fusion Realm? Your cultivation technique isn't any worse than Calina, after all. You both got it from the Imperial Repository."

Qia pondered for a bit before saying.

"I probably need another year of cultivation at the very least. However, Calina and Malaka's cultivation will advance a little faster than mine. After all, this world is perfect for Yin-related techniques and elemental affinity. Those two have Water Element Affinity, while my affinity is Earth Element. Well, because I'm a woman, I got an Earth Element cultivation technique that also includes Yin Energy. That being said, it isn't as if I don't get any advantage for being in this world. But it's still not to Calina and Malaka's level."

Rean nodded, already expecting this much. 

"Well, you're still well off. Don't forget that Agis has Fire Element Affinity. He's the one suffering the most among us."

Agis shrugged his shoulders as he said.

"It's fine. At least now I have more time to get used to my own skills. Besides, the Yin and cold energy of this planet aren't totally bad. It helps me become more proficient in using my Fire Element Affinity. You say that I'm fine-tuning my own power. Of course, I would rather be back in Sunkan Planet."

Rean and Qia laughed in response.

"Us as well."

Still, they felt a little gloomy soon after since Sunkan was no more.

Frandin heard all of that and didn't know what to say. He did hear that their world was destroyed. That's something he simply couldn't imagine to be possible. However, it didn't seem like they were lying.

Roan glanced at them before snorting.

"Hmph! There's no point in thinking about the past. Just focus on what you can do in the future. Besides, it's not like everyone is gone forever."

In an instant, everyone's attention was caught by Roan's words.

"Wait! What do you mean by that?"

Roan shook his head.

"If you survive until then, you'll understand."

Rean understood what Roan was talking about, though. So far, they didn't tell that Roan was a Death Spirit back in the other half of the Universe. Obviously, he knew that everyone's souls were sent for reincarnation. Besides, they had heard from the others that reincarnation existed. That it wasn't just the two of them.

'Perhaps Roan knows how to control the souls in the path of reincarnation. He was the one who dealt with that in the past, after all.'

The others insisted that Roan explained his meaning. Still, Roan refused to talk about it. In Roan's eyes, there was no point talking about it since they wouldn't understand. In the end, Qia and the others had to give up.

"Alright, let's leave it aside. Here, take this pill bottle."

Calina grabbed the pills and immediately recognized them.

"Oh, right! The Cross-Realm Pills. Thank you, Roan."

Roan nodded, not minding it too much. He had made those pills for them to start with. If they didn't use it, there would be no point in making them.

Frandin, on the other hand, looked at those pills as if they were treasures.

"Are you talking about the pills that can help in breakthroughs?"

Roan nodded as he said.

"I'm an alchemist, remember? If you work well, perhaps I'll give you a bottle with a few of them in the future. In this world with such a shitty concentration of Spiritual Energy, these pills will be even more sought after."

Frandin nodded, excited. As hard as Roan's training was, Frandin had to admit that he had never cultivated so fast before. He already reached a point whether he didn't know if it was a bad or a good thing to be working for these humans.

"Alright, enough with wasting time. Calina, you know the steps for your breakthrough already, right?"

Calina nodded.

"The Sasamil Imperial Family only uses complete cultivation techniques. There are quite a few partially complete ones in our repositories, but they can only be used for research. Naturally, my own cultivation technique has all the steps for the next cultivation realms up to the Saint Realm."

Qia agreed with Calina, saying.

"She isn't lying. My own cultivation technique is the same."

Roan and the others nodded.

"Alright, Rean, Qia, go ahead."

Rean and Qia smiled in response and immediately began to build a simple Energy Gathering Formation that used Spirit Stones. Even though they only had Rank Two Stones, it should be enough if the formation was in place.

Following that, Roan filled the gaps in the formation with the Spirit Stones before giving Calina some space.

"Well, I'm going ahead."

Calina then took a deep breath before activating the formation. In an instant, the area around her became rich with Spiritual Energy. Calina began to absorb it all as fast as she could while she pushed for the breakthrough.

Once she thought she was ready, she popped Roan's pill into her mouth, which immediately boosted her cultivation. With that, she attacked the bottleneck.

Time passed as Rean and Qia took care to replace the Spirit Stones in the formation as they turned into dust. Unlike Rean and Roan, the others were not certain to succeed in their breakthroughs, so they had to be careful. 

Calina then swallowed another Cross-Realm Pill, using its boost to keep attacking the bottleneck. Just like that, time passed.

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

Fifteen minutes...

Twenty minutes...

Everyone had their eyes glued on Calina while using their Spiritual Sense to check every change in her body. After all, they would also pass through the same process later.

Calina then swallowed one more pill by the 35-minute mark. Suddenly, an enormous burst of Spiritual Energy came out of her body, spreading everywhere around the group, even almost destroying the Energy Gathering Formation.

Following that, Roan threw another pill bottle to Calina.

"Well done. Take one Cultivation Stabilizing Pill for the next three months, one per week. Since you didn't use the Cultivation Stabilizing Pills after entering the Peak of the Core Formation Realm, your body shouldn't reject it now."

Sure enough, Calina was successful. In an instant, she showed a bright smile as she swallowed the first Cultivation Stabilizing Pill. Only after a few minutes did she get up once more.

Malaka and Qia quickly gave the girl a hug while congratulating her. Calina, obviously, was more than happy to let them do so.

"Thank you, everyone."

Rean then glanced at Roan.

"Aren't you going to give her a hug as well?"

Roan snorted in response as he replied.

"Waste of time."

Well, everyone expected such an answer to start with, so they laughed at that.

"Alright. Fix the formation for Malaka. I want to finish these things before we arrive at Fhanzen."