Lucavion stood before the pulsating platform, his eyes narrowing as he took in the massive chamber. The energy from the Minor Fundamental Vein thrummed through the air, thick and tangible, amplifying the mana within the room. He could feel the power radiating from the core of the chamber, like a vast ocean waiting to be tapped into.
His heart pounded in his chest, not from anxiety, but from the anticipation of what was to come.
“It’s time,” he whispered to himself, his breath steady despite the immensity of the moment.
He stepped closer to the platform, the glow of the energy casting a pale light on his features. Vitaliara perched by his side, her feline eyes never leaving him. Though her awe had faded into quiet composure, Lucavion could still sense her heightened awareness of the situation. This was a critical moment—one that would determine his future path.
Lucavion closed his eyes, centering his focus on his cultivation core. The [Devourer of Stars] technique thrummed deep within him, the swirling starlight mana coiling inside his body like a waiting storm. He had cultivated relentlessly to reach this point, his core already nearing its limit. Now, with the power of the vein amplifying everything around him, he would take the final leap.
He dropped to a seated position on the platform, legs crossed, his hands resting lightly on his knees. The hum of mana from the vein grew louder, as if it could sense the impending breakthrough. Lucavion allowed his breathing to slow, his senses sharpening as he began to draw in the mana from the vein. It surged toward him, a river of pure energy flooding his body.
Vitaliara watched from her place, her eyes glinting with both caution and trust. [Are you ready?] she asked, her voice soft in his mind.
Lucavion didn’t respond immediately, his focus solely on the swirling energy coalescing around him. His entire body felt like a vessel filling with stars, the power building to a critical mass. He could feel every strand of mana within him, each pulse of starlight as it gathered and condensed at his core.
The [Devourer of Stars] technique was designed for this—taking in the energy around him and refining it, merging it with his own essence to elevate his power.
“I’m ready,” he finally murmured, his voice a calm contrast to the storm of power building within him.
With that, Lucavion initiated the final phase of his breakthrough. The starlight mana coiled within him began to move, spiraling through his body, merging with the energy from the Minor Fundamental Vein. It felt as though his very soul was being stretched and expanded, the boundaries of his current cultivation core shattering as the new power flooded in.
His breathing deepened, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of the mana as it surged through him. Sweat beaded on his brow, but he remained focused, his will unshakable.
As the energy coursed through Lucavion’s body, his mind turned inward, focusing on the stars he had formed in the previous stages of his cultivation. Three brilliant stars—each one a testament to his journey thus far—glowed within his cultivation core, their light steady and constant.
They were the foundation of his power, but now, to ascend to the next level, he had to take the [Devourer of Stars] technique to a more complex stage.
His breathing slowed as he visualized the next step, the crux of the breakthrough—entangling the stars. Each star held immense power on its own, but they were isolated and unconnected. The next phase of the [Devourer of Stars] technique required him to draw these individual stars into a perfect orbit, binding them together so that their energy flowed in harmony.
Lucavion’s brow furrowed, feeling the immense challenge of the task. The stars needed to be connected, not by force, but by aligning their energies so precisely that they naturally drew toward one another. He couldn’t rush this process, or he risked destabilizing the stars he had already formed.
He visualized the first star, its energy pulsing rhythmically in tune with his breathing. Slowly, he extended his mana, carefully weaving it around the star’s surface. The star responded, its light growing brighter as it absorbed the mana he fed it. Then, he turned his attention to the second star.
His mana reached out, a delicate thread of energy, and began wrapping around the second star in the same way.
The challenge lay in balancing the energy between them, ensuring that the two stars did not repel each other but instead fell into a harmonious orbit. His body trembled slightly as he carefully manipulated the mana, feeling the subtle resistance between the two forces.
A soft hum echoed within him, the two stars beginning to move, drawn into a slow, deliberate orbit around each other. Their light flickered as they synchronized, the first step of entangling complete. Lucavion let out a slow breath, knowing this was just the beginning.
“Two stars,” he muttered, his voice barely a whisper, eyes still closed as he focused on the task.
The third star awaited its connection. It gleamed brightly, but Lucavion could feel the tension. Drawing the third star into the orbit would require even more precision, as the three stars needed to balance perfectly. The smallest misstep could disrupt the entire process, causing the stars to collide and the breakthrough to fail.
He extended his mana again, this time more cautiously. His energy flowed from the first and second stars, reaching out toward the third. The three energies pulsed together, vibrating with increasing intensity as the distance between them shrank. Lucavion’s heart pounded as he concentrated, holding all three in perfect equilibrium.
The third star hesitated for a moment, resisting the pull of the others. Lucavion gritted his teeth, pushing more of his will into the technique, coaxing the star forward without forcing it. Gradually, the resistance weakened, and the third star began to move, slowly aligning with the other two.
Then, with a soft, almost inaudible click, the three stars snapped into place, forming a perfect orbital system within his core.
Lucavion’s entire body jolted as the energies merged, his chest tightening as if a powerful gravitational force had taken hold of him. The stars spun around one another, their light intensifying as their energy flowed seamlessly between them.
“Hoooooooh…..”
He took a deep breath, the weight of his breakthrough still heavy on his shoulders, but he knew this wasn’t the end. He had chosen this place not merely for the purpose of reaching the 4-star realm, but for something far more crucial—stabilization and expansion.
His core, unlike most, demanded an extraordinary amount of mana to support its complex structure, and the Minor Fundamental Vein was the key to making that happen.
The three stars spun within his core, now in perfect harmony, but Lucavion could feel the underlying instability. His unique condition meant that his core was far more volatile than others.
If he didn’t stabilize it now, the breakthrough would be incomplete, leaving him vulnerable in the future. And then there was the next step—expanding the boundaries of his core, increasing his mana capacity to handle the immense power he sought to wield.
He closed his eyes again, steadying his breath, and focused inward. The stars were spinning in orbit, their light swirling in his core, but now he had to push them further. The rotational force of the stars wasn’t just a byproduct of the entanglement—it was the very tool he would use to expand his core.
Slowly, Lucavion began drawing mana from the air around him, feeling the dense energy of the Minor Fundamental Vein pulse through his body. The power flooded into him, almost overwhelming, but he kept his focus razor-sharp. He let the mana flow into his core, saturating the stars as they continued their orbit.
As the mana poured in, Lucavion adjusted the speed of the star’s rotation, quickening their pace. The energy they generated from their movement grew stronger, creating a centrifugal force that pressed against the boundaries of his core. The torque produced by their spinning wasn’t just raw power—it was the key to pushing the limits of his mana capacity.
His core resisted at first, straining under the pressure of the growing energy, but Lucavion didn’t relent. He knew this was the critical moment—the point where his core would either expand or shatter. His heart pounded in his chest as he poured more mana into the spinning stars, feeling the torque increase with every second.
“Steady…” he whispered, his voice barely audible as he pushed harder.
The pressure inside him built rapidly, the stars spinning faster, the mana churning and swirling with them. Lucavion gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow as the strain became nearly unbearable. His body trembled under the immense force, but he couldn’t stop now. He had to push the boundaries of his core, had to make it larger, stronger.
With a sharp exhale, Lucavion directed the torque outward, pressing it against the edges of his core. The stars spun like gears in a vast engine, their rotational energy amplifying the pressure on the core’s borders. He felt the first crack in the barrier, a small fissure that sent a jolt through his entire being. It wasn’t enough yet—he needed more.
He drew in more mana from the vein, faster now, flooding his body with the raw, unfiltered energy of the dungeon. The Minor Fundamental Vein thrummed in response, its power flowing into Lucavion like a river, feeding the growing storm inside him. His core strained, the borders trembling under the increasing pressure.
“Almost there,” he muttered, his voice strained but determined.
The stars spun faster, the torque growing to a level Lucavion had never felt before. His core’s borders shuddered, resisting the expansion, but he could feel them weakening, the cracks spreading. He pushed harder, his will unyielding as he poured everything he had into the process.
–CRACK!
Then, with a deep, resonating crack, the borders of his core shattered. The pressure that had been building inside him exploded outward, and for a brief moment, Lucavion felt like he was suspended in space, weightless, as his core expanded. The stars within him flared with brilliant light, filling the new, larger space with their energy.
“It is over.”
The hard part was now complete.