I stirred, my eyes fluttering open to the dim light of the early morning. The world slowly came into focus, and the first thing I noticed was how… refreshed I felt.
My body, which had been wracked with pain and exhaustion, now seemed to hum with energy, like it had been revitalized during the night.
I blinked, taking in my surroundings. The memory of the events before I collapsed was hazy at first, but as I lay there, the fog in my mind began to clear.
‘What… happened?’
I sat up slowly, my muscles responding with an ease that was almost startling.
The last thing I remembered was the Fire of Life coursing through me, a wild and chaotic force that felt like it would tear me apart.
And then, the abyssal energy—cold, controlled, and equally powerful—fought back, clashing with the life force within my core.
And then… I forced them to merge.
The memories hit me like a tidal wave. The excruciating pain, the searing fire that burned within my veins, the overwhelming pressure of trying to balance two forces that were fundamentally opposed to each other.
I remembered Vitaliara’s voice guiding me and urging me to stay awake and maintain control. I remembered the moment of clarity when I finally found a fragile harmony between life and death, between creation and destruction.
“The Flame of Equinox.”
I whispered the name to myself, and a faint smile touched my lips. It felt right like it was always meant to be.
‘So it is like that.’
I could still feel the new energy within me, this black flame that was both fire and frost, life and death.
Master had once mentioned that when he started cultivating and forming his own core and cultivation base, the technique was formed with a moment of revelation.
I remembered the way Master would speak of his own journey, the fire in his eyes as he recounted how he found the method to push his cultivation to new heights.
Master’s path had led him to the method of forming stars around his core—a technique that had become the foundation of [Devourer of Stars].
Each star represented a new level of mastery, a new understanding of the power that resided within him.
These stars didn’t just symbolize strength; they were the very essence of his technique, a manifestation of his control over the energy that pulsed through his veins.
I recalled how he explained the creation of each star. The first star came to him during a moment of intense battle when he felt his core wasn’t enough to handle the energy he needed to survive.
In that moment of desperation, a vision of a star appeared in his mind, burning brightly around his core.
He had followed that vision, and as he did, the star took form, stabilizing his energy and pushing him to new heights.
Most cultivators experienced something similar. They would get a thought, a dream, or an instinctual urge to try something new with their energy, and that would lead to the development of their techniques.
For the [Iron Will Spear Art], practitioners would create spheres around their core. Each sphere represented a different level of focus and control, a way to channel mana into their attacks.
The spheres didn’t just store energy; they refined it, compressing it into a dense, powerful force that could be unleashed.
On the other hand, the [Flame Serpent Art] was different. Those who practiced it would form Fire Rings over their core. These rings acted as conduits, amplifying the fire mana and allowing it to flow more freely through the practitioner’s body.
Each ring was a marker of progress, a testament to the practitioner’s ability to withstand and channel the searing heat of the flame mana.
I couldn’t help but wonder what the path for my own technique would be. I had merged life and death, fire and frost, into something entirely new.
The [Flame of Equinox] was a balance between opposing forces, a harmony that transcended their individual natures.
‘What will my method of advancement be?’ I thought, contemplating the nature of the energy within me.
Would I form stars like Master? Or perhaps spheres or rings, like the Iron Will Spear Art and the Flame Serpent Art? Or would it be something entirely different, something unique to the duality that now defined my power?
Just as I had thought about that, I turned my eyes into my core. The black flame swirled within my core. It was still wild, still untamed, but there was a sense of order within the chaos, a rhythm.
‘A rhythm?’
As I concentrated, the pattern became clearer. My core wasn’t just a chaotic maelstrom of energy.
There was something deeper, something fundamental about the way the black flame moved. It wasn’t random—it was following a path, a natural order that defied the chaos it seemed to embody.
The rhythm grew more pronounced as I observed it, and then I saw it: a whirlpool, a vortex forming at the very center of my core.
‘Vortex….The embodiment of entropy.’
The energy spiraled around it, drawn into the vortex like water swirling down a drain. But the vortex wasn’t complete; it was only partially formed, a nascent pattern that hinted at something greater.
‘This is it,’ I realized. ‘This is the pattern I need to follow.’
The vortex represented the balance between life and death, the cycle of creation and destruction.
It was a natural progression, an order within the chaos. The black flame wasn’t just a fusion of two energies—it was a dynamic force, constantly in motion, constantly seeking equilibrium.
As I watched, I understood what I needed to do. The vortex within my core wasn’t finished because I had only just begun to cultivate this technique.
The Flame of Equinox was still in its infancy, still growing, and my task was to nurture it, to guide it into its full form.
The vortex had layers—concentric circles that spun faster as they neared the center. Each layer represented a new level of mastery, a deeper connection to the duality of life and death.
But right now, only a partial first layer was formed, a fragment of what it would become.
To complete the first layer, I needed to absorb and assimilate more mana, feeding the vortex and allowing it to expand.
The process wouldn’t be easy.
The energies were still wild, still resistant to being controlled, but I had to tame them to bring them into harmony within the vortex.
‘And in the process, I need to kill….’
Death….and…..Life.
Both of them needed to be in an equilibrium state.
I opened my eyes, the vision of the vortex still clear in my mind. And then, I calmed my breathing and started circulating the mana around my body.
FLINCH!
And in an instant, I felt my body twitching. freёwebnovel.com
It was indeed just as I had expected. The power output was just too much, even for a 1-star stage.
‘This energy of chaos…..’
I could feel my body burning inside, itching to move. It was forcing me to stand and use my body. A surreal feeling that I could not help but feel exhilarated to feel.
[You have finally woken up.]
Vitaliara’s voice cut through the haze, pulling me back to the present. I looked over to see her slowly walking toward me, her paws pressing gently on the ground with each step.
There was an elegance to her movements, but well, she might also be just a cat at the same time. It has been a while since I had seen a cat since we don’t have any on the battlefield.
“Yes,” I replied, my voice steady despite the lingering effects of the energy coursing through me.
Vitaliara circled around me, her eyes observing every detail as if assessing my condition.
[As expected, you have rested well,] she said, her tone carrying a note of approval. [Your body and mind need time to adjust to the new energy within you. But now, you are stronger for it.]
That was indeed the case.
The rest had done more than just heal my physical wounds; it had given me the clarity I needed to understand the path ahead, to see the vortex within me and the power it represented.
“Thank you,” I said, the gratitude genuine.
Without Vitaliara’s guidance, I might not have made it through the process. Her presence had been a steadying force, a reminder that I wasn’t alone in this journey.
Vitaliara paused in front of me, her eyes locking onto mine.
[No need to thank me. It is the familiar’s duty to help its contractor.] She said as she swung her tail while jumping onto my shoulder. It seemed she liked standing there, as whenever she had found a chance, she would do that.
[And, it will also be helpful to me.] She said, looking into my eyes. [Since I doubt they will leave you and me alone.]
“Now that we have time, let’s talk. Why do they want your essence?”
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