{The List:
1: Battle experience training against both cultivators and demonic beasts (Focusing on against cultivators as I already have a good amount of combat experience battling demonic beasts from my time in the Savagefang Mountain Range)
2: Energy Control training, especially Qi.
3: Deepening my understanding of the Cultivation World in all aspects, not just things related to Cultivation like it is currently the case, where I know a lot about Cultivation itself but am pretty ignorant about the rest of the Cultivation World.
4: Learn a 'Healing' Technique which would speed up my healing, as my current healing speed is far too slow—to solve it, a Wood-based Cultivation Technique could maybe be used?
5: Learn a Stealth-based Cultivation Method/Technique, one that would go beyond what I am currently able to do with the 'exercise' I use for my energy control training.
6: Explore, understand and, potentially if possible, develop the Unrestrained Mind.
7: Research Ferocity Mark II in the direction of making the Stage 2 better to then create Mark III.
8: Train in the Foresight of Heaven's Mandate to the 2nd Layer to increase my Fortune and Calamity sensing abilities.
'...That alone could take months, years, or even more—I don't fucking know! And the worst is that I'm barely halfway through the damn list, there are at least 6 to 10 more tasks to add before it's complete...' thought Mikael, somewhat 'dreadful' as he stared at the mental list unrolling in his mind.
Sigh.
He exhaled softly, torn between exasperation and almost amusement at the weight of the task before him, then resumed forming the rest of this mental list.
9: Train and develop my newly acquired 'Precognition'.
10: Reach Sword Intent.
11: Train in all of my Cultivation Methods, ideally to have them reach Mastery, them being: Elemental Unity Path, Sun-Moon Unity Technique, Ninefold Physique Method, Obsidian Spirit Reinforcement, Divine Sense Refining Method.
12: Train in my Cultivation Techniques to also ideally bring them to Mastery, them being: Moonpiercer Sword Art, Cloudbreaking Stride, Sword Nurturing Art… with Foresight of Heaven's Mandate and Ferocity Mark II not included in this point as they were already addressed separately earlier.
13: Cultivate and try to increase my cultivation realm, with an enormous focus on Foundation, as Foundation is far, far, far more important than cultivation speed in terms of long-term importance.
14: Continue my research on the fusion of my different energies to prepare for their eventual fusion—which will occur during the Core Formation process.
15: Get used to Sangrelia's newly reforged form and relearn to fight using her, with the goal of reaching 100% and beyond once again.
16: Begin to learn about the Cultivation World's formations, as I was initially interested in them—being already relatively talented and proficient in arrays, a domain quite similar to formations, even before arriving in the Akashic Records.
Which could help me study formations, but sadly I never found the time to study them, so maybe it could be one of the things to do on this list?}
Swish.
A leaf was carried by the wind, fluttering before Mikael's eyes before landing on the ground several meters away.
Mikael's gaze followed its movement, but this time, unlike earlier, his expression wasn't peaceful nor serene—his lips twitched in an odd manner while a frown settled on his face.
"..."
"Ahh… yeah I am kinda fucked," sighed Mikael as his gaze wandered upward to the blue sky that, weirdly enough, suddenly looked far less beautiful…
His attention returned to the mental "To do list" he created, 'I am fucked aren't I? I mean this is a list of 16 things to do which would have already been bad by itself, but the worst is that the majority of these things are either the kind of tasks that "don't have an end" so to say—so I could be stuck there for eternity—or would take a lot, lot, lot of time to do…'
Just at this moment, as he scanned the list he had created a second time, he remarked something,
"Oh, forget my error—there is actually a thing I can do rapidly, number 15: get used to fighting while using Sangrelia's newly reforged form… it should only take me a couple of days, lucky me!" he murmured to himself, the sarcasm in his voice so thick it seemed to almost physically manifest.
Vmmmm.
"You don't want to spend time with me?" Sangrelia's voice, carrying with it a mix of innocence and bloodthirstiness, resounded in his ears.
A wry smile instantly appeared on Mikael's visage, "No, in truth it's the opposite, I was complaining how unfair it is that the numerous things I have to do take so much time—while the time I get to pass with my favorite sword is soo low!"
Hummmmm, Hummmmmm.
Sangrelia's blade 'hummed' twice in quick succession, and from their bond Mikael distinctively felt the intense joy and contentment coming from her.
After a brief silence returned, he inwardly shook his head, 'That was close…'
The thought passed in a flicker before he turned his full attention back to the matter at hand—choosing how to proceed during the long cultivation session he had planned.
And so, despite all his earlier complaining, Mikael gathered himself and deployed the full extent of his incredibly inhuman mental capabilities—not just for someone at his current Cultivation realm, but even by the standards of those far above it—as he began calculating the countless paths open before him.
Like the most advanced quantum computer, his mind tore through millions of possibilities, analyzing probabilities, sequencing combinations, projecting timelines, simulating countless variations and alternate outcomes—all with a single goal in mind: to make use of the upcoming period in the most ruthlessly efficient way possible.
And so, with Mikael fully immersed in his mental calculations, time slipped by unnoticed—day gave way to night, which then gave way to day once more, and only then did his extremely complex planning process finally reach completion.
It had taken nearly an entire day to determine the most optimal path forward—a delay that some might have seen as a 'waste of precious time' that could have been 'better' spent cultivating or training, but of course, Mikael didn't see it that way.
After all, what was the loss of a single day compared to gaining even a 5% increase in cultivation efficiency for years to come?
In the long run, the time saved would vastly outweigh the time spent.
And in Mikael's case, the boost in efficiency wasn't merely 5%—no, it was more, far, far more.
Hummmm…
A subtle resonance echoed from Sangrelia as Mikael's closed eyes slowly opened, an unprecedented calmness delving into the usually beautiful green irises which, even in moments of rest, always carried a subtle spark of life—the quiet sign that Mikael was still 'present'—but at this particular moment, there was nothing.
His gaze was hollow, like the eyes of an emotionless machine, devoid of humanity, and though it lasted for only a breath, it was enough to feel extremely unnatural before the 'life' quietly returned to his eyes.
"Urgh…"
A pained groan escaped Mikael's lips as he leaned forward, clutching his head, his entire expression twisted by the raw ache gripping his nerves.
"Argh, fuck," he cursed, rubbing his temple as though trying to soothe the burning sensation. "Using my mind like a supercomputer is so fucking awful… it really feels like my nerves are melting, but at least…"
A small smile appeared on his pained countenance, "The results were up to par and definitely worth the trouble," he murmured as he rose from his meditative position, his hand tightening itself around the now ivory white handle of Sangrelia.
Using the bond with his loyal sword, he sent an emotion to reassure her that he was fine, easing the worry she had felt upon seeing him clutch his head, and then—
Slash.
Sangrelia's reforged form sliced through the air like butter, the satisfying whistle of wind being cut trailing behind her motion.
After completing a small experimental slash, Mikael halted in place, a faint frown taking shape on his visage, "Yes, it's definitely off, good thing this is the first thing we'll work on, right Sangrelia~?"
Vrmmm.
Sangrelia vibrated in agreement, it was clear that she too, like her master, felt that something was wrong when Mikael swung her, they weren't as much 'in tune' as before because of her new changed form, fortunately it wasn't something that some good old training couldn't solve.
Sangrelia and Mikael exchanged a brief 'glance' that spoke louder than any words before, without wasting time, launching themselves into the training.
Swish, slash.
Sangrelia repeatedly cut through the air as Mikael executed basic sword movements—vertical slash, horizontal slash, thrusts, and other familiar techniques—all with the aim of reacquainting himself with her reforged form.
Mikael subtly shifted his grip on the blade, a minor adjustment that, while seemingly insignificant, allowed his movements to become slightly faster and marginally more powerful.
Not long after, a shift occurred in his foot placement, followed by another small change, and then another, and another.
Changes like these continued without pause as Mikael silently refined his swordsmanship, his movements slowly evolving with each repetition.
Hours slipped by in silence, broken only by the sound of Sangrelia slicing through the air and the subtle shifting of Mikael's steps, each adjustment seamlessly building upon the last.
Swish, whirl, slash, cut.
Mikael moved like a phantom through the center of the lush and beautiful clearing, Sangrelia dancing with him as he executed sword techniques that, though still rooted in the basics, had become almost unrecognizable from how they began only hours earlier.
If someone were to witness this deadly yet mesmerizing performance, they would see that Mikael's movements had reached a state of refined perfection—every shift of his body in complete resonance with Sangrelia, each strike precisely aligned and executed with flawless control.
This silent, lethal dance continued for several more minutes before a subtle glint passed through Mikael's eyes, 'Basic movements at 100%, time to increase the rhythm.'
Instantly, everything changed.
His every motion accelerated sharply, his form shifting with it—if earlier he had been focused on perfecting movement, now he looked as though he were locked in an actual battle against a deadly, invisible enemy.
He dodged, slashed, evaded, countered, repositioned, and struck again; to anyone observing, it would appear as if he were fully engaged in a fight against an opponent whose presence could not be seen.
This impression was only reinforced by his blinding speed, which rendered him completely undetectable to mortal eyes—the only traces of his presence within the clearing were the occasional gusts of displaced wind or flickering shadows that briefly crossed the ground, accompanied at times by flashes of silver light, the unmistakable signature of his Moonpiercer Sword Art unleashed within this intense 'combat'.
At this moment Mikael had finished 'warming up', and because he was now getting serious, his previously perfect-looking movements were full of flaws, exposed under the high-intensity shadow sparring where he was 'nearly' going all out, only holding back enough strength to avoid damaging the beautiful clearing he was in—or else it would have long since been destroyed under his power.
Fwoosh, swish, slash, whump.
In this way time continued to flow like the unstoppable river that it was, and it did so without any change for a couple of days until finally—
VRMMMMM
Sangrelia vibrated intensely, and at that moment, something clicked. Instinctively, Mikael directed her blade toward the sky and then… he slashed.
Moonpiercer Sword Art – Fifth Movement: Celestial Moon's Embrace.
A silver-colored, crescent-shaped energy slash was released from Sangrelia, the air seeming to tremble under its might as it surged upward with an unstoppable force, seemingly capable of cutting through everything in its path.
Fortunately, Mikael had aimed upward, so the energy slash continued along its ascending arc, rising higher and higher, swiftly crossing hundreds of meters before its momentum faded and the power was finally expended—allowing the dreadful force to harmlessly disperse in midair.
Phew…
Mikael let out a relieved exhale, 'Fortunately I aimed upward or else this clearing would definitely have been devastated, which would have been… annoying to say the least, considering how nice this place is for peaceful meditation and the like.'
Mikael then dropped his 'combat stance,' letting Sangrelia's tip angle toward the ground as he lightly caressed her hilt, his thoughts swirling.
'Nevertheless, the most important is that I'm once again able to fight at 100%—and even beyond if necessary…' his expression briefly darkened as memories of Sangrelia's previously cracked form and the extent of her damage resurfaced.
'Let's hope that a situation where she needs to push herself beyond her limits never happens again…' he thought somewhat grimly, before, with a quick motion, sheathing Sangrelia into her favorite position on his back.
Author Note:
EnjoyingAscension Through the Records?
A quick Power Stone, short review, or thoughtful comment helps the novel rise in the rankings.
A few words from me below.
———
At first I didn't have much things of planned on this list but as I took the time to think the list gradually increase and increased and by the end the numbers reached 16…
Mikael exasperation is also partially my own so yeah… no further comment on that!
At the same time we saw Mikael use his mind to calculate the optimal path forward, this show us how overpowered his mind his currently, being able to do millions of calculations…
Yeah, pretty overpowered on that point, while Mikael 'calculated' all that I tried to organize the list on my side to optimize it and honestly I think that what I did work but and is pretty optimized but I aren't Mikael so it won't be as optimized as it should…
———
Want to read ahead? Unlock advanced chapters on Patreon—just search SDASLUMMY.
You're part of this story's ascent. Thanks for being here.
— End of Chapter —