With the Stellar Devourer Furnaces deployed across the cosmos, churning out perfectly flavored, ultra-dense cultivation pills, Elias finally turned his full attention to the Perpetual Ascension Technique. The elimination of the bitterness from the pills was a minor, yet significant, enhancement, ensuring psychological comfort during endless consumption. However, his recent experiences, especially the clear-headedness brought by his burgeoning relationship with Kaelen, had unlocked an even greater breakthrough regarding the technique itself.
He had initially designed the Perpetual Ascension Technique to require immense, almost impossible Divine Sense (QDS) concentration for every single refinement cycle. This was the source of his crippling mental fatigue, forcing him to pause and recover after every few sessions. But with his newfound mental clarity, and fueled by the emotional resonance of his date, he saw a path to automate a significant portion of this intricate control.
"The issue of mental fatigue," Elias explained to Kaelen a few days later, while they reviewed the detailed schematics of the Perpetual Ascension Technique in the Axiom Library. "My QDS had to maintain absolute, granular control over every sub-atomic and informational shift during the refinement of my body, Qi, and soul. It was a manual override, so to speak, of the universe's natural chaotic tendencies." He paused, tapping a holographic projection. "However, I've now integrated a series of sub-divine sense arrays, linked directly to my core QDS, which can handle the routine, repetitive aspects of the refinement process. Think of it as specialized, autonomous processors handling the minutiae, freeing up my primary cognitive function."
This automation, achieved through a sophisticated application of the Law of Information – Autonomous Sub-routines and Law of Order – Self-correcting Systems, effectively lowered the required QDS concentration by half. It was a monumental achievement. The intense mental strain, the debilitating fatigue, was now entirely absent. He could theoretically cultivate indefinitely without ever needing to stop due to mental exhaustion.
"So, no more crashing after a few sessions?" Kaelen asked, her eyes wide. "You can just… keep going?"
"Precisely," Elias confirmed, a quiet satisfaction in his voice. "The bottleneck has been removed. The Perpetual Ascension Technique is now truly perpetual in its application."
This breakthrough had profound implications. Without the need for undivided concentration, Elias could now cultivate while doing other things. He could continue his research, analyze cosmic data streams, design new technologies, or even engage in combat, all while his body, Qi, and soul were undergoing continuous, systematic refinement. His cultivation was no longer a separate activity but an omnipresent, background process integrated into his very existence.
He activated the Perpetual Ascension Technique, taking one of the 'spring morning' pills from the constantly replenishing tray. The refinement began immediately, a familiar, yet now effortless, internal symphony. As he continued to monitor the process, running internal diagnostics, he noticed something entirely unexpected. His cosmic eyes, now capable of discerning even finer nuances, registered an unprecedented increase in the rate of refinement.
His body, already gaining +10% strength and efficiency per cycle, now registered an additional +5% increase, pushing the total to +15% for physical strength and efficiency. His soul, which included his divine sense and computational ability, previously gaining +25%, now surged by an extra +5%, reaching a remarkable +30% improvement per session. And his Qi, already concentrating by +20%, experienced an additional +5% boost, making it +25% more concentrated per cycle.
Elias blinked, running the diagnostics again. The numbers held true. The increased efficiency wasn't just due to the sustained process; there was an additional qualitative leap. He surmised that the perfected ultra-dense cultivation pills and the sheer volume of refined stellar energy now flowing unimpeded from the Stellar Devourer Furnaces, allowed for an even deeper, more profound integration of the Laws. The consistency and boundless supply meant his body could absorb and integrate the refinements more thoroughly than ever before.
"Kaelen," he said, a pleasant surprise coloring his voice, "the Perpetual Ascension Technique… its effectiveness has increased. My body, soul, and Qi are all refining at a higher rate. An additional five percent across the board."
Kaelen's jaw dropped. "An extra five percent?! Elias, that's incredible! You're getting stronger, faster, without even focusing on it!"
Elias nodded, a rare look of almost boyish excitement on his face. "Indeed. A most welcome, and unexpected, optimization. It means my ascent will be even swifter than predicted." He looked at her, his expression warm. "It seems my 'gut,' and your insights, are proving to be exceptionally accurate navigational tools for cosmic progression."
He spent the next few days not in intense, fatigue-inducing cultivation, but effortlessly cultivating in the background while designing new spatial arrays and analyzing astronomical data. The pills, flowing constantly from the Stellar Devourer Furnaces, each lasted for approximately 250 full refinement sessions, which translated to roughly two months of continuous, uninterrupted cultivation each. He no longer needed to manually harvest planets, nor worry about mental strain. He was truly free to perfect himself, endlessly, relentlessly, while simultaneously engaging with the universe around him. The path to ultimate power had just become immeasurably smoother, and far more enjoyable, especially with Kaelen by his side.