The Nexus energy combined with the Heavenly Tribulation and rushed into Grey's body like a tsunami. It ripped through him like a bolt of lightning, moving without restriction and ravaging everything in its path. Grey gritted his teeth in pain, his mind instantly disturbed, but with a fierce look on his face he pressed on. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but one thing was certain: the Nexus energy would never harm him. He believed in the energy and continued onward with the body-tempering technique.
Crack! Crack!
His body began breaking apart rapidly. However, it didn't completely collapse. Just before everything that made up his body crumbled, the Heavenly Tribulation lightning struck again, and his form slowly began regaining definition.
The Nexus energy shone brilliantly. It rushed into the shattered parts of his body, starting with his bones. The fractures healed at an alarming rate, glowing with a radiant purple hue.
Immediately, the broken bones were patched back together, becoming sturdier than before as they were infused with Nexus energy. Next, the energy surged into his veins. They were in complete disorder after the lightning had wreaked havoc, but once the Nexus energy came into contact with them, they regrew, fortified with energy and far stronger than before.
It didn't stop there. The energy continued to his muscle fibers, enveloping them in the same transformation. Once that was complete, it spread to his organs. His organs, scattered and broken just like his body, were repaired and strengthened one by one. The transformation was nothing short of miraculous.
Still, the process went deeper. The Nexus energy seeped into his bone marrow, constantly cleansing and infusing it with energy. The instant that happened, a profound transformation occurred within Grey's blood.
It was changing colors!
From its natural dark red, it transformed into a shimmering purple, glittering with countless specks of light.
Grey, using his Mind Perception, witnessed this moment with a flabbergasted expression. However, he didn't let it distract him. He focused entirely and waited for the transformation to end.
Buzz!
After his internal body was completely rebuilt, it was time for his skin. The Nexus energy rushed outward, enveloping his withered, broken skin. It peeled away as dead layers while a more perfect, radiant skin replaced it.
The Nexus energy cycled through his newly forged body once more before, together with the Heavenly Tribulation lightning, it returned to his elixir field.
With that, the body-tempering was complete. It was time to focus on his elixir field. He had already studied the energy-tempering and refining techniques—now it was time to put them into practice, to refine Nexus energy and expand his elixir field.
Steadying his breath, he refocused and activated the combined "Nexus Vortex Refinement Technique." Immediately, his elixir field trembled as the Nexus energy began to stir violently.
The energy within Grey's body was still untamed and raw. To make it his own, he had to condense it, then explode it to expand his elixir field, officially stepping into the 1st Level of energy cultivation.
He guided the energy with the technique, forcing it to grind against itself to strip away its rawness, polishing it until it reached perfection. Only then could he compress it and finally form a vortex.
This was the Nexus Energy Refining Technique.
The Nexus energy resisted fiercely, but Grey's control was absolute. Slowly, the rough, unpolished energy was transformed. Piece by piece, the wild essence became his own. At last, it was complete. The raw energy had been refined—this was true Nexus energy.
But that was only the beginning. The most important step was expanding his elixir field.
The refined Nexus energy surged, filling his field completely. With nowhere left to go, it pressed against the invisible barrier surrounding it.
Bang! Bang!
Each strike was like a hammer blow. Bit by bit, the barrier chipped away until finally it shattered. Instantly, more cosmic energy from the outside world rushed in, flooding into his newly expanded elixir field.
Grey immediately reacted. He cut off the incoming energy, refining what had already entered and merging it with his refined pool. Then, he began compressing it.
He gathered the energy tightly and coiled it inward, pressing it down with the refining technique. The refined energy resisted at first, but eventually it yielded, condensing into a glittering purple-black liquid at the core of his elixir field.
It resembled his blood.
It was done—the liquid had formed! The hardest part had passed. Now came the final stage: forging the vortex.
Grey slowly guided the refined liquid energy into motion. The energy stirred, rippling outward, before beginning to twist into a spiral.
But the instant he tried, it slipped out of his control. Portions of the energy scattered chaotically. If he failed here, the refinement would collapse, and he would lose the chance to achieve perfect harmony between mind, body, soul, and energy.
Gritting his teeth, Grey fought with unwavering focus. One by one, he pulled the spilled energy back into the spiral. This time, nothing leaked. The energy obeyed him completely.
The spiral grew stronger. The currents churned violently, spinning faster and faster, until it blazed with light. Finally, the spiral condensed into a fully-formed vortex.
Its center was black, glittering with countless starlike specks, while its outer layer glowed with dense purple light.
It was complete!
Grey had officially stepped into the 1st Level of First rank of the Nexus Evolutionary Path.
Just then, a strange sensation struck him. His mind stirred, his body trembled, and the vortex of energy pulsed.
Lights erupted from his body, soul, and energy field together, converging at the center of his being. They fused into one, leaving behind a trail that connected all three aspects of his existence. At the heart of that radiant light, a single name emerged: Nexus.
[Your comprehension defies Heaven! You've invoked the Evolver's Path Resonance and branded yourself as the sole creator of the Nexus Evolutionary Path. A special creational invocation has formed: "Nexus." You have gained deeper insight into the hidden rules of evolution.]