Chi and Yu had finally stepped into the tenth stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm—the very peak of the realm.
But despite reaching that height… they were stuck.
No matter how hard they cultivated, no matter how much spirit essence they absorbed, the breakthrough simply wouldn't come. Days turned into weeks, and the bottleneck remained as immovable as a mountain.
Frustrated, they eventually went to Yuanhai for help.
The old man didn't even look up from his tea.
"Figure it out yourselves," he said flatly. "Life won't hand you answers. If you can't overcome a minor bottleneck like this, then how will you face the trials waiting outside these walls?"
Chi and Yu left his room with identical deadpan expressions.
They didn't know what else it could be.
Their spirit cores had long been refined to perfection of this realm. Their bodies had adapted, their meridians were open and stable, and their sword intent had reached a clarity even Loch praised once in passing.
But the breakthrough…
That final step…
It refused to come.
They both knew why.
Breaking from the 10th stage of Foundation Establishment wasn't a matter of power.
It wasn't about the body or the core.
It was about perception.
About understanding.
About the thin, fragile moment the world aligned with one's thoughts—
the moment people called enlightenment.
And that was the part they could not force.
Chi sat cross-legged beneath the rustling branches, brows furrowed so tightly they nearly touched.
Yu lay sprawled on the grass beside him, staring up at the shifting clouds.
Both were stuck in the same cage, the same question looping endlessly:
"What are we missing?"
Chi's mind raced through sword forms, elemental theory, spiritual resonance, even the rhythm of breath.
Nothing clicked.
Yu tapped his forehead. "Maybe it's not about training. Maybe it's about… living?"
Chi opened one eye. "…Living?"
"Well we refined our cores, trained every day, hunted beasts, survived the beast domain… But enlightenment isn't like homework. Maybe it's more like an answer that comes when you stop trying to force it."
Chi sighed. "So what? We just… do nothing?"
Yu grinned. "No. We brainstorm. Think from a different angle."
And so they did.
They talked about their battles.
Their fears.
The first day in the beast domain when they were trembling messes.
The nights they couldn't sleep after killing their first beast.
How they slowly changed.
How they became stronger… but also more themselves.
A feeling washed over them—subtle at first, then unmistakable.
They knew they were close.
A tiny thought flickered in both their minds.
"Maybe… it's more about oneself," they said at the same time, equally astonished.
In that instant, something clicked.
The first step of enlightenment wasn't strength, training, or force.
It was understanding themselves.
And the moment that understanding settled—
—everything erupted.
From their bodies surged an enormous outburst of the attributes they were most attuned to, the essence of their spiritual roots.
From Chi, air whipped around him in wild, uncontrolled currents.
A heartbeat later, an unclear, distorted dragon made of water spiraled upward from his body, shooting toward the sky.
From Yu, hot lava flared around him, molten and violent.
Then an earth pillar burst upward, forming the blurred silhouette of a lion made entirely of earth essence.
Both of them, quick on their feet despite the chaos, forced the sudden outbreak back down—dismissing the uncontrolled surge into nothingness.
A wave of accomplishment washed over them as they finally stepped into the Golden Core Realm.
Exhausted, Chi and Yu collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard, hardly able to process what had just happened.
Of course, their systems didn't even wait for them to catch their breath.
Chi's system popped up first, its voice bright and proud:
"Congratulations, kids! You finally broke through to the Golden Core!"
Yu's system followed right after, sounding oddly nostalgic:
"Well done! It feels like just yesterday when we were at this stage…"
Chi squinted at them. "Yeah, old man… how old are you two anyway?"
His system immediately stiffened. "You shouldn't ask your elders that."
Yu's system coughed loudly. "Ahem—moving on! Here are your rewards!"
The two systems, clearly trying to change the subject, released a flood of treasures.
Rare herbs, precious ores, gleaming artifacts, and even a few items the boys had never seen before shimmered in the air.
But among the pile, one thing stood out to each of them—a martial technique.
For Yu, it was the Berserk Golden Crow Technique.
"What is this?" Yu asked, eyes widening.
His system chimed in proudly:
"Type: Fire Attribute • Berserker Physique • Body + Qi Technique
Grade: Heaven (bottom tier of the rank)
"It's extremely powerful—and perfect for you. Handpicked by yours truly."
Yu froze. Then his expression lit up instantly.
He stared at the system with shiny puppy eyes, practically vibrating in place.
If he could hug the system, he would have.
He flipped open the cover of the book.
Bold letters shimmered across the page:
A technique born from the fury of the mythical Golden Crow—a divine beast embodying the sun itself.
When activated, the user's qi ignites into golden flames, greatly enhancing speed, strength, and perception.
However…
The hotter the flames burn, the harder it becomes to maintain rationality.
Yu swallowed.
"Perfect for me…?"
His system puffed up with pride.
"Of course. Who else could handle a temperamental fire technique that gets stronger the less you think?"
It was amazing.
Yu flipped to the next page, reading the words at the top of the chapter:
Stage One: Ember Pulse
He froze.
Then—without a word—Yu snapped the book shut and slowly stood up.
Chi, the systems, and even the air itself seemed to stop moving.
A single thought passed through everyone's mind:
…What happened?
Yu took one step forward.
Then another.
Expression serious.
Completely unreadable.
His system straightened, confused.
"Uh… Yu?"
Yu stopped right in front of it.
And then—
With all the intensity of someone who had just found the meaning of life—
He hugged the system.
Tight.
Like a child hugging a long-lost parent.
The system blinked in shock.
"W-Wha—?!"
Yu whispered, voice trembling with emotion,
"Thank you."
And he hugged his system in complete silence — the kind of hug that said I will cherish this technique forever.
Chi's system, who had been watching this dramatic scene unfold, slowly floated closer and cleared its throat.
"Ahem. Don't you want to know your reward too?"
Chi blinked.
Yu still clung to his system like a koala.
"…Oh," Chi said quietly. "Right. I forgot we also get rewards."
Yu's system, still being squeezed half to death, wheezed,
"C-Chi… help… your friend is emotionally overpowered…"
Chi sighed. "Let him have his moment."
Chi looked at his technique