The night descended silently onto Echoing Peak. The stars were like the shards of forgotten domains, and a peaceful breeze swept across the mountain slopes, bringing with it a delicate scent of spirit herbs and wild mana.
Aarav sat cross-legged upon a smooth boulder, the tattoo of the Blade of Dual Realms on his right hand glowing faintly. His body radiated a soft glow; black and gold energies coursed in rhythmic pulses in time with his heartbeat.
He had been there for hours, his body and mind synchronizing with the world outside. The soft murmurs of the wind, the steady heartbeat of the earth, the quiet hum of energy-all melted into one tranquil song.
"This is it," Aarav whispered, "the threshold between Body Tempering and Spirit Awakening…"
His Infinite Comprehension System had already displayed the requirements:
The inner flow of energies has to harmonize with the pulse of the world to awaken the Spirit Veins.
Comprehension Required: 25% Current: 21%
A faint smile. "So I'm close, but not close enough."
He knew what that meant: another trial. But he wasn't afraid.
It was then that the mark on his hand shimmered once again, and his surroundings began to distort: the mountains, the trees, even the stars above-everything twisted, like reflections in rippling water. Then, in an instant, the world went dark.
When Aarav opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a vast, endless plain made of pure white light. There was no sound, no smell, no wind — only silence.
"Where am I…?" he mumured.
The System answered in its calm, ethereal tone:
Understanding Trial: Commencement of Spirit Vein Awakening.
[Goal: Understand the balance between your body, spirit, and the world.
Aarav took a slow breath. His own reflection came in front of him — same face, same eyes — but the reflection smirked faintly.
"So. I'm my own opponent this time?
The reflection spoke in his voice but carried a sharper tone. "You've grasped power too fast. You think comprehension alone makes you strong?
Aarav said nothing but watched him. "Understanding is not power. It's just understanding. Power comes after it.
The reflection smiled. "Then prove it."
It sprang forward before he could react, a glowing blade of both light and shadow in its hand-the Blade of Dual Realms-its movements flawless, calculated, and cold.
Aarav instinctively blocked, and a blade made of mana materialized in his hand. The resulting energy clash sent ripples through the white void.
Each strike was like thunder. Aarav parried, dodged, and countered-and yet every attack from his reflection carried the same rhythm, the same techniques he himself had learned.
"So, this is what I look like when I fight seriously…"Aarav thought with a faint grin on his sweat-covered face.
Their blades met again and the shockwave spread across space. This time, Aarav stumbled back several meters, breathing heavily.
[Warning: Internal energy unstable.]
The eyes in the reflection glowed faintly. "You understand everything except yourself."
Those words hit him more seriously than the blade did. Self-understanding was something he hadn't truly mastered.
He closed his eyes to inhale deeply, and instantly, the energy within him went wild—light and darkness clashing inside his veins, his body shaking from the unbalance.
But then, something clicked.
He remembered Elder Lin's words, "Power without balance becomes destruction."
Then, Aarav stopped fighting the turmoil. He allowed the darkness and light to swirl inside him as it would. He watched instead of trying to control. He comprehended.
Gradually, his breathing steadied. The turmoil inside him slowly began to fall into harmony-not by dominance, but by acceptance.
[Comprehension +3%. Current: 24%.]
[Internal Energy Balance: 92%.]
He opened his eyes again and was calm and composed. His reflection hesitated, sensing the change.
Aarav smiled wryly. "You're not my enemy; you're my mirror."
He sheathed his blade and then extended his hand toward his reflection. The clone hesitated, then nodded slowly — and stepped forward. Their hands touched, and the two forms merged into one.
Trembled the void.
[Trial Complete.]
[Understanding +2%. Current: 26%.
[Spirit Veins Awakening Sequence Initiated.]
The world shattered like glass, and Aarav's consciousness returned to his body at the top of Echoing Peak.
A blinding light enveloped him. His body hovered slightly, and streams of energy surged into him from the mountain itself.
He could feel it: the formation of his Spirit Veins. Lines of glowing light one by one appeared beneath his skin, tracing patterns across his chest down to his limbs. Each line pulsed with life and connected his heart to the heavens, his soul to the earth.
[Spirit Vein 1 – Heart Vein: Activated.]
[Spirit Vein 2 – Soul Vein: Activated.]
[Spirit Vein 3 – Earth Vein: Activated.]
[All 12 Primary Veins Formed.]
It was a painful process: fire and ice mixed, surging through his body; his vision blurred and his bones cracked under such great pressure.
But instead of resisting, he breathed through it — every wave of pain was a lesson, every spark of energy a new understanding.
His Infinite Comprehension System shone brighter than ever before.
[1000x Comprehension Boost Applied.
[New Insight: Spirit Flow Harmony.
Golden and black light spiraled around him. The mountain shook; the air itself trembled.
Animals fled from the forests below as the energy storm intensified.
In the distance, Elder Lin stared out from the village; his eyes widened. "That aura… impossible! Someone is awakening all twelve veins at once!"
On the peak, Aarav's heartbeat synchronized itself with the flow of energy.
BOOM.
A pillar of light shot upward from the mountain, piercing the clouds. The sky rippled like water as the spiritual pressure spread in all directions.
For a moment, it was as if the heavens themselves paused, observing the rebirth of something remarkable.
Slowly, the light faded, and Aarav descended back onto the ground, softly. His body was still, his mind sharper than ever. He could feel every breath of wind, every vibration of the earth beneath him.
[Spirit Awakening Stage: Early Phase.]
[Spirit Capacity: 100 units (Perfect Grade).
You have awakened the Spirit Veins.
He slowly exhaled, smiling weakly. "So this is what it feels like, to be a part of everything."
The System chimed softly again.
[New Feature Unlocked: Spirit Sense.]
Description: Allows you to perceive life, energy and emotions within a radius of 500 meters.
He focused for a moment, and the world opened up to him in layers of color and vibration. Every tree had its rhythm, every stone its quiet hum, every insect its flicker of spirit.
He was seeing life in its rawest form. "Beautiful…" he whispered. The voice of the System spoke again, calm but almost warm.
[Congratulations, Host, this is your first step into true cultivation.]
From now on, the heavens shall take notice of you. Aarav chuckled softly. "Let them notice. I'm not here to destroy or rule… just to understand." But deep inside, he knew — comprehension wasn't a quiet path. The more he understood, the more the world would change. He rose, looking at the horizon aglow. The night wind carried whispers — some curious, some fearful — as if unseen forces had begun to stir. He lightly clenched his fists. "The path goes on. The next step. understanding of spirit flow and weapon soul. He was descending down to the village, and the first light of dawn managed to break through the clouds. The mountain shimmered behind him: no longer just a peak, but a sacred place that had been witness to the awaking of a being beyond mortal limits.