The eight weeks of trial preparation consumed Axel's life completely. Every morning began with team coordination exercises at dawn—five cultivators learning to function as a single tactical unit through countless repetitions of formation drills, combat scenarios, and crisis simulations. Afternoons were dedicated to individual cultivation and technique refinement. Evenings brought strategic planning sessions where Feng Yun dissected historical trial data and developed contingency plans for dozens of potential scenarios.
"The Ascension Realm operates on different rules than normal space," Feng Yun explained during their third week of preparation, displaying a formation-generated map of the pocket dimension. "Spatial boundaries are fluid, meaning distances can shift unpredictably. Temporal flow varies by location—some areas experience ten-to-one time dilation while others are nearly normal. And the spiritual energy concentration is so high that even breathing accelerates cultivation."
"Which makes breakthrough tribulations more dangerous," Chen Wu added, his defensive expertise making him particularly aware of risks. "Normal tribulations are challenging enough. In an environment where heaven's judgment is amplified by concentrated spiritual energy, they become potentially lethal."
"Speaking of tribulations," Zhao Mei said, her attention focusing on Axel, "you're approaching Core Formation Mid, aren't you? I can feel your spiritual pressure fluctuating—classic breakthrough precursor symptoms."
Axel nodded, not surprised she'd noticed. His Golden Core had been optimizing continuously since formation, and three weeks of intensive cultivation had brought him to the threshold faster than even he'd anticipated. "I'm at the peak of Core Formation Early. The breakthrough to Mid could happen within days."
"Before or after we enter the trial?" Feng Yun asked, tactical calculations evident in her expression. "Timing matters significantly. Breakthrough during preparation means you enter the trial stronger. Breakthrough during the trial means you experience amplified tribulation but potentially reach Late stage before we exit."
"I'd prefer to breakthrough before entry," Axel said. "Establishing Mid stage stability before facing the trial's dangers seems tactically sound."
"Agreed," Feng Yun decided. "We'll adjust the training schedule to give you three days for breakthrough and stabilization. The rest of us will focus on team coordination exercises that don't require your presence."
But that night, as Axel settled into meditation in his quarters, something unexpected happened. The familiar pulse of impending breakthrough intensified suddenly, far sooner than his timeline had predicted. His Golden Core, which had been steadily optimizing toward Mid stage, suddenly accelerated its transformation.
The system interface appeared with urgent notification:
[CRITICAL DEVELOPMENT DETECTED]
[NASCENT SOUL RESONANCE PHENOMENON]
[YOUR GOLDEN CORE IS SENSING NASCENT SOUL REALM]
[PREMATURE SOUL FORMATION GLIMPSE IMMINENT]
[WARNING: EXPERIENCING THIS AT CORE FORMATION IS DANGEROUS]
[NORMAL OCCURRENCE: GOLDEN CORE PEAK]
[YOUR OCCURRENCE: CORE FORMATION EARLY (PEAK)]
[BLOODLINE INFLUENCE: ACCELERATING PERCEPTION]
[RECOMMENDATION: DO NOT RESIST - ALLOW GLIMPSE TO COMPLETE]
[ESTIMATED DURATION: 2-4 HOURS]
[SUBSEQUENT BREAKTHROUGH TO MID STAGE: CERTAIN]
A Nascent Soul glimpse at Core Formation Early? That was supposed to be impossible—even the Golden Core glimpse he'd experienced at Foundation Establishment had been unusual. Perceiving realms multiple stages above your current cultivation could destabilize foundations or damage spiritual perception permanently.
But the system was advising not to resist, and Axel had learned to trust its analysis. He deepened his meditation, allowing whatever phenomenon was occurring to proceed naturally.
The change was immediate and overwhelming. Axel's perception exploded outward, his spiritual senses extending not just across physical space but into dimensions he hadn't previously been able to touch. The Nascent Soul realm was about separating your soul from your physical body, creating a spiritual entity that could exist independently while remaining connected to your Golden Core.
And for a brief, terrifying, exhilarating moment, Axel could feel what that meant.
His consciousness seemed to lift free from his physical body, though he remained anchored to it by golden threads of energy connecting to his Core. From this elevated perspective, he could perceive reality with clarity that made his previous cultivation seem almost blind.
He could see the Qi flows throughout the entire sect—not just sensing them, but understanding them at a fundamental level. Every formation array, every cultivator's circulation pattern, every natural accumulation of spiritual energy became transparent to his perception.
More remarkably, he could sense time itself. Not controlling it, but perceiving how it flowed differently in various locations, how the sect's formations created temporal pockets where cultivation proceeded faster, how the approaching Ascension Realm existed in a temporal state that was partially disconnected from normal reality.
And beyond all that, he could sense something vast and ancient watching. Not with hostility—more like curious observation. The Hongmeng Bloodline was reacting to this glimpse, resonating with perceptions that touched on powers it was meant to eventually wield.
Elder Shen's POV - Formation Research Pavilion
Elder Shen's spatial monitoring formations alerted him instantly when Axel's spiritual pressure underwent dramatic transformation. The Formation Master had been tracking his student's cultivation carefully, knowing that Axel's rapid advancement might trigger unusual phenomena.
But this was beyond unusual. This was unprecedented.
"That's Nascent Soul perception," Shen breathed, his formations showing him details that would have been invisible to less sophisticated observation. "He's experiencing soul separation while still in Core Formation Early. That shouldn't be possible without killing him."
Yet Axel's vital signs remained stable. His Golden Core, rather than destabilizing under the strain of premature soul perception, was actually growing stronger. The Mythical-grade structure was using the Nascent Soul glimpse as a catalyst for optimization, integrating insights that most cultivators wouldn't access for years.
"His bloodline," Shen realized. "Whatever that Hongmeng heritage provides, it's allowing him to experience higher realm perceptions without the normal dangers. He's not forcing the glimpse—it's being shown to him deliberately."
The Formation Master made immediate calculations. If Axel could integrate these insights properly, his cultivation would advance not just to Core Formation Mid but potentially toward Late within weeks. The breakthrough would be qualitatively different from normal advancement, carrying understanding that transcended simple power accumulation.
"Kid, you continue to surprise me," Shen murmured, adjusting his monitoring formations to provide emergency intervention capability if something went catastrophically wrong. "Let's hope your foundation can handle what you're perceiving."
Supreme Elder Jiang's POV- Supreme Peak
Jiang felt the disturbance in the sect's spiritual energy flows immediately. After a thousand years of cultivation, he was attuned to every significant Qi fluctuation within his domain. And this fluctuation was very significant.
"Nascent Soul glimpse from a Core Formation Early cultivator," Jiang observed, his Ascendant Realm perception analyzing the phenomenon with perfect clarity. "The boy is experiencing soul separation perception at least four stages before it should occur."
He considered intervening. Premature soul glimpses often resulted in cultivation deviation or permanent damage to spiritual perception. But as Jiang examined the situation more carefully, he recognized that standard concerns didn't apply here.
Axel's Golden Core was responding to the glimpse not with strain but with acceleration. The Mythical-grade structure was actually designed to handle such experiences, its seven-dimensional architecture providing stability that normal cores lacked.
"His bloodline is guiding the process," Jiang concluded. "Teaching him what Nascent Soul realm means before he reaches it, preparing his foundation for transformations most cultivators stumble into unprepared."
The Supreme Elder made note to adjust his assessment of Axel's potential upward—again. Every evaluation revealed new depths to the young cultivator's capabilities. At this rate, Axel might reach Golden Core within a year rather than the five years Jiang had initially estimated.
"The Heavenly Ascension Trial is going to be very interesting," Jiang said to the empty courtyard. "If he's experiencing Nascent Soul glimpses at Core Formation Early, what will he perceive in an environment with four hundred percent spiritual energy concentration?"
Axel's POV - Four Hours Later
The glimpse ended as suddenly as it had begun, Axel's perception snapping back to normal awareness with jarring intensity. He gasped, his physical body reasserting itself after hours of experiencing partial soul separation.
But the insights remained. Understanding of Nascent Soul realm that would normally take years to accumulate had been compressed into four hours of direct perception. Axel now knew exactly what he needed to do to eventually separate his soul from his body, what structural preparations his Golden Core required, what mental and spiritual readiness the transformation demanded.
More immediately, the glimpse had triggered the breakthrough to Core Formation Mid that had been approaching. His Golden Core, enriched by Nascent Soul perceptions, completed its transition to Mid stage with smooth efficiency that bypassed the normal tribulation entirely.
The system confirmed:
[NASCENT SOUL GLIMPSE: COMPLETE]
[BREAKTHROUGH: CORE FORMATION EARLY → MID]
[TRIBULATION BYPASSED DUE TO NASCENT SOUL RESONANCE]
[GOLDEN CORE OPTIMIZATION: 89%]
[INSIGHTS GAINED: NASCENT SOUL FUNDAMENTALS]
[SOUL SEPARATION PREPARATION: 23% COMPLETE]
[HONGMENG BLOODLINE AWAKENING: 8% → 10%]
[MAJOR THRESHOLD REACHED]
[NEW CAPABILITIES UNLOCKING...]
Ten percent bloodline awakening. Another major threshold that brought immediate changes to Axel's perception and capabilities. His spatial manipulation, already advanced, sharpened to the point where he could perceive dimensional boundaries that had been completely invisible before. His temporal perception, touched during the Nascent Soul glimpse, became a permanent low-level ability that let him sense time flow variations.
Most remarkably, he gained intuitive understanding of soul energy—not yet able to manipulate it effectively, but able to perceive it in himself and others. He could sense the nascent souls developing in Golden Core cultivators, the more mature souls in Nascent Soul practitioners, the fully separated souls of Soul Projection experts.
"This changes everything," Axel realized, examining his transformed capabilities. "I'm Core Formation Mid now, but with insights that most cultivators don't gain until Golden Core or beyond."
Liu Feng burst into their quarters, spiritual senses flaring with alarm. "What happened? Your spiritual pressure just spiked and I felt—" He stopped, his perception analyzing Axel more carefully. "You broke through. And your Golden Core feels different. Older somehow, like it's experienced more than its actual age suggests."
"I had a Nascent Soul glimpse," Axel explained. "Four hours of perceiving what soul separation means before I'm actually ready to attempt it."
"That's—" Liu Feng struggled for words. "That's supposed to kill people. Premature realm glimpses overwhelm cultivation foundations. How are you not suffering from severe cultivation deviation?"
"Mythical-grade foundation and bloodline advantages," Axel said, which was becoming his universal explanation for anything that defied normal cultivation rules.
"Right. Your impossible foundation that breaks standard progression." Liu Feng sat down heavily. "So you're Core Formation Mid now, with Nascent Soul insights, and we still have five weeks before the trial. You're going to reach Late stage before we even enter the Ascension Realm, aren't you?"
"Probably not," Axel said, though the system's projections suggested Liu Feng might be right. "Core Formation Late requires more than just accumulated power. It needs comprehensive technique mastery and cultivation stability that takes time to develop properly."
"Most cultivators say the same thing about Core Formation Mid, and you just reached it after three weeks at Early." Liu Feng shook his head. "I'm going to stop being surprised by your advancement rate. Clearly normal timelines don't apply to you."
The next morning brought unexpected visitors. Feng Yun arrived with the rest of the trial team, all of them having sensed Axel's breakthrough through the sect's spiritual energy network.
"Core Formation Mid," Zhao Mei said without preamble, her spiritual senses assessing him thoroughly. "Three weeks after forming your Golden Core. That's not just fast—that's absurd."
"It was triggered by an unusual cultivation phenomenon," Axel explained. "A Nascent Soul glimpse that accelerated the breakthrough."
"Nascent Soul glimpse at Core Formation Early," Chen Wu repeated slowly. "I've never heard of that occurring without killing the cultivator or crippling their foundation."
"His foundation is Mythical-grade," Feng Yun reminded them. "Different rules apply. The question is whether this changes our trial strategy."
She pulled up their tactical plans, updating power assessments to reflect Axel's advancement. "Core Formation Mid means you're now our second-strongest combatant after Zhao Mei. That changes formation positioning and resource allocation strategies significantly."
"It also means you're more likely to attract attention from rival teams," Lin Shan added. "Core Formation Mid cultivators are priority targets in the trial. Other sects will try to eliminate you early if they identify your cultivation level."
"Can he conceal it?" Chen Wu asked.
"Not completely," Axel admitted. "My spiritual pressure suppression techniques work reasonably well, but anyone with decent perception will recognize I'm Mid stage. I can hide the Golden Core quality, but not the cultivation level."
"Then we plan around you being a priority target," Feng Yun decided. "Zhao Mei and Axel become primary combatants. Chen Wu focuses on protecting Lin Shan and me while we provide tactical support. If rival teams target Axel specifically, we use that to create openings for counterattacks."
They spent the next three days adapting their strategies to incorporate Axel's enhanced capabilities. His Nascent Soul insights had granted him new understanding of soul energy, which let him detect when other cultivators were preparing techniques that required soul power. That early warning capability was invaluable for team defense.
His enhanced spatial manipulation, boosted by bloodline awakening to ten percent, now allowed him to create twenty-foot dimensional shortcuts instead of fifteen. The five-foot improvement seemed minor until tactical applications became clear—he could now transport teammates out of danger zones, create spatial barriers that deflected attacks, even generate temporary dimensional anchors that stabilized unstable terrain.
"Your role has evolved from spatial specialist to tactical controller," Feng Yun assessed after watching Axel demonstrate his new abilities. "You're not just providing teleportation—you're controlling battlefield geometry. That's extraordinarily valuable."
The team's coordination improved dramatically over the following weeks. What had been five individuals learning to work together became a cohesive unit that moved with practiced precision. They developed combination techniques that leveraged each member's strengths—Chen Wu's barriers augmented with Axel's spatial anchors, Zhao Mei's offensive strikes enhanced by dimensional compression, Lin Shan's reconnaissance expanded through spatial perception sharing.
By the sixth week of preparation, their team synergy had reached levels that impressed even the instructors supervising trial preparation.
"Your team is operating at seventy-three percent coordination efficiency," announced Elder Wen, a Golden Core cultivator who oversaw trial teams. "That's exceptional for a newly formed group. Most teams don't reach seventy percent until after they've survived their first trial together."
"We've been training intensively," Feng Yun said, accepting the praise with professional neutrality.
"Obviously. But coordination comes from more than just training—it requires trust and compatible temperaments." Elder Wen's gaze lingered on Axel. "Accepting a controversial cultivator could have destabilized team dynamics. Instead, you've integrated him so thoroughly that he's become your tactical anchor. Well done."
The seventh week brought news that changed everything. The trial entry date was being moved forward by two weeks due to spatial instabilities in the Ascension Realm. Teams would enter in fourteen days rather than the originally scheduled four weeks.
"That's concerning," Chen Wu said when Feng Yun gathered them to discuss the change. "Two weeks less preparation time means we're entering less ready than planned."
"Everyone faces the same limitation," Feng Yun countered. "And honestly, we're better prepared than most teams already. The lost preparation time hurts others more than us."
"What about resources?" Lin Shan asked. "We were planning to acquire additional supplies over the next month. Now we have two weeks."
"We'll need to prioritize," Feng Yun pulled out their resource list. "Focus on essentials—healing pills, Qi restoration elixirs, emergency escape talismans. Luxury items and advanced cultivation resources can wait."
"I can contribute," Axel offered. "My monthly spirit stone allocation increased with my Core Formation advancement. Plus I have accumulated stones from mission completions and duel victories."
"How much can you contribute?" Zhao Mei asked directly.
"Three hundred spirit stones." It was nearly everything Axel had saved, but team resources benefited everyone equally.
The others stared at him with varying degrees of shock. Three hundred spirit stones was a substantial sum for a disciple of any rank.
"That's... extremely generous," Feng Yun said carefully. "But you should retain personal reserves for unexpected needs. We'll accept one hundred spirit stones as your contribution and expect the others to match proportionally."
They spent the next week acquiring supplies and finalizing preparations. The sect's contribution stores were crowded with teams making last-minute purchases, creating a competitive atmosphere as everyone tried to secure the best resources before they sold out.
Axel used his Supreme Elder protection token to access restricted areas of the contribution stores, finding higher-quality resources that regular disciples couldn't purchase. The token's benefits extended beyond just physical protection—it granted access and privileges that reflected Supreme Elder Jiang's faith in his potential.
"These breakthrough assistance pills are extraordinary quality," Chen Wu said when Axel returned with his purchases. "Where did you find them?"
"Restricted section. Supreme Elder token grants access." Axel distributed the resources according to team needs. "These should help if anyone attempts breakthrough during the trial."
The final week passed in a blur of last-minute training, equipment checks, and mental preparation. Feng Yun drilled them relentlessly on emergency procedures—what to do if separated, how to signal for extraction, protocols for catastrophic situations where survival meant abandoning the trial entirely.
"Twenty percent mortality rate means one team in five suffers at least one death," Feng Yun reminded them during their final briefing. "We're going to be the four teams that come back intact. But that requires vigilance, cooperation, and willingness to retreat when situations become untenable."
"What about advancement goals?" Zhao Mei asked. "We're all hoping to breakthrough at least once during the trial."
"Advancement is secondary to survival," Feng Yun said firmly. "We support each other's breakthroughs when safe to do so. But we don't take reckless risks for cultivation gains. Better to return alive at your current stage than die attempting premature advancement."
The night before trial entry, Axel couldn't sleep. He lay on his bedroll, reviewing everything they'd prepared, everything that could go wrong, everything he still needed to learn.
His Golden Core pulsed steadily at his dantian's center, now at eighty-nine percent optimization and growing stronger every day. Ten percent bloodline awakening provided capabilities that most Core Formation cultivators never accessed. His Nascent Soul insights gave him understanding of realms he hadn't yet reached.
But would it be enough? The Ascension Realm was dangerous even for well-prepared teams. Three months in a high-energy environment filled with powerful Qi beasts, rival sect teams, and unstable spatial phenomena. Twenty percent mortality rate. One in five participants died.
The system interface appeared, apparently sensing his anxiety:
[HEAVENLY ASCENSION TRIAL: ENTRY IN 14 HOURS]
[TEAM PREPARATION: EXCEPTIONAL (87%)]
[YOUR PREPARATION: OPTIMAL]
[ESTIMATED SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 94%]
[ESTIMATED ADVANCEMENT: CORE FORMATION MID → LATE (89%)]
[ESTIMATED ADVANCEMENT: CORE FORMATION MID → PEAK (34%)]
[BREAKTHROUGH TO GOLDEN CORE: POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY (7%)]
[NASCENT SOUL GLIMPSE IMPACT: SIGNIFICANT]
[YOUR INSIGHTS WILL PROVIDE ADVANTAGES OTHER TEAMS LACK]
[RECOMMENDATION: TRUST YOUR PREPARATION]
[RECOMMENDATION: TRUST YOUR TEAM]
[RECOMMENDATION: TRUST YOUR BLOODLINE]
Ninety-four percent survival probability. That was better than the overall eighty percent rate, suggesting his preparations and capabilities genuinely improved his odds.
Axel closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. He'd done everything possible to prepare. He had a competent team, exceptional resources, Supreme Elder protection, and cultivation advantages that transcended normal progression.
Tomorrow, they would enter the Ascension Realm. Three months of intensive cultivation in conditions that would test them beyond anything they'd previously experienced.
The First Nascent Glimmer had shown him what was possible. The trial would reveal whether he could transform that possibility into reality.
His Golden Core pulsed with steady rhythm, ready for whatever came next.
The preparation was complete. The team was ready. The trial awaited.
Soon, Axel King would discover if his rapid ascent would continue in the crucible of the Ascension Realm, or if the twenty percent mortality rate would claim another ambitious cultivator who'd reached too high too fast.
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