The Pain Penance, often called the Earth Tribulation, was ant to test the strength of the body.
It was said to tear apart one’s flesh and bones, forcing every fiber to rebuild itself under unbearable pain.
It was also said that the reason there were only eight or so Core Formation Lords in the Dadangar Subcontinent—and why so few Foundation Experts managed to enter the Core Formation Realm in general—was because of this test.
Those who failed often died terrible deaths as their bodies destroyed themselves from within.
The process was like watching a waterlon burst in slow-motion videos, except there was no hamr, and the waterlon simply imploded on its own, sending its flesh everywhere.
Because of this, most late-stage Foundation Establishnt Experts never even attempted the Core Formation breakthrough. The risk was too high, and the rewards too uncertain.
The Experts had around 300 years of lifespan. In the Dadangar Subcontinent they were highly respected, treated as grand elders in any of the Big Five Sects or the three major demonic sects, living lives of comfort and honor.
Who would throw all of that away just to gamble on becoming a Core Formation Lord?
One needed extre luck, natural talent, and a perfect foundation to pass the Pain Penance. If a cultivator lacked even one of these factors, they were almost certain to fail.
But for Aksai, the test was manageable. His body had already endured greater agony during his earlier tamorphosis into the Aurous Body Realm.
One could say that the reason he wanted to beco an Aurous Artist first before attempting to break through to the next Spirit cultivation realm was because he wanted to simplify his breakthrough event.
Let’s say the breakthrough into the Core Formation Realm was similar to an annual school test made up of three separate exams for three different subjects.
The reason this test was difficult for most cultivators was because they attempted to pass all three subjects one after the other. It was because they did not know any other way to take the test.
Aksai, however, split this single test into three parts with his multi-path cultivation. By reaching the Wisp Mastery Realm in Aether cultivation and the Aurous Body Realm in body cultivation, he had already cleared the first two "subjects" before facing the third and final one.
Although he faced his own challenges by doing it this way, the thod actually increased his chances of not only passing the test but excelling at it. One could say that Aksai had found his own way to level up the Trifecta of his existence– the Spirit, body, and mind.
His Aurous transformation had reforged his bones and blood into sothing that could endure the might of heaven and earth. Compared to that, the Pain Penance was little more than an echo of his old suffering.
He had endured it in silence, the energy of the Earth Tribulation coursing through his Qi ridians like molten tal.
If Reymon had paid a little more attention to the place where Aksai sat, he would have seen the signs of the ongoing breakthrough himself. Aksai’s skin had cracked, and his muscles had tightened to the point of tearing — but his Aurous Body held firm. The pain soon passed, leaving his body stronger and purer than before.
Next ca the Dejection Demon — the test of the mind, often known as the Man Tribulation. For most cultivators who had cleared the Pain Penance, this was where they failed.
The heart demons born from one’s mories and regrets were far deadlier than any blade. They whispered doubts, guilt, and despair until the cultivator’s spirit crumbled.
But Aksai had walked the Aether path, reaching the Wisp Mastery Realm long before this mont. His understanding of the mind and spirit had already surpassed that of ordinary cultivators. When the illusions ca — the faces from his past, the voices of those he’d lost, the regrets that once weighed on him — he faced them calmly.
He watched the blurred mories play out before his mind’s eye. A part of him felt the pain, the guilt, the loneliness. But with the support of his Wisp Mastery Realm and his Aether Wisp, he overca the Dejection Demon test as well.
By the ti the Dejection Demon test ended, Aksai’s mind had beco clear — and Reymon had already arrived.
***
Aksai’s breathing deepened, and the world around him seed to slow. His spirit had grown steadier, brighter — ready for what ca next.
Now, only the final stage remained. The Celestial Wrath. The test of heaven’s judgnt. If the Spirit cultivators cleared this test, they would beco Core Formation Lords.
The clouds above roared, lightning writhing within them like serpents of light. The air felt heavy, thick with divine power. The winds howled louder, as if the heavens themselves were drawing breath before the storm.
At this mont.
Swoosh. Zoom. Rumble.
The sky tore open with a loud crack, and the first streak of lightning ca down like a falling spear.
It slamd into the Demon Tree above Aksai, ripping through branches and burning away a chunk of its thick bark. Charred pieces scattered in the air before hitting the ground.
The sa bolt struck Aksai a heartbeat later.
His entire body jolted as if millions of tiny insects were crawling under his skin all at once. For a mont, there was no pain at all — his nerves were too overwheld to send any ssage. But after a single breath, the real feeling arrived.
Aksai felt like all his organs were burning from inside, while an icy chill wrapped around them at the sa ti. Fire and frost mixed in his veins. His Aurous Body, which was supposed to be tough enough to survive heavy blows, cracked under the first strike. Aksai coughed out a mouthful of thick, black blood.
Still, he did not open his eyes.
He stayed seated, breathing slowly, and kept the Spirit essence moving through his body. He focused on his Spirit cultivation technique — the Sun Moon Duality.
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