Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 369: Path to Spirit Transcendence

"Varen began, his voice carrying over the faint rumbles of thunder that reverberated across the jagged cliffs. He shifted slightly, his silver-embellished robes catching the flashes of distant lightning. "It’s a difficult breakthrough to explain. Not because it’s overly complicated, but because it’s so specific to the individual cultivator because of the choices they made up to that point. But I’ll do my best to break it down."

Lassim nodded silently. Zaphy, still perched nearby to watch the sleeping thunderbird pair instead of returning to Lassim’s inner heart world, tilted her head slightly as she was interested in the conversation.

The sleeping Thunderbirds remained undisturbed behind their new protective array.

Varen took a moment to settle himself into a seated position, "Let’s start with the basics. Spirit Transcendence was explained to me as the first stage where a cultivator transitions from condensing their individual power to creating a lasting manifestation of their cultivation. This isn’t something that changes slightly with your appearance or techniques you used but something that should last you up until reaching the pantheon of gods. That manifestation, as you already know, is the halo."

He raised a hand to point upwards, channeling a faint surge of lightning mana through his body. Above his head, a glowing white halo appeared, floating a few inches above him.

As Lassim watched, he could clearly make out the additional layers of light materialized around it, spinning in perfect synchronization with the base. There were eight in total, each one a seamless addition to the central halo.

"This," Varen continued, his words laced with a faint bit of pride, "is what you’re aiming to achieve. The base halo signifies the initial breakthrough into the Spirit Transcendence stage, and every additional layer is a milestone within the stage itself, as you may have come to realize. Just like all of the stages previously, you add one layer for each level, starting at one and ending at nine. Once you complete the ninth layer, you’ll be ready to attempt the leap to the Spirit Mystic stage. That stage has its own requirements and the next step in advancing towards godhoo with another permanent addition to your cultivation, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves."

Lassim studied the halo intently, his stormy eyes taking in every detail. It appeared quite simple in his opinion, a plain circle of glowing light surrounded by faint, translucent layers. Yet the power it radiated was undeniable and the spirit pressure radiating off it would send weak mortal beasts to their knees.

"How do you form the first one?" Lassim asked, "And is there anything special for how you add the layers?"

Varen dispersed the halo with a casual wave of his hand, the glowing light vanishing into thin air as if it had never existed. "Forming the first halo is the hardest part," he said, growing more serious.

"It’s not like anything you’ve done before. I believe it can be somewhat similar to the Spirit Evolution stage where your soul crystal came into existence, and only slightly similar to the forming of the constellation when you advanced to Spirit Ascension."

He then released a sigh, "But that’s where the similarities end. To create it, you need to compress the essence of your constellation into a dense core—a single, concentrated point of power. That core becomes the foundation for the halo."

Lassim’s brow furrowed, "Wait a second, compress the constellation?" he repeated. "How does that even work? Do you mean breaking it apart?"

"Not breaking it apart," Varen clarified. "Think of it as refining it. Your constellation is the culmination of your cultivation up to this point—the result of everything you’ve built. The manifestation of what inspires your path forward and the rough constellation that Spirit Ascension stage cultivators form are still malleable and in need of further refining. To form the halo, you need to take that culmination and condense it into its purest, most concentrated form. It’s like taking a vast ocean and compressing it into a single drop of water."

Lassim frowned, his mind racing as he tried to picture the process. Immediately the alarm bells were ringing in his mind. His constellation, the lifelike leviathan created from the soul crystal dust in his Inner Heart World, was unlike anything he’d ever heard of or seen from any other cultivator.

It wasn’t like the rough and blurry constellations others hastily built as soon as they reached the peak of Spirit Evolution stage and easily broke their soul crystals to form. He had such a tough process that allowed his constellation to be so absurd and unique that it even caught the Leviathan’s attention.

His constellation had so much stability and realism that made the idea of compressing it seem... impossible.

"And then what?" Lassim asked, trying to ignore the building dread that this process was going to be equally or even more frustrating than the last advancement. "What happens after the compression?"

"You use your mind’s will to punch a hole through the center and rotate it," Varen replied. "The compressed essence of your constellation is incredibly volatile. Without rotation, it would collapse under its own weight and destabilize your cultivation base. The rotation creates a channel that stabilizes the core, allowing it to merge with your mana. I can’t really explain it more than that but there’s a moment that occurs when it reaches a certain threshold, the halo forms naturally. Your entire body receives a huge boost of power in that moment and it’s one of the most freeing moments you’ll even experience, like breaking free from a hundred layers of dirt in your body at the same time. It’s why it’s called Transcendence, you transcend your limits and physical body’s limiters to an extent. Some other changes occur as well within your heart world, but I’ll leave that as a surprise."

Lassim leaned back slightly against the cliff side, his gaze distant as he processed the explanation. "How do you know when you’ve done enough of the rotating then?" he asked. "Even before that, how do you know when it’s compressed enough to punch a hole through?"

Varen’s expression softened slightly, "You don’t," he admitted. "Not at first. Like I said, I really can’t explain it as the process isn’t something you can measure or calculate. It’s something you feel—an instinctive understanding that comes from being completely attuned to your constellation in that process of compression. For me, it was like a moment of clarity. Everything clicked into place, I barely remember even creating the hole, don’t recall even rotating it or trying to, and yet the halo formed on its own."

Lassim nodded slowly, though his thoughts remained clouded with uncertainty.

The status of his constellation with its depth and realism made him worried. He glanced at Varen, his gaze sharp. "And the layers? How do you add those?"

"The layers are a continuation of the same process," Varen explained. "Each one requires compressing and rotating additional mana, integrating it into the existing structure without disrupting the balance. The more layers you add, the harder it becomes. It’s crucial to know that with this stage, you’ll have an instinctual feeling, just like with the first halo’s creation, that you are at a limit and should compress before adding another layer. Once the layer is added, you’ll have this empty stomach feeling as if you’ve subsisted off a single grain for a thousand years. That’s when you know you need to add another halo. The Sect Master once shared that once you feel full after fully cultivating like normal after reaching the 9th layer/level, you’ll know you’re at the peak."

Lassim nodded again, though his gaze remained distant. The explanation had given him clarity, but it had also done little to abate his fears.

His constellation, so stable and lifelike, would not yield easily to the process of compression and rotation. If anything, its perfection would make the task infinitely more difficult.

"Thanks for explaining," Lassim said finally after a moment of gathering his thoughts, his voice quiet but sincere. "I think I understand the basics now, but... it sounds like something I’ll only most likely only truly grasp when I’m closer to that stage. I’m still Spirit Ascension level 8 after all."

"That’s how it is for most cultivators," Varen agreed. "But you’re not ’most cultivators,’ are you? With your unique cultivation path, and speed, I suspect you’ll face that challenge in just a couple months so I’m glad you’ve relied on me to help. Now I can say I’ve helped the future Sect Master with his cultivation! Imagine the bragging I’ll be able to do someday! Haha!"

Lassim gave a faint smile, "Future Sect Master?! Well, that’s a reach but sure, if I ever become the Sect Master I’ll even tell everyone how you’d helped me."

Varen rose to his feet, brushing dust from his hands as he glanced toward the horizon. "If you have more questions, feel free to ask. Since my mission is complete, I’ve got to head back for dinner with a friend. But for now, I’d recommend focusing on reaching the peak of Spirit Ascension. One step at a time. Thanks again for the help!"

Lassim stood as well, offering a polite bow. "Thank you, Brother Varen. Your guidance means a lot."

Lassim watched as Varen departed, his robes rippling faintly in the storm-charged winds.

The older cultivator’s calm and confident demeanor belied the complexity of what he had just shared. Forming a halo sounded deceptively simple—compressing, rotating, and stabilizing the constellation—but the sheer difference between the two of them just meant Lassim’s abnormal situation was going to magnify the complexity by at least a thousand fold.

He turned his gaze toward the horizon, his thoughts already racing.

The storms of the Tempest’s Cradle mirrored the turbulence within his mind, the lightning streaking through the clouds like fleeting flashes of insight he couldn’t quite grasp.

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Zaphy let out a low chirp, her golden crown feathers flicking as she hopped closer to Lassim. "[That brother Varen guy sure knows his stuff, huh?]" she said through their bond, "[But I can hear your thoughts—you’re already overthinking it.]"

Lassim sighed, his lips twitching into a faint smile. "[Can you blame me?]" he replied. "[You heard him—others use this as a way to mold their hastily and rough formed constellations while they’re still malleable and into something more solid and permanent. It’s also all instinct without real understanding. And with my constellation being what it is..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

Zaphy ruffled her feathers, a spark of electricity dancing along her gold tipped and void infused wings. "[We’ve faced impossible challenges before, brother. Remember the soul crystal? You, my brother, went and found Ava’s hidden and untouched God’s Trial and obtained the scale from big Sis Levi. I’m sure it’ll be easy, peezy, wormy-squeezy!]"

Her words brought a flicker of reassurance, but they also stirred a lingering unease. The Leviathan’s scale had been a miraculous boon, but it had also been an external solution—a divine intervention that had allowed him to overcome a barrier that should have been insurmountable.

What if no such boon existed this time? What if the sheer perfection of his constellation made it impossible to break down?

Mari’s voice joined the conversation, calm and soothing as always. "[Zaphy’s right, child,]" she said. "[This isn’t the first time you’ve faced something unique. And it’s not like you’re alone in this. We’re with you, the three of us together every step of the way.]"

Lassim closed his eyes, the bond between them seeming to grow deeper and more connected, radiating a steady warmth that eased the tension in his chest. "[Thanks, both of you. I just..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "[I guess I’m just worried that I won’t be able to achieve it within the goal I set, and I suppose I’m still worried about the Abyssal General or another assassination attempt. We must get stronger but the process is a bit abstract, and my constellation... It’s not like anyone else’s. What if I can’t even begin the compression?]"

"[Then we’ll figure it out together,]" Zaphy said firmly, hopping closer and nudging him in the forehead with her beak. "[You’re not going to let some fancy stage stop you. That’s not the brother I know.]"

Her playful confidence brought a faint chuckle from him, and he reached out to gently run his hand along her feathers. "[Thanks, Zaphy.]"

The storm continued to rage around them, but the tension within Lassim had begun to ease. He glanced toward the Thunderbirds, still resting peacefully within the protective array with their eggs kept safely underneath them.