Eklavya slowly opened the robe spread before him and adjusted it so that the shimmering purple jelly-like orbs were clearly arranged within his reach. He then settled himself into a cross-legged position atop the uneven platform, allowing his body to sink into stillness as the surrounding water pressed against his skin with quiet and constant pressure. Once his posture stabilised, he closed both eyes, shutting out the dim glow of the translucent fish drifting in the distance.

  His hands rose naturally before his chest and began to move in measured, deliberate patterns. His fingers wove together into unfamiliar signs, formed not through conscious memory but through instinct embedded deep within his cultivation foundation. As his palms rotated and aligned, a faint resonance stirred between them, causing the space separating his hands to ripple as though responding to an unseen call.

  The purple spiritual ki contained within the jelly orbs reacted immediately.

  Thin threads of mist-like energy began to rise from the orbs. Slow at first, then steadily increasing in density, they stretched toward the gap between his palms, intertwining and merging into a continuous stream that pulsed faintly with life. As Eklavya guided the flow forward, the ki passed between his hands and sank directly into his chest, vanishing into his body without resistance.

  The moment the energy entered him, it descended into his sea of consciousness like rain falling upon a silent ocean.

  At first, the absorption was gentle. The purple spiritual ki dispersed slowly as it mixed with the already vast waters of his consciousness. As minutes passed and the circulation stabilised, the water around his physical body began to tremble almost imperceptibly, forming subtle ripples that spread outward from the platform in widening rings.

  Nearly an hour passed in this manner. With each breath Eklavya took, the trembling grew stronger, not violent yet unmistakable, as golden spiritual ki surged upward from his core and intertwined with the purple energy flowing inward. The balanced yet increasingly volatile cycle of refinement caused the surrounding water to vibrate continuously.

  The pressure within his body intensified steadily.

  Then, directly before him, a radiant golden symbol began to form.

  It appeared gradually, first, as scattered lines of light suspended in the water. Then, as those lines connected and stabilised into a complete structure, forming his fourth Heavenly Rune, its presence was imposing and radiant, hovering in silent authority as golden mist gathered around it like fog illuminated by an unseen sun.

  The purple jelly orbs before him had already shrunk to nearly half their original size. Yet the streams of purple ki flowing from them remained uninterrupted, threading between his palms and sinking relentlessly into his sea of consciousness, feeding the rune as it refined and solidified further.

  From within the dragon ring, Magha observed the process with quiet satisfaction. A faint smirk formed inwardly as he watched Eklavya’s control and endurance surpass what most cultivators at this stage could manage. When the refinement reached its natural peak, a massive golden wave erupted outward from Eklavya’s body.

  The water shook violently in all directions. The platform beneath him trembled as though struck by a deep, resonant force. When the surge finally subsided, the fourth Heavenly Rune stabilised completely, marking Eklavya’s breakthrough into the realm of a Four-Star Practitioner Warrior.

  Yet Eklavya did not stop.

  Without hesitation, he increased the absorption speed.

  The circulation patterns within his body shifted abruptly, accelerating as his meridians widened forcefully. Recognising that his mortal body could not withstand such strain, he activated his Supreme Body. Golden light flooded his muscles and bones as his physical form reinforced itself against the escalating pressure.

  Magha’s voice rang sharply within his mind, carrying genuine concern.

  ‘Hey, stop. Don’t absorb it at that speed. Even your Supreme Body at this cultivation level won’t be able to hold it.’

  Eklavya ignored him.

  The desire to become stronger burned fiercely within him, overriding caution and reason alike. He knew there were things he needed to accomplish, burdens he had yet to face, and a path he had to walk alone before he could ever return to his clan. Though he carried emotions like any other person, years of suppression had conditioned his instincts to bury them beneath layers of restraint.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Yet those emotions had never disappeared.

  They stirred faintly now. Memories of warmth, expectation, and unspoken separation surfaced beneath the surface of his thoughts, held back by something deeper. Something embedded into him long ago, like a forgotten muscle memory that prevented him from expressing what he felt even when surrounded by those closest to him.

  The purple jelly orbs shrank rapidly as Eklavya continued to absorb them at an aggressive pace. The streams of spiritual ki grew thicker and more violent as they poured into his body. Despite the reinforcement of his Supreme Body, cracks began to appear along his skin, thin fractures glowing with golden light as raw energy leaked through them.

  Pain followed instantly.

  It was not a single, overwhelming agony. It was a multitude of sharp sensations erupting simultaneously across his body. Each crack felt like a blade being driven into him repeatedly, unrelenting and merciless, as though his body was being torn apart from the inside and forced to rebuild itself in the same instant.

  His expression twisted involuntarily. Deep lines formed across his face as he clenched his jaw, refusing to cry out despite the overwhelming torment. When the pain peaked further, he bit down hard on his lower lip, drawing blood as he forced himself to endure in silence.

  Still, he did not slow down.

  Golden light flared brighter within his body. Amidst the violent refinement, another formation began to take shape before him. Faint at first but unmistakable, the outline of yet another Heavenly Rune emerged, trembling as it struggled to stabilise under the immense pressure.

  Magha shouted within his mind, his voice sharp with urgency, trying desperately to stop him. Eklavya shut it out entirely, focusing solely on maintaining the circulation, forcing his body forward as he pushed past its natural limits again and again.

  Time lost meaning.

  The refinement continued for more than half an hour longer, far faster and more dangerous than before, as Eklavya’s endurance was stretched to its absolute edge. Then, with a violent release of pressure, a colossal golden wave exploded outward from his body, surging through the water in every direction.

  The surrounding currents recoiled as though struck by an unseen force. Waves formed even in the depths as the fifth Heavenly Rune completed itself before him, radiant and stable, its presence overwhelming, marking his ascension into the realm of a Five-Star Practitioner Warrior.

  For several moments, the water around him refused to draw near, retreating instinctively as if fearful of touching his body. When Eklavya finally opened his eyes, his gaze was sharp and steady, the pain fading into a distant echo as strength replaced it.

  He released a powerful cry that echoed through the depths.

  ‘HHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!’

  Golden energy burst from him in all directions, rippling through the water like a shockwave. As the release ended, the surrounding water slowly returned, brushing against his skin once more as though cautiously acknowledging his presence. And slowly, the cracks closed that had appeared on his body.

  Eklavya lowered his gaze to the platform where he had been seated and floated back toward it, retrieving his robe calmly. Every purple jelly orb within it had vanished completely, absorbed without remainder.

  From within the ring, Magha thought silently, ‘What a monster.’

  Even as an ancient beast, he could not deny his awe at what he had just witnessed. Eklavya could have refined the energy slowly and safely. He had the time. Instead, he chose to risk everything to reach his goal as quickly as possible.

  Something within Eklavya had changed.

  He could feel it.

  The emotional restraint that once suppressed every reaction had loosened slightly. Not broken, but shifted, allowing him to experience feelings without completely burying them. While he still had to force himself to smile, the effort required was far less than before.

  A memory surfaced unexpectedly—his departure from the Rudra Clan. For the first time, the sadness it carried reached him clearly before he could suppress it again.

  Magha spoke within his mind, his tone lighter now.

  ‘Hey, didn’t I tell you to slow down?’

  Eklavya smirked faintly as he lifted himself from the platform, drifting in the direction of the water current still flowing steadily above him.

  ‘I know my limit.’

  Magha laughed softly at the response.

  ‘Oh? Looks like you’re in a good mood today.’

  Eklavya thought briefly before replying, setting the memory aside.

  I did the right thing, leaving the clan for now. There’s no reason to dwell on it.

  Then, with a restrained smile, he answered aloud.

  ‘It isn’t like that.’

  Even as he moved forward parallel to the water current, he knew that whatever barrier once confined his emotions had shifted—only slightly—but enough to change everything that followed.