Energy Quality Disparity was a term commonly used to describe the difference in energy quality between two cultivators separated by a minor realm, a major realm, or even a phase.
Due to the difference in realms, some gaps naturally appeared—whether in body strength, physical speed, Qi reserves, soul power, or most importantly, in Qi quality itself.
At first glance, if two cultivators were separated by only a minor realm, with the stronger one being, for instance, 30% superior across all areas, it would seem that the weaker one could still stand a chance. With sharp tactics and a well-placed strike, victory should have remained possible, right?
Logically, that was true. But reality rarely played out so neatly. On paper, the gap between the two would seem limited to a manageable margin. However, the real battlefield told a different story—one where the disparity in energy quality warped the outcome.
Although the stronger cultivator was indeed only 30% ahead in physical attributes and Qi quality, the key lay not in the raw numbers but in the interaction between their energies. When the weaker cultivator's attacks connected, the superior energy quality of his opponent would suppress the force behind his strikes, blunting their impact. It wasn't that the weaker cultivator hit less hard; it was that his energy could not fully penetrate the superior defense, resulting in a heavily diminished effect.
Conversely, when the stronger cultivator's strikes landed, the higher quality of his Qi would suppress the weaker cultivator's defenses at the point of contact, allowing his attacks to deal damage far exceeding what a mere 30% difference should have caused. His blows were not amplified in a pure sense—but against a defense weakened by the inferior energy quality, they struck with far greater effectiveness.
Additionally, energy quality dictated how severe an injury would be. Wounds inflicted by higher-quality energy became harder to heal, prolonging the suffering of the weaker party and further widening the gap between the two.
This was why fighting against someone from a higher realm was so difficult. Fleeing might still be feasible—after all, in a chase, raw speed was all that mattered, and a 30% advantage could be countered with tactics or terrain. But engaging directly in battle? That was almost suicide. The Energy Quality Disparity ensured that even a slight gap in cultivation could turn the battle into a near hopeless struggle.
Now, Mikael was beginning to experience firsthand the immense weight of that disparity as he clashed against the Spiritual Foundation Realm cultivators.
It was during his battle against the 4th layer cultivator that he truly started to feel the effects. For the first time since the beginning of the trial, the fight wasn't completely effortless. It still wasn't especially hard, but it was no longer something he could conclude with a single, decisive strike.
This pattern persisted through the following battles, each one growing progressively harder and more demanding. Even so, Mikael managed to defeat the 5th layer cultivator, then the 6th layer cultivator, and finally even brought down a 7th layer cultivator.
The fight against the 7th layer cultivator, however, was especially grueling, lasting for nearly a full hour of intense, relentless combat. Throughout the battle, it appeared on the surface that Mikael held the absolute advantage, largely thanks to the overwhelming superiority of his speed.
In truth, his speed was so immense that comparing it to the difference between a normal human running and a bullet was almost an understatement—the gap was that enormous, if not greater. Boosted by his Weightless Wind-Explosive Style, Mikael moved so fast that the 7th layer cultivator could barely react, if at all.
Because of this, the fight might have seemed, at first glance, like it would be an easy and effortless victory for Mikael—and indeed, it could have been, if not for the Energy Quality Disparity. That disparity made it so that Mikael had to exercise extreme caution, knowing full well that a single well-placed strike from his opponent could slice through his defenses in an instant, heavily injuring him or even killing him outright.
Even though Mikael knew deep down that what he was experiencing wasn't truly real—that if he were to die, he would simply fail this stage of his trial rather than die permanently—he remained exceptionally cautious, determined to avoid getting hit at all costs.
As for Mikael's own attacks, the situation wasn't much better. The Energy Quality Disparity once again made its presence painfully clear. Even when using his longsword enhanced by his Elemental Sword Style, his strikes only managed to scratch the opponent, and even his most powerful attacks—ones that significantly drained his energy—resulted in nothing more than shallow, superficial cuts.
Because of this, Mikael decided to adopt a grinding strategy, gradually wearing down his enemy by inflicting countless small scratches, slowly accumulating damage until he could finally bring him down.
After an hour of relentless and exhausting combat—where a single misstep could have spelled his end—Mikael finally killed his opponent, the enemy succumbing to the innumerable scratches that covered his entire body. It was truly a death by a thousand cuts—or, more accurately, a death by tens of thousands of cuts!
Following this hard-won victory, Mikael challenged an 8th layer Spiritual Foundation Realm cultivator. However, he soon realized the futility of the attempt. No matter how many attacks he launched, he couldn't even scratch the opponent's defenses. Recognizing that continuing the battle was pointless, Mikael ultimately chose to forfeit the fight.
Still, even though he wasn't able to defeat an 8th layer cultivator, his efforts were far from wasted, and the results soon spoke for themselves.
[11th Battle Trial: Duel Variation Complete.]
[Reward: Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 3 → Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 3 (Points awarded but not enough to reach the next level. Continue to gain points to have your Cultivation Aptitude evolve.)]
'My Cultivation Aptitude is getting better and better, but it can still improve. I have the array trial to work on, that's certain. Maybe something related to speed would also be good, considering mine is clearly far superior even to that of an 8th layer Spiritual Foundation Realm cultivator. Testing my swordsmanship could be another good idea... Maybe some other kinds of battle trials, like facing a horde or an army of enemies instead of just duels?'
He nodded to himself. 'Yeah, something like that would definitely be a good idea.'
***
Once he decided on the direction for his next trials, Mikael didn't waste a single moment. He immediately got to work, dedicating the next several hours to pushing himself through the various challenges. It was an exhausting process, but the results were undeniably worth it.
[Reward: Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 4 → Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 5 (Points awarded but not enough to reach the next level. Continue to gain points to have your Cultivation Aptitude evolve.)]
Standing upright after completing the final battle trial, Mikael stretched slightly, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
'Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 5... Pretty good, honestly. That's a full "tier, if I use the terminology I'm accustomed to" above what I would have achieved if I had simply taken the passive trial route. Yeah, I'm satisfied with the results.'
'But my new Cultivation Aptitude isn't the only gain I made. I also acquired a valuable bonus: a much clearer understanding of my own strength within the Akashic Records Universe.'
'I now know that my Vitalis-enhanced body—which could also be called my "base stats"—is somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd layers of the Spiritual Foundation Realm. As for my actual combat strength, it lies somewhere between the 5th and 6th layers. Sure, I can push myself and even kill someone at the 7th layer, but it wouldn't be comfortable at all and would take a significant amount of time. That's why my effective combat strength is positioned between the 5th and 6th layers.'
'My "peak combat strength" reaches the 7th layer, as mentioned. I can defeat an opponent at that level, but it would be a tough, prolonged battle rather than an easy victory. Still, it's within the realm of possibility. And the last thing I learned about my capabilities is that my speed is even more exaggerated than I previously thought.'
'After completing the speed trial, I discovered that my speed is roughly equivalent to that of a 2nd layer Core Formation Realm cultivator! Which, honestly, is incredibly impressive, giving me an enormous edge in dangerous situations. If I ever get caught in an unwinnable fight, there's a very high chance I could simply outrun my enemy. So yeah, it's a major positive.'
'Of course, these "numbers" aren't absolute. It's entirely possible that a 1st layer Core Formation Realm cultivator could outpace me if they possessed better movement techniques or superior skills. Still, it gives me a much clearer idea of where I currently stand.'
'And that's pretty much it. I believe I've finished all the trials I can undertake for now, which means it's finally time to move on to the next part of my breakthrough.'
With that thought, Mikael spoke aloud, his voice calm and resolute, "Records, I would like to end my trial here and proceed with the next part of my breakthrough to the Spiritual Foundation Realm."
[Are you sure? This decision will be definitive, and turning back will no longer be possible.]
[Are you sure? Yes/No]
Without hesitation, Mikael selected Yes. Instantly, his surroundings began to distort. Lines of luminous green and blue codes materialized all around him, flickering and pulsing in a rhythmic pattern. But in the next instant, the glowing codes vanished, and he found himself once again seated in the chamber, resting atop the array.
As he returned to reality, Mikael immediately sensed a difference within his body. In the place he recognized as his dantian, a new form of energy had manifested—an energy he instinctively assumed to be Qi. But it wasn't all as he also felt some other thing appear in his dantian he couldn't exactly identify it but he supposed it to be his newly gained Prodigious Cultivation Aptitude Level 5. At the same time, he began to experience an unusual 'bloating' sensation, concentrated particularly in his dantian.
[Breakthrough to the Spiritual Foundation Realm in progress.]
[Your usual system is undergoing a transformation and is currently inaccessible.]
[It will be reactivated once you complete your breakthrough. For now, you have a crucial choice to make.]
[Do you want to keep your skills or sacrifice them to enhance your talents?]
[Keep the skills.]
[Sacrifice the skills.]
Without any hesitation, Mikael chose to sacrifice his skills—after all, it was precisely for this moment that he had taken the time to upgrade and acquire so many new ones.
Immediately, a new notification appeared before him:
[All of your current skills have been sacrificed to produce $*#%^^ energy that will be used to enhance your natural talents. Please be aware that the time you have to select which talents to upgrade is not unlimited, as your breakthrough cannot be held indefinitely.]
[The longer you delay, the more the bloating sensation will worsen, escalating into intense pain. If you wait too long, the pressure will eventually cause you to explode. Therefore, do not waste time.]
[Note: The explosion will occur only if you can no longer endure the pain and lose consciousness. As long as you remain conscious, you will not die. If you feel your consciousness beginning to waver, it's a clear warning sign that you should speed up your decision-making.]
[Additionally, it is important to understand that once you complete your decision-making and allow the breakthrough to proceed, your newly acquired Cultivation Aptitude, Qi, and talents will fully merge with every aspect of your being—whether it be soul, mind, body, energy, or beyond.]
[At that moment, you will undergo a fundamental transformation. Everything mentioned above will become a core and inseparable part of your existence, making them nearly impossible to extract or separate from you. Furthermore, all the talents you had previously acquired will now be fully activated.]
[Previously, they did not operate at their full potential because they were not yet an intrinsic part of your being. However, once the breakthrough to the Spiritual Foundation Realm is completed, this limitation will be lifted.]
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