When Vaelor regained consciousness, a splitting headache immediately assaulted him. His thoughts felt sluggish, fragmented. It took nearly thirty seconds before mental clarity returned.
Using my brain hurts now. The cognitive load from this deduction far exceeded the Body Forging Method creation. But the results...
He examined his creation with awe.
[Chaos Primordial Breathing Method](SSS-Grade)
Uses breath as the foundation, treating the body as primordial fuel—eternally burning, infinitely renewable. Purifies and absorbs all external energy particles. Upgrades inherent potential, shatters biological limitations, and evolves life-level classification.
Effect 1: Every attack carries Primordial Chaos power containing purification and annihilation properties. Attack power increased by 100%. Damage dealt converts 50% into self-healing.
Effect 2: Cultivation speed increased tenfold. Recovery ability increased tenfold. Injuries trigger accelerated regeneration. As long as the inner chaos flame persists, stamina never depletes.
Effect 3: Upon achieving body-spirit harmony, small probability of igniting Primordial Miracle Flame—triggering miraculous transformations during life-level evolution.
"Simple, direct, and devastatingly powerful," Vaelor breathed.
The tenfold cultivation and recovery multipliers alone would eclipse virtually every breathing method on the planet. The attack amplification and self-healing conversion made it even more absurd.
"Even someone with garbage-tier talent using an SSS-Grade technique like this could become a top-tier powerhouse through sheer persistence."
Vaelor immediately sat cross-legged and began practicing.
He adjusted his breathing rhythm, entering the proper state of meditation.
Gradually, he perceived the hidden layer of reality—countless luminous particles filling the void around him. Lightning particles crackling with energy. Fire particles radiating heat. Shadow particles absorbing light. Radiation particles humming with dangerous power. An infinite spectrum of elemental energies permeating every corner of existence.
His body transformed into a chaotic vortex, generating tremendous gravitational pull. The energy particles streamed toward him in visible currents, drawn inexorably inward.
As the flood of external energy entered his system, Vaelor's biomagnetic field expanded at visible speed. His vitality surged like a rising tide. Cells vibrated with excitement. Bone marrow radiated soft light. Body density increased incrementally with each breath cycle.
Ten minutes passed.
In the deepest darkness within Vaelor's core, a tiny flame ignited—warm, pure, brimming with vitality and infinite potential.
"First stage complete. Inner chaos flame established."
The moment the Primordial Chaos flame manifested, transformation cascaded through his entire being. Bones became translucent and crystalline. The spiritual space between his brows emitted pure radiance, showing signs of awakening. His biomagnetic field surged dramatically. An overwhelming breath of life emanated from him—so potent that the withered plants on his balcony spontaneously revived. Yellow leaves turned vibrant green. Stems straightened. Flower buds bloomed in impossible colors.
But as the technique stabilized and Vaelor's consciousness settled, a profound sense of incompleteness nagged at him.
Something's missing. This isn't right.
His enhanced intuition—sharpened by Absolute Insight—recognized a fundamental flaw in his approach.
Body cultivation and vitality cultivation shouldn't exist as separate disciplines. They're interconnected aspects of a unified whole. Treating them as distinct paths creates inefficiency—like trying to fly with one wing.
The realization crystallized with absolute clarity.
"I need to synthesize them. Merge the Immortal Titan Foundation and Chaos Primordial Breathing Method into a single integrated technique."
It was ambitious to the point of madness. Creating one SSS-Grade method had nearly broken his mind. Combining two into something greater?
But Absolute Insight whispered that it was possible. Necessary, even.
Vaelor took a deep breath and activated his divine comprehension once more.
[Ding! Absolute Insight analyzing cultivation integration principles]
[Synthesizing: Immortal Titan Foundation + Chaos Primordial Breathing Method]
[Identifying resonance patterns...]
[Mapping meridian-cellular synchronization pathways...]
[Establishing unified cultivation framework...]
[Progress: 15%... 34%... 58%... 77%... 91%...]
[CRITICAL THRESHOLD REACHED]
[Integration successful!]
[Original creation: Primordial Chaos Body Refinement Scripture (EX-Grade) - Incomplete]
[Body & Vitality Cultivation - Perfect Integration]
[Soul Cultivation - MISSING]
Vaelor's eyes snapped open, rainbow light blazing so intensely it illuminated the entire room.
Then he collapsed backward, consciousness fleeing as his overtaxed mind simply shut down from exhaustion.
When he finally woke three hours later, his entire body ached—but beneath the discomfort, he felt transformed.
He pulled up his status panel.
Status
[Character: Vaelor Draeth]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 17]
[Level: LV0 (Unranked)]
[Profession: Martial Cultivation God (Mythical)]
[Talent: Unlimited Amplification (Primordial Origin), Absolute Insight (Divine-Tier), Emberwood Flame (E-Rank), Acceleration (A-Rank)]
[Physical Strength: 1,200]
[Strength: 1,200]
[Speed: 1,200]
[Spirit: 1,200]
[Luck: 5]
[Intents: None]
[Laws: None]
[Passive Special Essence: Limit Break (10x amplification in normal state, 30x when near death)]
[Active Skills: Phantom Step, Celestial Annihilation, Infinite Velocity]
[Practice Method: Vibrational Force Technique, Primordial Chaos Body Refinement Scripture (EX-Grade) - INCOMPLETE]
[Equipment: Crimson Vambraces (Rare)]
[Free Attribute Points: 0]
[Evaluation: A monster that defies classification]
"Twelve hundred base attributes..." Vaelor whispered in awe. "Which means with Limit Break active, I'm effectively at 12,000 in every stat except Luck."
He was still LV0. Not even Tier 1 yet.
And he already possessed attributes approaching Tier 4 Warriors.
The passive amplification is absolutely broken.
But even as satisfaction filled him, that sense of incompleteness remained.
"The trinity of cultivation: Body, Vitality, and Soul. I've perfected the first two and synthesized them. But soul cultivation remains absent."
Soul refinement required Visualization Methods—mental techniques that strengthened spiritual consciousness through focused meditation on specific imagery or concepts.
Unlike Body Forging and Breathing Methods, Visualization Methods couldn't be created from basic principles alone. They required either:
Inheriting an existing technique from a master Experiencing profound spiritual awakening Purchasing an established method
The problem? Even the most basic Visualization Methods cost millions of points on the market. Advanced techniques were priceless—literally not for sale at any price, guarded as family or organizational secrets.
"I can't comprehend something from nothing. Without at least a foundation to analyze, Absolute Insight has nothing to work with." Frustration edged his voice.
"I'll have to wait. Once I'm earning points from Abyssal Rifts, I can purchase even a cheap Visualization Method and use it as the basis for creating something better."
The Primordial Chaos Body Refinement Scripture would remain incomplete until then—powerful beyond measure, but not yet perfect.
Still... twelve hundred base attributes. That's nothing to complain about.
Outside his room, he heard the apartment door open.
"I'm home!" Lyanna's cheerful voice rang out.
Vaelor smiled slightly. Time to return to normal life—at least on the surface.
Though "normal" was becoming an increasingly strange concept for someone who'd just created cultivation techniques that would revolutionize humanity's power ceiling.
If anyone ever learned they existed.
Meanwhile, across the city...
In a hundred-meter-high building adjacent to Dragonspire Tower, a young man dressed in tactical black uniform lowered his sniper rifle with visible frustration. He pressed his watch interface, activating secure communications.
"Captain, mission failed," he reported, voice tight with suppressed anger.
"Target was wounded but escaped. Lost visual contact."
After a brief pause, a steady male voice responded through the device.
"Acknowledged. Understood."
The captain's tone remained professionally calm despite the setback. "All units, be advised: target has gone dark. Repeat, target is no longer visible."
"All team members, initiate search pattern in the Dragonspire sector. Wide dispersal."
A new tactical assessment followed: "Target is a registered Tier 1 Warrior with the Warrior Association. C-Rank nature-affinity talent. Profession: Assassin. Subject has demonstrated anomalous ability manifestations inconsistent with profile."
"Threat assessment elevated to Level 2. Exercise appropriate caution."
Responses came in rapid succession from multiple agents positioned throughout the district.
"Received."
"Received."
"Received."
Central Clock Tower - Inspection Bureau Headquarters
Several hundred meters above street level, in the heart of Thornhaven City's administrative district, the towering clock spire housed the Inspection Bureau's command center.
Inside a well-appointed office, Captain Marcus Veil—leader of the First Investigation Division—sat at his desk with fresh bandages visible beneath his uniform. He released a heavy sigh, exhaustion evident in every line of his posture.
Across from him, a young woman devoured a bowl of spicy casserole with enthusiastic abandon, occasionally gasping at the heat.
"So spicy! So spicy!" she complained between bites, yet continued eating with obvious enjoyment.
The girl possessed an ethereal beauty highlighted by her most striking feature: long blue hair that cascaded down to her waist in a gradient fade, bound at the ends with an elegant silver clasp. More unusually, a black silk blindfold covered her eyes completely. Even with her full features obscured, the visible portions of her face—delicate bone structure, smooth pale skin, expressive lips—suggested remarkable beauty.
Hearing Marcus's weary sigh, she paused mid-bite and tilted her head curiously.
"Brother Marcus, what's wrong?"
"Nothing critical," Marcus replied, though his tone suggested otherwise. "Just... over a dozen incidents erupted across the city tonight. Simultaneous outbreaks."
He rubbed his temples, feeling a stress headache building. "One case involved an ordinary civilian man who suddenly went berserk and stabbed his entire family. Another had a woman who set her own children on fire in broad daylight. The rest were riots triggered by warriors experiencing sudden violent psychosis."
"The warriors themselves were only Tier 1 and Tier 2—not particularly dangerous individually. But the random, causeless nature of these episodes..." He shook his head grimly. "Civilians are getting caught in the crossfire. The casualty count is climbing."
The blue-haired girl set down her casserole bowl, her expression turning serious despite the blindfold hiding her eyes.
"I've only been away for a year, and Thornhaven has deteriorated this badly? Random violence, criminal outbreaks, King-Tier incursions..." She shuddered theatrically. "Terrifying."
"You have no idea—when I took the Skyrail back this afternoon, I witnessed that Void Cavity manifestation in the sky. Genuinely thought I was going to die!" Her voice rose with remembered panic. "I never saw anything like that even in the Imperial Capital!"
The girl continued chattering, her usual cheerful demeanor reasserting itself.
Marcus felt his headache intensifying. "You were attending classes perfectly fine at the academy. Why come back now, of all times?"
"What, people aren't allowed to visit family during break periods?" The girl's tone turned defensive, though playfulness lurked beneath it. "Besides, it's so spicy and delicious here—"
"The truth. Now."
"...Fine." She deflated slightly. "I'm here on a recruitment assignment. Need to earn credit hours for graduation requirements."
"..." Marcus stared at her in silent exasperation.
"If you were coming back anyway, couldn't you have arrived earlier? Before everything went to hell?" He sighed again, though this time with a note of resigned affection. "Would have saved us all considerable trouble."
"How was I supposed to predict a King-Tier incursion?!" she protested.
The blue-haired girl finished her meal with evident satisfaction, setting the empty bowl aside. "All done! That really hit the spot."
Marcus studied her with an expression mixing complexity, nostalgia, and genuine concern.
Seris Valthorn. Nineteen years old. Second-year student at Divine Martial University—one of the Four Supreme Combat Academies. Currently ranked LV39, placing her firmly in Tier 4 Warrior classification.
She possessed an S-Rank origin talent and had awakened to the Legendary-tier profession: Mystic Eye Sovereign.
Any single one of those achievements would shock ordinary warriors. Combined, they marked her as an absolute prodigy—a chosen of heaven destined for greatness.
"Now that I've eaten and rested, I should move around a bit. Help you out while I'm here." Seris stretched languidly, joints popping softly. "Can't let my favorite mentor handle everything alone."
Marcus had been worrying about insufficient manpower for the evening's investigations. Her offer, while unexpected, was genuinely welcome.
"In that case... head to the Dragonspire district. Investigate the root cause of these warrior psychosis outbreaks. Determine if there's an external manipulator orchestrating events, or if this is some kind of contagious effect."
"No problem!" Seris bounded to her feet, energy restored and battle-ready despite the blindfold. "Leave it to me, Brother Marcus!"
She headed toward the door with confident strides that suggested her covered eyes hindered her not at all.
"And Seris?" Marcus called after her.
She paused, turning back slightly.
"Be careful out there. Whatever's causing this... it's nothing we've encountered before."
Beneath the black silk blindfold, Seris smiled—though whether with confidence or anticipation, Marcus couldn't quite tell.
"When am I ever anything but careful?"
Then she was gone, leaving Marcus alone in his office, staring at incident reports that made less sense the longer he studied them.
Outside, Thornhaven City's night continued its descent into controlled chaos.
And in the shadows between streetlights, something ancient and hungry stirred with patient malice, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.