Adrian stood in the center of his private chamber within the Crimson Spire, the familiar runic formations glowing softly along the walls. The ambient mana here, though far less dense than the opulent atmosphere of the Providence Hub, felt uniquely grounding.
Adrian exhaled a long, slow breath. The excruciating pain of his bone structure and flesh snapping back into their original form had already subsided, leaving him standing in his true identity once more. The staggering drain of fifty million mana units from his reserves served as a stark reminder of the cost of moving undetected beneath the gaze of the universe's apex predators.
But he had made it back safely.
Moving toward the center of the room, Adrian did not immediately sit to cultivate or replenish his depleted reserves. Instead, he reached into his spatial ring and withdrew his UNI-OS token.
Because he had reverted to his original mana signature, the moment he infused a thread of his energy into the violet token, his primary account opened. The interface materialized in the air before him, greeting him with a sudden, rapid cascade of chimes.
Notifications flooded the holographic display, stacking one over another in quick succession. Adrian's eyes scanned past the routine administrative updates regarding sect logistics and minor territorial reports, his gaze instantly locking onto the primary alert highlighted in glowing, imperious gold.
› System Update: Your Account is upgraded to Privileged UNI-Authority.
A satisfied gleam appeared in Adrian's eyes. "I can see many hidden records now," he thought.
Without wasting a single second, Adrian manipulated the interface and immediately switched his network access.
› Connecting to Astral Archive Pavilion Network...
› Connection Success
The standard blue hue of the UNI-OS interface shifted seamlessly into gold that characterized the premium information network of the Astral Archive Pavilion.
Adrian tapped the forums section, and the display expanded outward, filling the air with floating panels of text and data. As expected, the threads appeared in neatly organized categories: Sect conflicts, resource discoveries, market trends, and authority technique discussions.
But as he scrolled further down, his newly upgraded Privileged UNI-Authority revealed an entirely new layer of the network. Dozens of highly restricted categories that had been completely invisible to him before now populated the screen.
Adrian read the newly unlocked headers: Consciousness Mastery Discussions, Willforce Technique Theories, Physical Body Refinement Paths, Mana Body Art Mechanics.
It was a treasure trove of knowledge, the very foundational secrets that separated the cosmic titans from the ignorant masses of the lower galaxies.
Before diving into the broader categories, Adrian navigated to the search function. There was one specific post he had wanted to read fully for a very long time now, a thread that had previously been barred from him.
He typed the query, and the result instantly appeared.
› Historical Record: Thorn Twins of the Celestial Thorn Sect Slaughter an Entire Upper Minor Sect
Adrian opened the thread. Previously, he could only read the vague summary of the event, the terrifying reality that two Astral Stage cultivators had annihilated an entire Upper Minor Sect, complete with millions of disciples and multiple Peak Rule Stage elders, in under ten minutes. But he had been locked out of the tactical explanation of how they had accomplished it.
Now, the detailed analysis was fully visible. Adrian's eyes darted across the glowing text, absorbing every word.
According to the Astral Archive Pavilion's verified analysts, the speed of the slaughter was not due to overwhelmingly powerful divine spells or multi-layered authority techniques. Instead, it came down to a fundamental disparity in the mastery of consciousness.
Both of the Thorn Twins had successfully reached the first stage of consciousness mastery, the Chime of Consciousness. Utilizing that mental state, they had unleashed a highly classified willforce technique unique to the Celestial Thorn Sect. The technique functioned as an invisible, omnidirectional wave of pure intent that crashed directly into the minds of the defending army.
The result was paralysis.
The willforce attack crushed the consciousness of the entire army simultaneously. Shattering one's consciousness meant the victims could not even form the basic cognitive thoughts required to summon their domains, channel their mana, or exert their authority. Millions of cultivators had been rendered as helpless as ordinary mortals, completely incapable of defending themselves as the twins executed them.
Adrian leaned back, processing the mechanics. It mirrored exactly what he had instinctively done back in the warfield. He had crushed millions of disciples' minds with a single 'Stop' command. To see the mechanics formally documented and weaponized by a Major Sect gave a chilling structure to his own raw power.
As Adrian continued to read, a sudden, soft chime emanated from his UNI-OS token. A private communication prompt hovered at the edge of the interface.
It was a message from Hestia.
Hestia: I expected you to return much sooner to check on your upgraded authority, yet you arrive late. Did you encounter complications during your journey, Adrian?
Adrian paused, his fingers hovering over the interface. His mind briefly flashed to the sprawling slave markets of the Providence Hub, the Life-Blood pills, the scrying attempt by the unknown Astral Stage diviner, and the chilling realization that he was being hunted by unseen predators.
But Hestia already bore the immense burden of managing the newly conquered Andromeda Galaxy and managing all the work he had given them. He did not want to burden her with his dangerous encounters or the complexities of the Ethereal Providence Sect just yet.
Adrian composed a calm response and sent it.
Adrian: No, no complications. I was simply traveling through the universe, surveying a few regions before settling on an intergalactic hub for a brief stop. I have just returned.
He waited for a moment. The reply came very soon, the text manifesting with an almost audible tone of wry exasperation.
Hestia: Is that so? It truly sounds as if you were leisurely sightseeing across the universe while leaving us to manage the grueling work you dumped on our shoulders.
Adrian chuckled softly, the tension in his chest easing at her familiar banter. He quickly typed back.
Adrian: Hey, let's not start that again.
A few seconds passed before her next message arrived.
Hestia: Fine, fine. I know exactly what you are checking the networks right now. Do not waste your time sifting through endless forum debates; it will take you days to filter the truth from the speculation. I have already compiled all the verified information available on the subject. I am sending the file to you now.
Adrian smiled, a genuine warmth reaching his eyes. She was always one step ahead, perfectly anticipating his needs even while managing the affairs of an entire galaxy.
Adrian: You truly are the best, Hestia.
Almost immediately, a heavy data packet pinged on his interface. Adrian accepted the transfer, quickly opening the encrypted information file Hestia had prepared.
He settled deeper into his chair and started to read the compiled texts regarding the mysteries of consciousness.
According to the information, a being's consciousness fully awakens when one successfully fuses their Rule Cores and reaches the Astral Stage. From that exact moment, their willforce ceases to be merely a passive reservoir of mental endurance. It transforms into an active, malleable force, the literal energy of mind, intent, resolve, and consciousness. Willforce techniques were the structured methods created to teach a cultivator how to weaponize and manipulate this newly awakened energy.
But awakening one's consciousness was merely stepping through the front door. The true, agonizing journey was mastering it.
The texts revealed that Consciousness Mastery was formally divided into five distinct stages. At the very least, this fifth stage was where the current apex beings in the universe, the Divine Stage sovereigns like the Void Emperor, currently stood. The documents theorized that there could be stages above the fifth, but they remained the subject of endless, unverified research among the Great Sects.
"Even the Void Emperor admitted that they have not mastered everything," Adrian thought, recalling his conversation, "The universe is still searching for what lies beyond."
He refocused his attention on the text. The five stages of consciousness mastery were universally recognized as: Chime of Consciousness, Anchor, Weave, Illusory, and Cosmic Horizon.
Each stage provided its own distinct benefits, defensive capabilities, and offensive usages. A cultivator could easily identify when they had successfully crossed the threshold into a new stage.
Adrian read the detailed breakdown of the first stage.
When someone reached the first stage, the Chime of Consciousness, an ethereal chime would resonate both around them and within the minds of those nearby. From that moment onward, the cultivator gained the ability to "see" the intangible energy of willforce. They could perceive the weight of intent and control their own mental energy with a precision infinitely greater than someone who had merely awakened their consciousness.
"I hit that stage the moment I fused Crimson Vital Dominion and Verdant Genesis," Adrian noted to himself.
He scrolled down to the next section, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the description of the second stage.
The second stage, known as the Anchor, is reached when a cultivator's overall consciousness grows exponentially denser. At this stage, the mind undergoes a fundamental qualitative shift. It becomes incredibly "heavy" and perfectly stabilized, rendering the cultivator entirely immune to being shaken or damaged by Stage One or lesser willforce attacks.
Furthermore, this highly dense willforce could be projected outward to exert a suffocating physical and conceptual pressure on the immediate environment. If an opponent attempted to fold space, manipulate gravity, or alter reality near an Anchor-stage cultivator, the cultivator could passively disrupt the technique with this mental pressure. The sheer weight of their consciousness would force the enemy to burn vastly more mana and willforce just to execute a basic command.
The texts described the Anchor stage as the ultimate mental defense and a terrifying form of environmental suppression.
But it was the final sentence of the section that made Adrian pause.
The easiest and most definitive way for a cultivator to determine if they have reached the Anchor stage is to test whether they can move or control a physical object in their environment using pure intent... essentially, controlling the tangible world with intangible willforce alone.
Adrian stared at the glowing text, his brow furrowing in deep contemplation.
"What? Isn't this telekinesis?" Adrian thought, slightly bewildered by the simplistic sounding manifestation of such an exalted stage.
But as he pondered it further, the nature of the ability became clear. Cultivators manipulated the physical world all the time, but they always used mana to do it. They used the arcane concept of Gravity to lift boulders, or the concept of Wind to push objects, or the concept of Space to move things around. Mana always acted as the necessary intermediary, the fuel required to translate thought into physical action.
To move matter without a single drop of mana, without invoking a single rule of reality, but merely through the raw intent of one's mind? That broke the fundamental laws of physics and arcane interaction.
"What stage am I in now, then?" Adrian wondered, a surge of anticipation rising in his chest.
Back during the war, the chime had resonated around him, making it undeniable that he had reached the first stage of mastery upon his ascension. But immediately after that, he had returned to the Milky Way Galaxy and used the [Crown of the Source] to connect with everyone there. An unfathomable ocean of trillions of human and alien citizens. He had absorbed a minuscule fraction of willforce from every single one of those loyal souls, compounding it within his own mind.
His willforce was astronomically denser now than it had been during the supremacy war.
If this document was accurate, if he could move an object with his mere intent without triggering his mana reserves or his Source, then it meant he had already crossed the threshold into the second stage.
Adrian's curiosity peaked. He stood up from his chair and turned his gaze toward a solid table resting near the far wall of his private chamber.
He closed his eyes for a brief second, deliberately locking away his Mana Sea. He ensured that the vast, swirling ocean of hundred million mana units remained entirely still. He sealed off the arcane concepts of Space, Gravity, and Force, suppressing his divine domains so that nothing of his conventional cultivation could interfere.
Opening his eyes, he focused purely on the table. He simply intended for the table to lift.
Instantly, Adrian felt the intangible energy of his willforce ripple outward from his mind. It did not behave like mana, which flowed through channels. The willforce simply existed where he wanted it to exist. He felt it surround the table, wrapping around the legs and the surface.
The table groaned slightly, and then, smoothly and silently, it lifted into the air.
It hovered three feet off the floor, suspended perfectly in the ambient lighting of the chamber.
Adrian's breath caught slightly in his throat. The sensation was entirely foreign, yet incredibly intimate. This felt completely different from using mana. Whenever he used mana to levitate an object, it felt as though he were operating a tool or pulling a string attached to the object; the mana was the intermediate force doing the actual lifting.
But right now? Adrian felt as though his own invisible, physical hands were wrapped firmly around the table. He could feel the weight of the table, the texture of its surface, the precise balance of its mass, all transmitted directly back into his consciousness without a single drop of mana acting as a bridge.
With a mere thought, Adrian willed the table to drift to the left. It moved instantly. He willed it to spin, and it rotated in the air with flawless grace.
"So I'm already in the second stage." Adrian thought, a triumphant smile breaking across his face as he moved the table around the room with just his intent.
The realization solidified within him. He had not just accumulated an arbitrary amount of willforce; he had fundamentally evolved his consciousness. He was now in the Anchor stage.
Adrian gently lowered the table back to the floor, releasing his intent. The table legs settled without a sound.
The universe was vast, and its ancient monsters were terrifying, but as Adrian looked at his own hands, he knew one undeniable truth.
He was catching up to them faster than they could ever comprehend.