Cosmic Ruler

After six months in real-time, Aiden was finally ready to break through to the Saint Realm. Over the past few months, he had ventured from one secret realm to another, tirelessly gathering the necessary resources for his advancement.

Each place he visited had presented its own challenges, but Aiden was relentless. He collected rare and powerful materials, gradually accumulating everything required for his breakthrough. Now, with all the resources in hand, he stood at the precipice of a new stage in his cultivation.

Seated at the heart of a secluded, ancient realm, Aiden was surrounded by the treasures he had painstakingly gathered. The air around him pulsed with dense Immortal Energy, swirling in anticipation of the coming change. He closed his eyes, focusing his mind and body, feeling the immense energy stirring within him, ready to burst through his current limits.

Nexus observed quietly from a distance, her presence a calm reassurance. [You've done well, Aiden. The Saint Realm is within your grasp,] she said, her voice steady and supportive.

Aiden took a deep breath, reflecting on the journey that had brought him to this moment. Every battle, every Rule he had mastered, and every treasure he had collected had led him to this point. His soul and body were now aligned, prepared for the significant leap ahead.

"Let's begin," Aiden murmured, his resolve unwavering.

Sitting at the center of a carefully prepared formation, Aiden activated it. The intricate symbols and runes began to glow as the formation sprang to life. Surrounding him, the vast array of rare resources he had gathered over the months began to react as the Timeless Flame flickered into existence, its ethereal heat slowly consuming the materials and refining them into their purest forms.

To ascend from the Immortal Realm to the Saint Realm, a cultivator must refine not just their body, but also their soul and Immortal Energy to a Saint level or pseudo divine realm.

Saint energy is above Immortal Energy but below Divine level, but it is 10 times potent then the immortal energy, that's why one Saint can defeat over an hundred Immortal Ancestors easily.

This process typically spanned thousands of years, as the transformation demanded complete reconstruction at every level. However, Aiden had discovered a way to significantly shorten this timeframe.

After hundreds of years of research and preparation, he devised a method that, with the aid of powerful magical formations and the Timeless Flame, condensed the time needed for this breakthrough into just a few years. Though effective, this method came with a cost: intense and excruciating pain as his body was rapidly remade. Aiden had accepted that price.

As the Timeless Flame burned, the resources melted away into a glowing essence that swirled around Aiden, seeping into his body. His first formation pulsed with energy, amplifying the effect of the Timeless Flame as it reached out to him, starting the painful process of refining his body.

Aiden gritted his teeth as the fire touched him, the searing pain instantly overwhelming. The flames were more than just heat—they were purifying him, burning away impurities in his flesh and soul, forcing his body to evolve. The agony was unlike anything he had ever experienced. His body trembled as he tried to endure, his resolve faltering as the pain intensified.

"ARGHHHH!" Aiden screamed as the torment pushed him to his limits, his body straining under the relentless assault of the flames. His enhanced physical resilience, honed through countless battles and breakthroughs, was now being tested beyond its breaking point. The flames tore through his defenses, burning deeper and deeper.

Nexus and Myne stood nearby, watching anxiously. Their expressions betrayed concern, but there was no panic. They knew Aiden had prepared for this, running countless simulations and refining his technique. The odds were in his favor: an 80% chance of success, with a 19% chance of failure and only a 1% risk of death.

[You've got this, Aiden,] Nexus spoke, her voice calm yet supportive. She understood the risk he was taking, but also trusted in his preparation. Aiden had chosen a shortcut, but it came with a price—the unbearable pain and strain that would either elevate him to the Saint Realm or break him.

The Timeless Flame burned relentlessly, purifying his body , pushing him beyond his limits. The formation he activated amplified the process, ensuring that every ounce of energy and every part of him was being refined to its highest potential. But the faster process brought greater suffering.

Aiden's entire being was on the edge of collapse as the flames sought to remake him, each moment stretching longer as he fought to hold on.

Through the agony, Aiden clung to the knowledge that he had prepared for this, knowing the pain was necessary. The simulations had shown him success was within reach if he could endure long enough. His mind repeated the odds, reminding him that the 80% chance of success was in his favor.

But even with that knowledge, the sheer intensity of the pain was overwhelming. His body screamed for relief, but he couldn't afford to give in. He had to push through, knowing that if he failed now, all his preparation, effort, and progress would be for nothing. His consciousness flickered as the fire sought to reshape him, but Aiden's will refused to break.

This was the ultimate test. The shortcut he had chosen came with dire risks, but if he could survive a little longer, endure just a little more, the breakthrough to the Saint Realm would be his—a realm of power few ever achieved. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

Aiden fought on, determined to survive and ascend.

For a full month, his body was relentlessly burned by the Timeless Flame, while Nexus and Myne continuously poured resources into the formation at precise intervals. These resources were essential to the process, aiding in refining Aiden's body and fortifying it, while also providing the necessary healing to keep him from collapsing under the strain.

The Timeless Flame did its job with ruthless efficiency, burning Aiden's body again and again, breaking it down and rebuilding it stronger each time. After a grueling year, his body had been refined to 50% of its divine potential.

"Hah!" Aiden gasped, his breath ragged as the formation paused, giving him a few minutes of much-needed rest. His body trembled with exhaustion, but he knew it wasn't over yet.

The second layer of the formation activated, and the resources stored for this stage began to melt under the Timeless Flame. This time, the focus shifted from his body to his soul. Aiden gritted his teeth, knowing that the refinement of his soul would be even more painful than the physical transformation he had endured.

He had designed the formation in four distinct parts. The outermost layer was dedicated to refining his body, with minimal refinement to his soul—an unavoidable side effect of the intense process. The second layer, now activated, was designed to focus on refining his soul and again purifying it to 50%, while the third part purifying his Immortal Energy to 50% Saint purity.

The fourth and final core layer would refine all three aspects—his body, soul, and Immortal Energy—to perfection from 50% purity.

As the Timeless Flame merged with the resources prepared for the refinement of his soul, It seeped in his soul, Aiden felt an unbearable burning sensation deep within him. The flame touched his very essence, and unlike his body, his soul was far more sensitive to the agonizing fire.

"Arghhhhh!" Aiden screamed, the pain ripping through him like nothing he had ever experienced. His soul felt like it was being torn apart, piece by piece, as the Timeless Flame purified it. This time, the moment the fire touched his soul, he couldn't suppress the agony.

It was overwhelming, a pain so intense that it reached the core of his being, and no amount of preparation could have braced him for it.

His lungs burned as he gasped for air, his body trembling violently under the strain. Nexus and Myne watched with concern, knowing that this stage was far more dangerous. The soul was delicate, and even the slightest misstep could lead to irreversible damage.

But Aiden had no choice but to endure. He had come too far to turn back now. His soul was being refined, reshaped into something far stronger, but the cost of this transformation was excruciating.

The Timeless Flame continued to burn, and Aiden continued to fight, determined to push through the torment and reach the next stage of his ascension. He knew that once his soul had been purified to 50%, he would be one step closer to the Saint Realm,

Aiden kept enduring, his body trembling as the pain from the Timeless Flame burned deeper. His muscles strained, and his mind fought to stay focused as his soul underwent purification. Black, tar-like substances began to seep from his body—impurities being expelled. He had seen this before when refining his physical form, but this time, the substance was different.