Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 174

Chapter 174: Test Ends

“Hmm, but first I need some test subjects,” Aiden mumbled to himself as he stroked his chin.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought of the various methods. He had already used the least dangerous one.

Myne, who was listening to him, asked, astonished, “That was the least dangerous one?”

Aiden nodded and said, “Yes, for this world, it was the least dangerous one.”

“What do you mean by this world specifically?” Myne asked, confused by Aiden’s response.

“Hm,” Aiden thought for a moment and then said, “You know all worlds have different rules, right?”

Myne nodded, and Aiden continued, “Each body or any other refinement technique has some rules involved that may go against the rules of the world if utilized in a world other than the one that technique is from.”

“So, you’re saying that techniques from one world might not be safe or effective in another?” Myne asked, trying to understand.

“Exactly,” Aiden replied. “The techniques might react differently because the fundamental energies and laws governing each world can vary. What might be a harmless body refinement in one world could be fatal in another. That’s why I said what I did was the least dangerous for this world.”

Myne seemed to ponder this, understanding the complexity of Aiden’s situation. “So, you need to experiment carefully to ensure your methods align with this world’s rules.”

“Precisely,” Aiden said. “I need to find ways to adapt my techniques or discover new ones that fit within the framework of this world’s laws. Hence, the need for test subjects to gauge the reactions and effects properly.”

“If what you say is right, then the need for you to test them before using them on yourself is really necessary,” Myne nodded and said.

“I know. That’s why, first, let’s just enter the Academy, complete the course there, and then embark on the journey ahead,” Aiden said as he began to put on his clothes.

Once dressed, Aiden left his room and headed to the spectators’ area. He saw the old man along with other elders, watching the fight in the arena. Aiden didn’t approach them and instead took a seat in a corner, observing the matches below.

Others glanced at him briefly before turning their attention back to the arena, except for two people. One was the old man. ‘His aura is slightly different, plus what’s with the atmosphere around him? How can he change so much in just two days?’ the old man pondered as he observed Aiden.

The other person was Ramona. ‘Ahh~~, I am breathing the same air as Aiden,’ she thought, her heart racing. ‘Doesn’t this mean an indirect ki-kiss?’ Though her outward expression remained unchanged, inwardly, she felt as if she might faint, with metaphorical steam rising from her head.

Aiden, unaware of Ramona’s fixation, suddenly shivered, feeling as if something or someone was targeting him. He looked around, puzzled. ‘Strange, what’s this feeling?’ he thought, but he quickly put it out of his mind and focused back on the arena.

Among the contestants, one stood out to Aiden. Confidence oozed from him like a dirty stench, his disdainful gaze directed at others. With blue hair and amber eyes, a muscular yet handsome build, and an aura reminiscent of royalty, he seemed different from the rest.

“He is a commoner,” the old man suddenly appeared beside Aiden and said.

“Doesn’t look like one to me,” Aiden replied without turning his head.

The old man nodded. “At first, I thought so too. My best guess was he was some illegitimate child of a kingdom, but he is really a commoner,” the old man shook his head.

Aiden nodded and then used Akashic Insight on the said guy. Information flowed into his mind, revealing details about the contestant:

******

Name : Ivan

Race : Human

Age : 6/????

Spirit : Throne @# #₹@ £€$¢®℅

Sword of Devastation

Realm : Spirit Grandmaster (Lower)

*******

‘Hmm, a spirit of a greater rank than mine plus his age,’ Aiden thought as he pondered over the information about Leo Ardent. ‘Best possibility is, he is some kind of guy reincarnated or rather reborn once again. He was probably a king or emperor in his previous life, causing him to have this natural king aura,’ Aiden speculated as he gazed at Leo.

He then sighed, realizing he had already encountered two potential protagonists. ‘Just what kind of messed-up world is this?’ he thought. ‘Having two protagonists at the beginner village already speaks volumes of how dangerous this world is going to be.’

A smile then appeared on Aiden’s face as he thought of something. ‘Though, this isn’t a bad thing or rather this is a God-sent opportunity.’

‘I was wondering where I could get resources from, and voila, I got this leak,’ Aiden chuckled to himself. ‘Well, the only downside is now I have to change the order of Authorities I was going to activate after reaching the required realms.’

Aiden thought of the Authority he acquired but never got the chance to use. The very next day, he was flung out into the void by that detestable void beast. Remembering the void beast, Aiden clenched his hand. ‘If I ever get the chance to travel to the void, the first thing I’ll do is kill that bastard.’

‘Leaving aside that beast, I better reach Spirit Lord first, so that I can activate that authority,’ Aiden mumbled to himself. He then stood up and went back to his room.

The old man didn’t say anything to Aiden and just remained there to watch the arena. ‘I have to take note of all the geniuses and collect their data for Aiden and Chloe,’ the old man thought as he looked at the arena.

As Aiden returned to his room, he started strategizing. ‘Reaching Spirit Lord will be easy, but with the right approach and resources, I should build a solid foundation. And I have to do it before reaching the Academy, or how else am I going to harvest the leak.’

Aiden then sat on the bed and closed his eyes, not before waving his hand and bringing out a bunch of perfect-level spirit stones.

He began to operate his technique, and as he started, his four spirits emerged and hovered at his four corners. Each began to absorb and refine the spirit energy from the environment as well as from the spirit crystals.

Aiden began to receive highly purified spirit energy. His dantian started to fill up, and soon it was filled to the brim.

Aiden suddenly sensed the wall hindering him, the barrier preventing him from reaching the next realm.

He began to operate his technique faster, and soon a crack appeared in the wall barring the next realm. Aiden then gave it a last push with the accumulated energies and then, with a bang, he entered the next realm of Spirit Lord.

A rush of power surged through him as his dantian expanded, accommodating the new influx of energy. The feeling was exhilarating, the energies within him harmonizing and amplifying his strength.

His spirits, sensing the breakthrough, let out triumphant cries, their forms becoming more defined and radiant. The room was filled with a vibrant glow as the energies reached their peak.

Aiden opened his eyes, feeling the newfound strength coursing through his veins. He clenched his fists, sensing the immense power and control he now had. ‘This is just the beginning,’ he thought, a smile forming on his lips.

Aiden once again closed his eyes and began to meditate, stabilizing his breakthrough. Hours passed, and when night fell, he opened his eyes.

He glanced around the room, then closed his eyes again to focus. Soon, a small, blurry picture formed in his mind. “A 100 meters of blurry picture is my initial spirit sense range, huh?”

Spirit sense was a sign of entering the Spirit Lord realm, a sense different from the usual ones. It allowed one to see anything 360 degrees around the awakened, and its range also determined one’s talent.

Generally, it ranged from 1 to 10 meters, with a higher range indicating greater talent.

“Mine being 100-plus meters is probably related to my soul strength,” Aiden mumbled. Extending his hand, he examined the other ability he received after the breakthrough.

Spirit energy escaped from his palm, and Aiden began to shape it into various forms, from flowers to animals.

“Hmm, I should try to add color to it,” Aiden mumbled. He then began to add color. At first, the colors were distorted, but within an hour, he mastered it, forming a beautiful pinkish-white flower with a green stalk and red stamens.

Fortunately, no one was there to witness Aiden’s breakthrough, or they would have doubted themselves. For any genius, even mastering basic spirit sense took a week, and manipulating spirit energy outside the body—much less giving it shape and color—could take years.

Aiden smiled, admiring his creation. “I have to keep pushing my limits,” he thought, feeling a surge of curiosity rather than a greed for more power.

His curiosity, awakened by his newfound abilities, now drove him forward. It was a burning desire to explore, to learn, and to uncover what else this world could offer. The intricacies of spirit energy, the mysteries of cultivation and spirits, all of them moved the goal of his revenge on Ramona to back of his head, and pushed him towards the goal of Exploration.