Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 255

Chapter 255: Saint III

After a brief moment, the final formation—the core—activated, and the last batch of resources ignited in the Timeless Flame. This time, the flames burned with far greater intensity, as Aiden hadn’t kept the flame’s strength at 50%. The resources began to melt quickly, reducing down into their purest, most concentrated form. The once-solid materials were now condensed into a crystallized, solidified essence of raw power.

Aiden took a deep breath, his eyes widening as he realized the gravity of what was about to happen. “This is going to hurt like never before,” he gulped, watching the glowing essence swirl in the air. He could feel the overwhelming energy building up around him, knowing that the purification of his body, soul, and Immortal Energy was about to reach its peak.

Suddenly, the Timeless Flame surged forward, seeping into Aiden’s body. The moment it entered, his entire being was engulfed in an unimaginable wave of pain. His nerves felt like they were being set on fire, his muscles locked in place, and his mind screamed as the flames worked their way deeper inside him.

“ARGHHHH!” Aiden let out a piercing scream as the flames began to burn him from the inside out. His body felt paralyzed under the sheer intensity of the pain, each second stretching out into an eternity. The flames were purifying him at a level he had never experienced before, breaking down every remaining impurity in his body, soul, and energy.

The agony was unbearable, and Aiden could feel his consciousness slipping as the overwhelming torture threatened to shut his body down completely. His vision blurred, his senses dulled, and his body teetered on the edge of collapse.

But deep down, Aiden knew that if he lost consciousness now, it would mean death. The flames would consume him entirely, and there would be no breakthrough—only an agonizing end. Clenching his teeth, he fought with every ounce of his willpower to remain awake, pushing through the unbearable pain.

Aiden’s mind screamed at him to give in, but he refused. The path to the Saint Realm was right before him, and he couldn’t falter now. He had prepared for this moment for so long, and despite the unbearable torment tearing through his body and soul, he knew he had to hold on.

As the Timeless Flame continued its relentless purification, not just his body and soul, but the very last traces of impurities in his Immortal Energy were being burned away. The purification process, though agonizing, was progressing steadily. The rate of purification continued to increase.

From 50% to 51%, and then further. Slowly but surely, the impurities were disappearing, and Aiden’s body, soul, and energy were being refined to near perfection. Days turned into weeks, and after a grueling month, the purification had reached 99%.

It should have been a moment of triumph—only 1% remained before Aiden would finally ascend to the Saint Realm. But just as he approached the final stage, another problem arose.

As soon as his purification passed the 90% mark, Aiden began to release a pressure—a faint, almost unnoticeable force at first, but it quickly grew stronger. What started as a mild pressure soon escalated into something far more intense, expanding and becoming heavier with every passing moment.

At first, both Nexus and Myne thought this was just the natural pressure of Aiden’s Saint aura manifesting as he neared the breakthrough. But they were wrong.

The pressure kept intensifying, far beyond what a mere breakthrough would cause. It was suffocating. Aiden, now unconscious, was no longer controlling this force. The pressure wasn’t just a manifestation of his breakthrough—it was something else entirely, something primal.

Nexus, her expression growing more concerned by the second, exchanged a look with Myne. [This isn’t just the Saint Realm pressure,] Nexus thought to herself. She could feel it—a presence behind the pressure, something ancient and primal.

And Aiden is himself now unconscious, as he don’t know about what he is doing.

While Nexus and Myne stood nearby, both were paralyzed by the overwhelming pressure Aiden was releasing. Unbeknownst to Aiden, something deep within him was stirring—something that had been caged inside him for so long was now coming out, and its release was causing a disturbance far greater than anyone had anticipated.

The sheer force of this pressure was immense, so much so that even Nexus and Myne, powerful as they were, could barely withstand it. The secret realm itself seemed to tremble under the intensity of what was happening.

“Nexus, please tell me you know what that is?” Myne asked, her voice strained as even her breathing became labored, as if the very air around her had thickened into a swamp-like atmosphere.

[Yes… it’s the same thing that killed the original owner of Aiden’s body, or rather Jake’s body, before his reincarnation with the help of the Cube,] Nexus replied, her voice filled with both confusion and concern.

“What is it?” Myne asked, her anxiety growing as the oppressive force grew stronger.

[It’s a Martial Soul so powerful that even the original host couldn’t bear its awakening. It was this force that tore apart the space and time around him, causing his death and leaving the body vacant for Jake to enter and be reborn as Aiden,] Nexus explained, her voice heavy with the weight of this revelation.

Dormant for so long, the Martial Soul buried deep inside Aiden had been believed to be dead, a relic of the past that posed no further threat. But now, it was awakening.

“What’s going to happen to Aiden?” Myne asked, her worry evident as the pressure continued to grow, making it harder for her to even stand.

[I don’t know,] Nexus replied, her tone laced with uncertainty. [The Cube never mentioned anything about this…]

Neither of them could predict what was coming next. The energy Aiden was releasing wasn’t just raw power—it was something ancient and destructive, something capable of reshaping or even shattering everything around it.

“Is this normal?” Myne asked, her voice laced with concern as the pressure around them continued to intensify. “I mean, even Martial Spirits shouldn’t be able to do this!”

[It can, if its level is at the very top,] Nexus replied, her tone serious. [Martial Spirits are blessings of the galaxy, gifted to its inhabitants. And each galaxy has its own Champion—a being whose Martial Spirit is destined to defend the galaxy from the invaders of others.]

“You mean the spirit inside Aiden… it was a Champion all along? A Primordial-Class spirit?” Myne asked, astonished by the revelation, understanding the gravity of what that implied.

[I’m afraid so,] Nexus confirmed, her voice heavy with the weight of the situation.

“I should be happy,” Myne said, her expression torn between amazement and fear. “But knowing that only 1 in a trillion Champions survive long enough to accept their power makes me worry even more.”

Both Nexus and Myne were fully aware of things Aiden himself had no clue about. They had learned much from the Cube—secrets it had restricted them from revealing to Aiden until he was truly ready. And now, with this awakening happening, they couldn’t help but feel the weight of the danger Aiden was facing.

[The Cube forbids us from telling him until he’s ready,] Nexus thought to herself, [but this… this might be more than he can handle right now.]

They had always known Aiden was destined for greatness, but with this unforeseen awakening of a Primordial-Class Champion Martial Spirit, the risks were far greater than they had ever imagined. This was a force that could either catapult Aiden into unimaginable power—or destroy him in the process.

In the middle of a vast, pure white expanse, the sky stretched endlessly, a serene canvas of untouched whiteness. The ground beneath mirrored the sky, smooth and flawless, as if the entire world were suspended in a timeless void. And there, in the heart of this tranquil emptiness, lay a young man—Aiden—sprawled on the ground. His body rested on the satin-like surface, which rippled gently as though it were made of water, but there was no wetness, only a strange, surreal calm.

His chest rose and fell slowly, as if he were caught between consciousness and the unknown. Though the scene was peaceful, there was an undeniable tension in the air, a feeling that something powerful was stirring just beneath the surface. Aiden remained motionless, suspended in this liminal space, unaware of the invisible forces shifting around him.

Ripple…

Ripple…

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the endless white expanse. Each step was rhythmic and melodious, as if the person walking was deliberately creating a symphony with their movements. The ripples beneath them gently spread outward with every step, distorting the calm surface in graceful waves.

Ripple… Ripple…

The sound grew clearer, louder, as the unseen presence drew closer to Aiden, who remained sprawled on the ground. Despite the growing disturbance, Aiden lay motionless, still unconscious, oblivious to the figure approaching him. The serenity of the space contrasted sharply with the tension building around him, as though something monumental was about to unfold.

And yet, Aiden continued to sleep, unaware of the approaching figure, who had now reached his side.