Without wasting another second, the group of four strode forward and entered the massive building. Once inside, they didn't hesitate—they immediately joined one of the queues leading toward a registration counter marked with a glowing title:
Breaking Through the Spiritual Foundation Realm ↓
The line moved at a steady pace, and it didn't take long before it was their turn.
The employee behind the counter—a middle-aged man with a tired demeanor—spoke in a flat, mechanical tone, as though he had repeated these exact words thousands of times before:
"You want to break through to the Spiritual Foundation Realm in which way? The passive or the active way?"
"The active way," answered the disguised Mikael.
The man gave a faint hum in response before Mikael felt a subtle wave of energy—what he supposed was Qi—flowing into a small array etched into the surface of the counter.
"It will be 500 low-grade spirit stones or the equivalent. You may place your hand on the array."
Mikael complied, placing his palm on the glowing surface. Almost immediately, he sensed something reaching into his storage ring, a presence that seemed to connect it to some kind of 'box'. With a thought, Mikael transferred 500 low-grade spirit stones into this mysterious container, causing the array to flare to life with a soft glow.
The man nodded. "Your name?"
"Mikael Angelini."
Another nod, followed by the employee retrieving a small jade slip from beneath the counter and handing it to him.
"Keep this on you. It will serve as your identification, allowing you access to the chamber required for your breakthrough. The chambers designated for the active method are to your right—you can't miss them. Just follow the instructions written on the wall and your breakthrough should proceed without issue."
Mikael gave a brief nod in return and moved a few meters away, choosing to wait for the girls to complete their own payments. Once they had all paid the required fees, the group made their way toward the chambers located to the right.
Upon arrival, they split apart, each heading toward their designated rooms, guided by the jade slips in their hands, each one etched with their names.
"Thud."
The heavy stone door shut behind Mikael with a resounding thump, but he didn't flinch. His eyes were fixed on the intricate array inscribed on the chamber floor.
He crouched beside it, examining the array with fascination gleaming in his gaze. After all, even though this array shared the same name as the ones he had crafted himself, they were fundamentally different. The arrays he created were based on the Dirarnia world system.
Over the past three years, he had studied arrays from a variety of different worlds and incorporated parts of those systems into his own framework. However, the foundation of his understanding still stemmed from Dirarnia's structure. So it was inevitable that, when compared to those of the Akashic Records Universe, a significant difference remained.
"Really impressive," he murmured under his breath, marveling at the array's complexity. It was unlike anything he was accustomed to.
After a few seconds spent admiring the array , he pulled his gaze away and followed the instructions etched into the stone wall, which had been conveniently translated by an automatic translator embedded in the chamber. Without hesitation, he sat down in the center of the array's circular design.
He took a deep breath, focusing on steadying himself while closing his eyes in order to bring his mental state to peak readiness. For several seconds, he remained completely motionless, grounding himself. Then, his eyes reopened, sharper and more focused than before, a glint of determination flickering within them as he cast a glance at the wall with the instructions.
Without delay, he murmured, "Records, I want to begin the active trial for my breakthrough to the Spiritual Foundation Realm."
[Analyzing user's position… Position confirmed: subject is seated in the center of the designated array.]
[The active trial will take place in the Virtual World. Mikael Angelini's physical body will remain in place—only his consciousness will be transferred. Transfer initiating in 5… 4…]
Mikael watched the glowing notifications without the slightest hint of nervousness—he already knew what was about to happen. Just seconds later, his surroundings began to 'distort'. Lines of luminous green and blue code materialized all around him, flickering and flowing in rhythmic pulses. But the instant he blinked, those same lines of code vanished entirely, and he now found himself standing at the center of a vast, circular battle arena.
[Entry into the Virtual World confirmed.]
[Current Environment: Basic Battle Arena.]
[You are now undertaking the Active Trial for breakthrough to the Spiritual Foundation Realm.]
[Please select your preferred first trial:
Available Trials: Battle Trial, Alchemy Trial, Formation Trial, Sword Trial, Mind Trial, Mage Trial, Run Trial…]
The list went on and on, seemingly endless—thousands upon thousands of trials, each tailored to test specific strengths or aptitudes, ensuring that any individual, no matter their path, could be assessed based on what they excelled at.
Mikael didn't hesitate. He selected the Battle Trial: Duel Variation.
[Battle Trial: Duel Variation selected. First opponent will appear in 1 minute. Please prepare accordingly.]
Using the minute allotted for preparation, Mikael thought of summoning the loyal black and red longsword emanating a bloody aura that had followed him faithfully throughout the past three years. The very next moment, the weapon materialized in his hand, its familiar weight a comforting presence.
"Good," he murmured. Then his brow furrowed slightly in surprise. "My voice?"
Using the reflective surface of his sword as a mirror, he checked his appearance and was taken aback to see that he had reverted to his original form.
However, after a moment of thought, it made perfect sense. The Akashic Records—this seemingly omniscient entity—would have no difficulty seeing through the 'superficial' effects of the pill.
"And it's not just my appearance… my body and strength are exactly the same," he remarked, executing a few testing slashes with the blade.
For a brief moment, he was struck with awe. Every sensation he felt was indistinguishable from reality—so vivid, so precise—that if he hadn't known he was within the Virtual World, he never would have guessed it. Everything, down to the smallest detail, had been flawlessly replicated.
Even his strength was perfectly reproduced. There wasn't the slightest sense of restriction or artificiality to his movements. But just as he began to ponder the implications of this, another notification appeared before him.
[1st Battle Trial: Duel Variation Initiated.]
[Opponent: Cultivator at the 3rd Layer of the Body Forging Realm.]
In the blink of an eye, a young man clad in red Taoist robes, sword in hand, materialized on the opposite end of the arena, standing several tens of meters away. He remained still, silent, like a statue awaiting the signal to act.
And then—DING!
A sharp chime rang out, and in that instant, the cultivator charged toward Mikael, blade drawn, clearly intent on cutting him down in a single decisive blow. His acceleration was explosive, his speed breaking past one hundred kilometers per hour in a blink. Against a normal human, evasion at such a close distance would have been impossible.
But to Mikael?
That kind of speed felt like a sluggish crawl. Even without enhancing his body with aura or activating any skill, his natural reflexes alone were more than enough. He tilted his head slightly, allowing the sword to miss by mere centimeters, then responded with a casual yet precise slash of his own.
The cultivator froze mid-step. A heartbeat later, his body was cleanly bisected—Mikael's blade having sliced through him as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter. Blood and entrails burst out, staining the arena floor crimson. Had Mikael not stepped back at the last second, the splatter would've reached him as well.
[1st Battle Trial: Duel Variation Complete.]
[Reward: Cultivation Aptitude Level 2.]
[Do you wish to leave with the current reward, continue the Battle Trial: Duel Variation, or switch to another trial?]
[Leave]
[Battle Trial: Duel Variation]
[Choose Another Trial]
Naturally, Mikael chose to continue with the Battle Trial: Duel Variation. After all, he hadn't even come close to being serious. To stop now? That would have been beyond stupid.
The Records instantly reacted to his decision.
[2nd Battle Trial: Duel Variation Initiating.]
[Opponent: Cultivator at the 6th Layer of the Body Forging Realm.]
This time, his adversary was a man with an outrageously muscular build, his upper body completely bare. The sheer size and definition of his muscles made one thing abundantly clear: this man didn't need a weapon. He was the weapon.
Yet aside from casting his opponent a perfunctory glance, Mikael showed no visible reaction to the cultivator's intimidating presence.
Not in the mood to waste time—especially considering the blatant gap in strength—and having no desire to drag this trial out unnecessarily, Mikael took the initiative.
In an instant, he vanished from his position, moving as a blur too swift for the naked eye to follow. The very next moment... the muscular man had been vertically cleaved into two perfect halves, his expression frozen in confusion—he never even understood what happened.
Meanwhile, Mikael had already returned to his original spot, standing as if nothing at all had occurred.
Following this second fight, which had proven laughably easy, Mikael continued the trial without hesitation.
The third match pitted him against a cultivator who had reached the Peak of the Body Forging Realm. Technically, this battle should have been challenging. After all, the Peak Body Forging Realm—otherwise known as the twentieth layer of the Body Forging Realm—granted one a body strength roughly equivalent to someone with 2,000 points in all basic stats. Logically, that should place him on par with Mikael, right?
Of course not.
Even without utilizing his aura or invoking any active skills, Mikael's physique was being constantly and passively enhanced by the overwhelming vitality granted by his Vitalis. His body had already reached a level far beyond conventional standards, and that truth became painfully evident in this fight. With a single 'simple' punch, he turned his opponent into a mist of blood and flesh—exploding him entirely with brute force alone.
The fourth fight wasn't much harder. His adversary this time was also at the Peak of the Body Forging Realm, but unlike the previous one, this cultivator bore the 'genius' designation—an official classification marking him as a cut above the rest.
And it showed.
This opponent was considerably stronger and far more skilled than the third trial's, pushing the limits of what the Body Forging Realm could offer. But against Mikael, it was meaningless. He was able to dispatch the so-called 'genius' with ease, as if it were nothing more than a routine warm-up.
Once the fourth battle concluded, Mikael's reward increased once more, this time elevating to Cultivation Aptitude Level 5. However, he paid little attention to this improvement. His focus had shifted entirely. A sharp seriousness now settled over his features as he activated his Aura Cloak, engaged the Weightless Wind-Explosive Style, and summoned the might of his Elemental Sword Style.
He wasn't doing this out of paranoia but well thought caution. He knew. Even though the previous four battles had been almost laughably easy—so much so that he hadn't needed to take them seriously—the upcoming fight was going to be different.
After all, his next opponent would most likely be a Spiritual Foundation Cultivator—an enemy belonging to an entirely superior phase. As the Cultivation Beginning book clearly stated, fighting someone an entire phase above your own usually amounted to a death sentence, even for the most brilliant of geniuses. That was why Mikael's expression had become so grim.
Still, despite his seriousness, he was not afraid. No—he was confident. He firmly believed he would not only survive but also stand his ground, maybe even push back against this next foe.
After all, his strength was anything but ordinary, and the leap from the Mortal Phase to the Foundational Phase was the smallest among all phase transitions. With both these factors in his favor, Mikael had more than enough reason to feel assured in his chances.
Author Note:
Want to unlock advanced chapters and get ahead of the story? Join other readers supporting the novel on Patreon—just search SDASLUMMY.
Not ready to join? No worries—dropping a Power Stone or leaving a quick review still makes a big difference and helps more people discover the story.
Every bit of support counts. Thanks for being part of this journey!