Elated and eager to test himself against formidable opponents, Asura's thoughts turned to the imminent tournament. However, the rigors of his battle soon caught up to him. His body - battered, bloodied, and bruised from fending off the ferocious magical beasts - could carry him no further.
Asura cursed, "Darn it! I have to find a place quickly; otherwise, it will be troublesome if there are other magical beasts nearby."
Asura collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from wounds both old and new. He had narrowly defeated the beasts but at great cost. Every part of his body ached, and his qi was severely depleted. Darkness crept into his vision as exhaustion overtook him.
Still, amidst the pain and weariness, a faint glimmer of hope endured within Asura. He knew that if he could summon the tenacity to meditate and rebuild his spiritual energy, there was an opportunity for him to breakthrough to the next stage of the spirit realm - an accomplishment that would vastly augment his capabilities.
This propensity for breakthroughs under duress had become a blessed talent of Asura's. Whenever he encountered an insurmountable bottleneck preventing advancement to the next realm or stage after reaching the peak of that Realm or Stage, engaging in a life-or-death struggle seemed to loosen restrictions upon his spirit, granting him a chance to breakthrough to the next realm if he emerged victorious.
With this thought in mind, Asura dragged himself to a nearby clearing and began the arduous process of cultivation. He focused his wavering spirit inward, visualizing his battered qi channels stretching and expanding to accommodate surges of inner energy. Wave after wave of qi rushed through his battered meridians, healing injuries and infusing his spirit with renewed vitality.
As brightness returned to Asura's eyes and clarity to his thoughts, he felt spiritual bonds within him loosening and cracking apart. There was a loud, resonant snap as Asura's spirit broke through to the second realm. He had done the seemingly impossible.
After breaking through, Asura shouted excitedly, "Haha, I broke through finally and there is still time left for the tournament!"
Asura stood up, feeling reborn. Though his body still ached from his wounds, he now knew that with his newly expanded spiritual base, he would be able to cultivate techniques more efficiently far beyond what was possible before. His breakthrough had opened new doors of possibility for his martial path.
Asura tested his new powers by practicing basic techniques with renewed vigor. To his delight, he found that all of his attacks now carried greater force and precision. It seemed as if his spiritual essence had become lighter and more responsive, allowing him to shape and project it with much greater ease.
The most noticeable change was in his perception. Asura's spiritual senses had widened considerably, allowing him to see, hear and feel subtle energies that were previously imperceptible. Even the wind and trees seemed alive with spiritual qi that he could now commune with.
With his spirit awakened to a higher stage, Asura now felt ready to face the more difficult challenges that awaited him.
Asura said, "Let's find some magical beasts. I will test my new powers on them."
Asura wandered deeper into the Dark forest, filled with determination to test his newly gained powers. The air felt thick with spiritual energy, a sign that strong magical beasts likely inhabited these woods.
After walking for some time, he came across a large clearing where several vicious-looking beasts were gathering. "Perfect opponents," Asura thought to himself.
He gathered his inner qi and summoned his newly gained powers, swirling with energy. The magical beasts growled and charged as one massive wave towards him.
Asura remained calm and concentrated his qi. At the last moment, he released a blast of spiritual energy that sent the beasts crashing to the ground. He smiled, satisfied with testing his new powers.
Asura pressed on deeper into the forest, hungry to test his limits. He came across a fearsome pack of magical wolves. Asura summoned his spiritual energy once more and engaged the wolves in battle. Though he managed to defeat several, the pack was large and relentless.
Asura thought to himself, "These wolves were dangerous and the biggest one's strength was comparable to a stage 3 spiritual realm cultivator. I was only fortunate that they were magical beasts; if they were like human cultivators, I would have had no chance of winning against them without using my trump card."
Asura calculated carefully, then murmured to himself, "My limit is probably early rank 4 magical beasts. A magical beast whose strength is comparable to a stage 4 spiritual realm cultivator would be difficult for me to deal with without using my trump card. I would likely lose that battle."
Asura thought and said, "Let's continue. Let's find an even more powerful magical beast. I really want to test my trump card."
Asura wandered through the dense forest, still determined to test the limits of his newly gained powers. Soon he came across the tracks of a large beast, likely a magical one judging by the size and claw marks.
He followed the tracks until he came to a vast clearing. In the middle lay a slumbering beast the size of an elephant, covered in shimmering white fur. Asura could sense strong spiritual qi radiating from its body, indicating it was likely a rank 4 magical beast.
The massive magical beast resembled a chimera, combining features of both an elephant and a wolf. Its elephantine size and bulk were coupled with the long fangs and jaws of a predator, revealing its wolfish nature. Shimmering white fur covered its enormous form, resembling the coat of a magical ice wolf.
Asura hesitated, remembering his earlier encounter and near escape from the pack of magical wolves. This beast's strength was likely comparable to a stage 4 spiritual realm cultivator, posing a serious threat. But Asura's thirst for testing his limits quickly overcame his caution.
He summoned his spiritual energy and blasted the beast, stirring it from its slumber. The beast roared, revealing immense fangs, and charged toward Asura.