Niu sat before Orimudi, still processing the earlier demonstrations of the Body and Spirit Foundation realms. He had seen the elder's mastery of speed, strength, and even his ability to strike the speed bag with his spirit alone. The experience left him in awe, but now, they were moving into even more mysterious territory—the realms beyond what Niu had seen so far.
Orimudi had a way of commanding attention, and now, as he prepared to explain the higher stages of power, the room seemed to quiet around them.
"The Energy Realm," Orimudi began, "is the first realm where cultivators truly break free from the physical and spiritual limitations of the lower realms. It's the realm of elemental forces and raw energy."
As Orimudi spoke, his hand began to glow, enveloped in a blue plasma-like energy. The air around them crackled with the force he controlled. Niu's eyes widened as he watched the elder shape the energy into different forms with ease, creating flickering shapes in the air, dense with power.
"I can command the energy around me to do my bidding," Orimudi said, now levitating slightly above the ground. The glowing energy surrounded him from head to toe. "This control goes beyond the elemental forces seen in the lower realms. What I control is neither solid nor liquid, neither gas nor plasma—it is pure energy. Focused streams of energy can cut through solid objects or disintegrate enemies at will."
Niu watched, captivated, as the elder demonstrated the terrifying potential of the Energy Realm. He had never seen anything like it.
"Are the stages of power organized, or can you learn them in any order?" Niu asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Orimudi chuckled, a deep, rich laugh. "It's best practice to follow the stages, but it's not a strict rule. As you've noticed, I can still use lower-level abilities, but they're heightened because of my mastery of the higher realms."
"In some lower realms, entire power branches do not exist or are nerfed."
"A cultivator can choose to train across power stages in an unorthodox way, but there are minimum requirements for each stage. For example, to train in the Body Foundation, you need a healthy body. For the Spirit Realm, it's about having strong intent or willpower. The Elemental Realm requires a deep spiritual connection to an elemental force. And for the Energy Realm, you need an overwhelmingly strong elemental call to the universe."
"Be warned, creating your own techniques may have unforeseen consequences that may lead to stunted development in a later stage. In your case, spiritual training is one of the rare techniques where the more you develop the more benefit it will be for the other power realms."
Orimudi paused, his expression growing more serious. "But now we move into the realms I haven't mastered—realms I can only speak of through myths and stories. What I'm about to tell you is based on the ancient texts we've stored in the sanctuary, but the truth lies far beyond my reach."
Niu blinked in surprise. "But you're one of the highest-ranking masters in the sanctuary. You've mastered the Energy Realm. How could anyone not know what comes next?"
Orimudi's smile faded slightly, his eyes growing distant. "I may have mastered the Energy Realm—able to control light, cast plasma, shape lightning, and manipulate darkness—but the realms beyond are shrouded in mystery. No matter how much power one gathers, those realms are hidden, even from the most powerful beings. Only those who've ascended into those higher states truly understand them. As far as we know, no one in this sanctuary has ever crossed into those realms. But I can share with you what we've pieced together."
Orimudi drew a deep breath before continuing. "The next realm after Energy is the Ether Realm. From what we've heard, the Ether Realm allows beings to manipulate matter at its most fundamental level—down to the atomic structure of objects."
Niu's eyes widened. "You mean, they can change the nature of things? Like turning water into stone or air into fire?"
Orimudi nodded slowly. "Exactly. Beings of the Ether Realm are said to understand the fabric of reality. They can tear apart molecules and rearrange them however they wish. Some legends even say they can transform living beings—turn a man into a beast, or a tree into a weapon."
Niu shuddered at the thought. "If that's true, they could do anything. They could reshape the world."
"They could," Orimudi agreed. "But we don't fully understand how. What's clear is that beings in the Ether Realm wield a power far beyond anything we've seen in the Energy Realm."
Orimudi hesitated before continuing. "And then… there's the Void Realm."
Niu leaned forward, intrigued. "What's that?"
"The Void Realm…" Orimudi's gaze grew distant again, as if he were peering into an unreachable dimension. "From what we've gathered, those who reach this level can manipulate time and space. They can bend reality itself, stepping between dimensions, creating spatial rifts, even traveling through time."
Niu's heart skipped a beat. "You mean, they can teleport?"
Orimudi nodded. "Yes, but it's more than that. Void Realm beings can teleport across vast distances in the blink of an eye. They can create pockets of space where normal physical laws don't apply. In these pockets, gravity might change, time might slow down or speed up, and objects might float, untouched by the usual forces of nature."
Niu felt a chill. "Is that even possible? To move through time?"
Orimudi sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. The Void Realm is the most mysterious of all. There are stories of beings who have stepped into this realm only to disappear from history entirely. Others claim to have seen Void Realm beings warp through time, but such accounts are rare and almost impossible to verify."
"And after the Void Realm?" Niu's voice was barely a whisper.
"The Deity Realm," Orimudi said softly. "The highest realm of power. Those who reach the Deity Realm are said to be able to touch the very fabric of the soul. They can see the threads of fate and fortune that bind all living beings. They can guide souls into new lives or condemn them to eternal suffering."
Niu felt a cold shiver down his spine. "They control life and death?"
"They control more than that," Orimudi whispered. "They control existence itself. The Deity Realm gives its masters the ability to connect souls to the path of reincarnation or sever them from it entirely, ensuring their complete destruction."
"During the great boundary war, such beings walked on this very plane of existence. They shaped our world as we know it even creating this sanctuary. What am telling you are termed 'fairy tales' for a reason. However, I have spent a great portion of my life hunting down fairies." Orimudi said with a faint smile.
For a moment, there was only silence between them, the weight of Orimudi's words sinking into Niu's mind. The power to control not just life and death, but the very soul? It was beyond anything he had ever imagined.
Orimudi's face softened as he looked at Niu. "But these are just stories, young one. Legends passed down through the ages. No one truly knows if any of this is real. But if it is, the power of these realms is far beyond anything we can comprehend. Even my mastery of the Energy Realm pales in comparison to what these beings could do."
Niu stared down at his hands, feeling a mix of awe and fear. The path to those higher realms was distant, seemingly impossible to reach. Yet, something deep inside him stirred with ambition.
Orimudi placed a hand on Niu's shoulder. "For now, focus on mastering what's in front of you. Strengthen your body, spirit, and energy. Only then will you be ready for the higher realms. But remember, no matter how much power you gain, power is not just about strength. It's about understanding the world, and more importantly, your purpose in it."
Niu met Orimudi's gaze, his spirit filled with determination, 'Someday, I would rise beyond even the legends.'