The tree of tragedy began to act. It began to actively channel its own reserve negative energy into the meridians while using it to inscribe special glyphs and runes that were similar to the ones inscribed by the technique, while also connecting them to form rings in each of the 16 main meridians.
What the tree of tragedy was doing didn't interfere with what Horo was doing so he continued to channel the spirit mana through the meridians.
The transformation suddenly sped up after the bright lightning technique and the tree of tragedy were done completing their purpose. Not long after Horo felt clicking through out his body repeatedly until the 16th click and then he heard a notification"
"You have taken the second step into the Foundation Establishing Realm by beginning Meridian Opening"
He immediately felt like he had broken more shackles, he felt his entire being evolving and growing, and it felt totally different from how it did in the world of cultivation. He didn't just feel like he was growing and becoming stronger and gaining more longevity and spirituality like he did in the world of cultivation, he felt like his entire being was changing that included his race, physique and innate abilities.
Horo suddenly heard Alma speak to him" Father I think I just discovered an aspect of spirit mana. It's like it took the advantages of both mana and spiritual energy, merged them, and then took them a step further. It seems that it not only breaks shackles and grant spirituality and progression like spiritual energy, nor does it just Strengthen and evolve like mana. I believe it takes everything basic about your existence such as all of your innate qualities and things deeply rooted in and connected with you, to help you progress and evolve in a new direction unexplored before."
While feeling the changes still happening and maintaining his focus, Horo replied to her "So basically you are saying that if there was two other me, one cultivating just spiritual energy and one progressing with mana, with everything exactly the same as me, they still wouldn't be able to match up to me at the same level or become what I can become?"
Alma replied "That's right."
Before Horo could speak he noticed something, after officially entering the meridian opening realm he had stopped actively circulating his cultivation technique, to feel changes of the breakthrough, but now he noticed that the spirit mana kept circulating the technique while continuing to make changes to the 16 main meridians. It continue to cleanse, reinforce and expand the meridians, as if to truly make them a world.
This process continued until the composition of the meridians changed completely and an evolution occurred.
"Your meridians have evolved, into the [ Spirit World Meridians ] "
"All Stats Increased by 1,000"
"Negative energy increased by 2,000"
"You have Gained 8,000 Spirit Mana"
Horo was extremely shocked, he was lost for words, Spirit Mana was more miraculous than he and Alma thought.
It clearly acted as if it had a mind of its own, it was as if it sensed the possibility of evolution and pursued it. He decided to take look at the description of this new part of him.
...
[ Spirit World Meridians ]
Your meridians can host spirits and allow them to reside in them. The spirit world meridians are constructed completely of extremely condensed and purified Spirit Mana and said spirit mana is very attractive to spirits due it having the ability to nurture them and help them evolve. It is also possible for your meridians to give birth to its own spirits.
These special meridians have broke the boundaries between the physical and spiritual and has taken root in your soul as well. Though it is only on an instinctive level your meridians have gained spirituality.
If he thought he was shocked before he was beyond that now. He didn't know what to think or say, it looks like these second set of task Alma made for him paid off more than he could have imagined.
He decided to look at his soul, as Alma can project a 3D image of it and show him.
He was stunned once again to see his soul body was massive, maybe because it was also his soul palace, and he could also see his origin in the shape of his soul that was actually the size of a normal soul body residing in the chest area of his soul (soul palace). His origin only showed that way on the projection because origin was not actually located directly in the soul, it was located in a dimension that was within the soul. This made it extremely hard to harm someone's origin.
His soul also had extremely thick black bones that had golden engravings that were related to karma, black hole like irises and a Majestic, sturdy black tree on its back. This was because all his traits and the tree fused with his soul before his reincarnation. All of these aspects was a pure black that was darker then and blacker then anything he'd ever witnessed due to being composed of his pure negative energy.
He could also see a third eye that looked very special, it was the Heaven's Eye that came with the other portion of soul that lived as a cultivator for centuries. Now his soul also had his spirit world meridians.
He couldn't help but utter "what a special soul. Too bad most of my soul's power is sealed. "
Alma then spoke up" Father I think you still have a little time to try opening some sub meridians since you opened your main 16 easily thanks to your spirit mana."
Horo responded excitedly "Let's give it a shot!"