Jiang Chen stood before the colossal figure of the Prismatic Phantom Ape, its ethereal form shimmering under the shifting lights of the hidden grove. The air itself pulsed with ancient energy, as if the land were imprinting the moment into the fabric of time.
The great beast observed Jiang Chen with solemn, knowing eyes. It had granted him two priceless treasures—the Space Prism, which had catalyzed the awakening of his Starshadow Body, and the Seven-Colored Stone, an egg containing the descendant of its bloodline.
Jiang Chen clenched his fists, still feeling the lingering resonance of the Starshadow Body coursing through his veins. His physique had subtly changed—his features were sharper, exuding an almost celestial yet shadowed aura. His very presence felt unnatural, as though the air and space around him had to adjust to his existence.
The Ape's voice rumbled through the grove.
"You have been given much, but you must earn the right to wield it."
Jiang Chen met its gaze, unwavering. "I never expected anything less."
The Prismatic Phantom Ape let out a deep, approving chuckle.
"You are reckless, but not foolish. You have survived battles against those far above your station. You have tread paths where others would have died in ignorance. But power alone will not guide you—only the will to wield it properly."
It leaned forward slightly, its sheer presence pressing against Jiang Chen's very soul.
"I will ask one final thing of you, human. Will you bear the weight of this legacy?"
Jiang Chen exhaled, his golden-amber eyes gleaming like celestial flames. "If I wasn't prepared for the weight of my path, I would have died long ago."
The Ape's laughter echoed through the grove, a sound both ancient and profound.
"Good. Then leave this place, Jiang Chen. The wilderness has begun shaping you, but it has not yet finished its work. Remember—only by pushing beyond your limits will you find your true path."
The world around them began to tremble faintly. The mist in the grove thickened, and Jiang Chen knew—this place was releasing him.
He clasped his fists in a deep bow. "I will not waste what you have given me."
With that, he turned and stepped beyond the grove's threshold.
Jiang Chen walked in silence, the dense canopy of the Evernight Valley looming above him. A soft, ever-present glow from bioluminescent flora lit the path, casting eerie shadows along the trees.
For the first time since stepping into this forsaken land, he felt a moment of calm.
He found a small, open clearing surrounded by stone ridges—secluded, quiet, perfect.
Sitting cross-legged, he released a slow breath and began to assess himself.
He had gained much—far too much—in too short a time. He needed to sort it out, piece by piece, if he was to use it effectively.
Chaos Qi: His greatest weapon, unpredictable, ever-adapting, destructive beyond comprehension. It was unstable yet growing, subtly refining itself with each battle. He could now access more of it than before.
Law of Force: He had reached the second stage of Force Intent. His Chaotic Spear Strike was the peak of his offensive power, but he had begun experimenting with Chaos Qi Infusion, making his attacks even deadlier.
Starshadow Body: The most recent addition to his arsenal. One of the top ten elemental constitutions, tied to Space and Darkness. His body was now infinitely more adaptable to the void. In the future, it would help him comprehend spatial movement and void energy at a terrifying rate.
Physical Growth: His Qi Condensation cultivation was at its peak, and his body had evolved beyond that of any ordinary cultivator at his level. His very bones had been reforged, his physique strengthened to endure more punishment.
The Seven-Colored Stone: A mystery for the future. He could feel something pulsing within it, dormant but alive.
His expression turned sharp. This was only the beginning.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes, focusing inward as he willed the power of his constitution to come forth. A dark blue diamond symbol appeared on his forehead and his eyes turned deep like staring into space itself. He had a celestial, grand aura about him that pervaded over his previously chaotic aura. At this moment, his appearance was like that of an immortal that descended into the mortal realm. The Starshadow Body was not just a simple enhancement—it was a true elemental constitution, attuned to the forces of Space and Darkness.
He realized that his faint aura of chaos he previously exuded was not being overshadowed, but hidden. He realized it had to be the doing of the Chaos Seed. Did it want him to be able to escape the notice of people who coveted it or wanted to hunt him down? He wasn't sure, but he knew it wasn't a bad thing.
His eyes became resolute as he became even more determined to master this power.
His body flickered. The world around him blurred. In an instant, he was no longer standing where he had been. He had shifted, not through speed, but through space itself.
He stumbled. Tch. Not yet smooth.
Again.
This time, he focused on the flow of energy. He visualized the threads of space, intertwining them with his own movement.
He stepped—and the world seemed to pause.
The next instant, he reappeared ten meters away, as if he had never moved at all.
Jiang Chen's breath was slow, controlled. He glanced at his hands. "This… This is on another level."
This ability shocked Jiang Chen to the core, this wasn't even an innate ability, but rather, an inborn trait of his constitution and it's affinity to the laws of Space and Darkness.
Jiang Chen wasn't done yet. There was one last thing he wanted to test.
His fingers tightened around his spear.
His figure flickering forward, and in the same motion, channeled Chaos Qi into his spear. The air around it distorted, reality itself bending under the force of untamed energy.
Slowly, he activated its first innate ability—Starshadow Burst.
A deep hum filled the clearing. The power in his hands felt… unreal.
He glanced at his spear and saw a faint clear energy that vibrated, a deep black energy that moved eerily, and a light blue energy that faintly distorted the space around it. They were all rotating around his ethereal Chaos energy. He felt as if he could destroy a mountain in one blow.
He thrust forward and roared.
"STRIKE"
BOOM!
The air collapsed inward, the space where his spear had passed turning into a swirling void of devastation.
Then—
A black spear-light shot forth, obliterating everything in its path.
The attack ripped through a towering boulder fifty meters away, then continued, vanishing into the distance as if it had been swallowed by space itself.
Silence.
Jiang Chen stood there, frozen. His heart pounded.
"…That wasn't a Qi Condensation level attack."
"...But it wasn't Foundation Establishment either."
I just... I just tore through space itself." Jiang Chen looked down at his spear, his grip tightening. "That kind of power... even Core Formation experts would hesitate to take it head-on." He let out a slow breath. "If I can do this at Qi Condensation... what happens when I truly step into Foundation Establishment?"
His eyes shimmering like dazzling stars. He clenched his fist. He had felt it. That attack had briefly touched the realm of Core Formation.
Not in endurance. Not in battle prowess. But in a single blow—he had momentarily reached the power of a Core Formation cultivator.
"Before this, my Chaos Spear Strike was already powerful, but it relied only on raw force. Now? It feels... refined. The infusion of Space and Darkness isn't just adding power—it's letting me shape power itself. My attacks are no longer just destruction—they are control."
He exhaled sharply, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
If he could refine this…
If he could wield this in a real battle…
Then Foundation Establishment was no longer a limit.
Jiang Chen looked up at the sky. He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was ascending.
"But power without refinement is wasted strength. This forest baptized me once—I need to see how far it can push me."
Jiang Chen exhaled, his golden-amber eyes flickering with boundless ambition.
"Then I'll just have to find out."
The current Jiang Chen simply had too many questions waiting to be answered.
What is the Chaos Seed? How did it allow him to awaken the Starshadow Body through the Space Prism? Why did it choose him? What was it's purpose?
He would eventually find out. Nothing could stop his rise.