Chapter 51: Knowledge, Rebirth & Foundation
Caelum had skipped spending time with his friends that day.
None of the people in his group seemed to possess that strange and burning obsession that demanded strength at any cost.
At most, they occasionally spoke about dominating the world or dreamed about greatness like ordinary children would.
Still, everyone had their own dreams and their own pace in life, and Caelum did not think he had the right to judge them for it.
Because of that, he once again found himself inside the private training hall after classes, though not before greeting a certain staff member who clearly disliked his visit and glared at him when he appeared.
Ignoring the man’s increasingly hostile expression, Caelum entered the room and sat down cross-legged.
Reaching into his inventory, he retrieved the talisman containing cultivation knowledge.
’I should use Spirit Sense for this... right?’ he thought uncertainly.
Although his spiritual awareness had improved significantly after refining the Spirit Dragon essence, he was still inexperienced when it came to properly utilizing it.
Extending his consciousness toward the talisman, he allowed his Spirit Sense to make contact.
The talisman glowed faintly.
In the next moment, an enormous stream of information flooded into his mind.
"Ugh..."
Caelum closed his eyes as countless concepts unfolded before him.
’Cultivation realms, technique classifications, foundation, special physiques, divine abilities, heavenly flames, mystic pupils...’
The sheer amount of information was overwhelming, and it took him a considerable amount of time just to organize the basics.
After stabilizing his thoughts, he took out the second talisman, the one containing knowledge regarding Tribulations, and repeated the same process.
This time, however, the information was far more focused.
’There really was no need for a separate talisman for this...’ he thought, slightly speechless.
Still, the system may have separated the information for a reason.
The main thing Caelum focused on, however, was the cultivation realms.
According to the talisman, the first three realms, collectively referred to as the Foundational Realms, were: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment and Core Formation.
Among them, Foundation Establishment and the color of core formed, were considered one of the most important stages, as it determined the quality of everything that followed afterward.
The talisman described five major categories of foundations: Perfected, Heaven, Earth, Man and Yellow.
Anything that fell outside those classifications was labeled as either Unique or Otherworldly.
Caelum did not fully understand the logic behind the ranking system yet, but since the system had specifically tailored this knowledge for his current world, he assumed it would become clearer in the future.
As for Divine Abilities, the talisman stated that they usually manifested during the later stages of cultivation.
Most classifications like weapons, pills, were divided into Tiers, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 9, which at least simplified the general structure.
After memorizing the information, Caelum returned the talismans to his inventory before taking out the [Rebirth Pill].
The moment it appeared in his palm, a powerful fragrance filled the room.
The surrounding mana unconsciously gathered toward the pill as though attracted by its mere existence.
"I seriously need to be careful with this..." Caelum muttered with a grave expression.
According to the system, removing the so-called Worldly Influence required him to completely reforge himself through the Rebirth Pill.
Although the chances of dying were supposedly low, the process itself would involve unimaginable pain.
Taking a deep breath, Caelum steadied his mind.
"Alright... here goes nothing."
He closed his eyes and swallowed the pill.
The instant he did, the world vanished.
Without warning, Caelum found himself within an endless white dimension that stretched infinitely in every direction.
Then the pain began.
Golden flames erupted around him, engulfing his entire body.
At first, he endured it through sheer willpower, but within moments the pain surpassed anything he had ever experienced before.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH—!"
Every aspect of his existence was burning.
His flesh, soul, spirit, nothing was spared.
Within moments, his bones melted into liquid light, followed by his organs, blood, nerves, and even his brain itself.
At the same time, an unknown signal spread silently through the World of Lyron, isolating and erasing the records connected to the existence known as Caelum Annum.
The terrifying part was that nobody noticed.
Not the people and not even the world.
Despite his body’s desperate refusal to collapse completely, manifestations of a golden dragon and phoenix appeared around him, devouring and refining his existence piece by piece.
Even his [Boundless Warrior Physique] began to shatter under the overwhelming transformation.
And yet, an unknown energy continued preserving the final spark of his life.
Everything that made up Caelum eventually condensed into a tiny sphere of existence floating within the endless white world.
Then, from the heavens above, another pill descended, it was the [All Heaven Foundation Pill].
The moment it merged with him, the reconstruction began.
His body was reforged from the ground up.
His physique changed and biology evolved.
Ancient ancestral bloodlines that had long remained dormant within his lineage began resurfacing one after another.
Among countless fragmented traces, one bloodline was ultimately selected and the rest were purged.
At the same time, his shattered [Boundless Warrior Physique] underwent a complete transformation into something entirely new.
The [Eternal Immortal Physique].
His innate aura fused directly into his skeletal structure, giving his bones a faint blue hue while drastically increasing his aura capacity.
Meanwhile, his First Circle Heart and shattered energy core shifted positions entirely.
His open mind space, heart, and energy core aligned perfectly within his body, forming a mysterious connection between mind, soul, and energy.
Even while unconscious, Caelum’s eyes slowly opened.
They had become completely blue.
Within them reflected the intricate complexities of the world itself.
At the same moment, a terrifying foundation began to form within him, a foundation that did not belong to any ordinary classification.
An Otherworldly Foundation.
Not only did it perfectly nourish each organ according to its elemental affinity, but it also stabilized his entire body while strengthening the Blood Qi flowing through him.
Time lost meaning within the endless white dimension.
And eventually, after what felt like both an instant and eternity, Caelum’s body was fully reforged.
When he finally opened his eyes properly, still slightly dazed, he found himself back inside the same private training hall.
Yet everything about him had changed.
