89 Nebula Two-star

Within the 'Still Heart' state, where time no longer mattered, he was no longer the human known as 'Shui', he was merely a will about to complete a task. This will used the two orbs of blood and began drawing the symbols. Unlike when Shui had done it, this will didn't start off by imagining the effects, then explaining them and finally how the two symbols interact. This will started drawing the symbols as if a normal person was writing a word. The meaning of the word, a mental image attached to it, how it can be used in conjunction with other words; anyone who had studied long enough knew these things instinctively. Even if they couldn't explain the meaning to someone, they had their own understanding of the words they used.

Instead of Shui who tried to do each simultaneous task one by one, the will did everything at the same time. The natural flow of the lines of the blood made it seem as if the will wasn't drawing symbols filled with profundity, but common words that scholars used. In a time even shorter than when Shui normally drew symbols, the will completed the two symbols of 'Stasis' and 'Gather' and watched as they glowed and stamped themselves on Shui's chest and back respectively, before vanishing.

When this was done, Shui was pushed out of the 'Still Heart' state and regained his wits.

"What was that...?"

Despite being the one who had gone through it, Shui couldn't explain what had just happened. It was as if some unknown entity took over his body and showed him how to do the job. What had happened was still clear in his mind but he had no confidence that he would be able to do it again. But, at the very least, his problem was temporarily solved. Shui could feel the natural energy spin around his body like a circle. Some went in, some went out and then in once more. While feeling relieved about this, Shui noticed something else.

'Hmm, this feeling.'

Sensing something different about himself, Shui looked at the pseudo-true core in his hands. All he was doing was looking at it, but it soon floated to his face and then swayed from side to side. This shouldn't have been anything strange for Shui, but it was done without the use of martial intent.

"This is... I've broken through?"

Shui watched as the psuedo-true core made a circle, triangle and then a rectangle above him. He was sure; his soul had changed. It was now of the same strength as those in the Earth Realm so he could use mental control. Shui now had a nebula two-star soul. At nebula one-star, he could only interact with loose souls, but at nebula two-star he could affect matter as well. And after a quick test, he found out that if he used mental control and martial intent together then the amount of force he could exert increased. He could probably kill those in the early Soul Realm with just these two abilities, the only drawback was that if he used mental control too much it made him tired.

"Wow. I'm stuck at fifth level but I've reached two-star in soul and body cultivation. Not bad, not...bad.....damn it."

He was certainly happy because of this breakthrough. However, there was still something that drained that happiness like his cultivation. Shui lied down with his arm covering his eyes and his other hand grabbing his necklace. A tear wet the bandages around his left eye.

He knew he could get it back. He knew this was only a temporary rest stop on his cultivation journey. His comprehensive strength hadn't decreased too much, in a way this disaster had helped him. But, but, how could he accept that? How could he accept his current state so easily?!

"If only I didn't take the bait!"

As he was now, he could come up several what-if situations where he didn't end up like this, but even if he was emotionally immature, his soul and martial intent swiftly allowed him to recover. The desire to cry like a spoiled brat about how things could have gone, went away, leaving him empty inside. After expelling one last sigh, Shui let go of his necklace.

"Heh, this might be a tribulation for me."

It was a simple, thoughtless line. Just one more complaint against the unfairness he felt. But the word 'tribulation' made a series of 'clicks' go off in his mind which led him to a crucial clue to reaching the perfect limit. Shui hastily sat up and concentrated on this line of inspiration before it went away. He was sure he understood the purpose of the Mortal Realm as a cultivation realm, but there was one question he hadn't fully examined. What was the significance of the word 'Mortal'?

The Mortal Realm was for getting used to nature energy and the first step of changing from a mortal to a cultivator, but what was a mortal?

'A mortal is one who hasn't stepped on the path of cultivating. No, there's something more. I have to think broader than that. Getting used to..., mortal, tribulation...'

"That's it."

'The difference between a mortal and a cultivator isn't something as simple as having nature energy. It's a matter of mentality. A mortal will also have to face tribulations and need to overcome them, but the true difference between a mortal and a cultivator is that a cultivator goes towards difficulty of his own volition. A mortal can only go along with the machinations of the heavens but a cultivator tries to go against them. That is the true difference between a mortal and a cultivator. No matter how high their cultivation is, if they aren't resolved to fight against fate then they're not worthy of being cultivators.'

All he did was think it, the words were on the tip of his tongue but they were still inside him. However, he was already there. Even without regaining his cultivation he had reached the perfect limit. Shui could feel his control of nature energy become so good that it was as if it had submitted to his will. At this time he recalled the text that wrote down the abilities gained from the first three perfect limits.

Mortal Perfection - Mutation Control

Soul Perfection - Soul Synchronization

Earth Perfection - One with Nature

He only had a faint idea when he first saw it, but he was now sure. He could now control the way his nature energy mutated his body. He would still need special herbs to aid the process, but it would now be much easier for him to fix his destroyed mutated veins and muscles. Additionally, he could shapeshift to any humanoid form. Though it wouldn't change his aura, this meant that even without his mask as long as he suppressed his aura, it would be hard to identify him. He could also mutate his skin into different materials and forms, therefore he could theoretically transform into an evolved beast. However, when Shui tried turning into a horned boar, he found it hard to move and quickly turned back.

'Looks like just because I can transform doesn't mean I know how to move my transformed body. Still, I lost four levels of cultivation but reached the perfect limit and nebula two-star. I suppose I can accept this trade-off'

While he continued to be fascinated by his new ability, a string of words appeared in front of him.

[You are now qualified to take the trail to become the Sage God's primary successor.]

"...What?"