Second?

It was an odd feeling, almost like a new network of connections was forming through his body. And because he was aware of his Three Souls and Seven Spirits, he could feel them vaguely… awakening. They were still in a state of dormancy, but if he just pushed a little…

Suddenly, Ryu felt the feeling grip onto his Perfect Blackbody.

He had already reached the peak that was possible, that much he was certain of. For a long while, he had kept his Mental Realm Cultivation in a "weaker" Realm, just to make sure he could squeeze out all of his potential.

But in that moment, he felt a resonance between his Dao Heart and his Perfect Blackbody that showed signs of allowing it to break past those limits.

What made the feeling very novel was the fact Ryu was fairly certain that if he had a normal soul, this wouldn't be happening. It was like his Spiritual Foundation could sense the Perfect Blackbody's propensity to absorb and evolve, and it had grasped onto that.