The Strength Beneath FrostVeil

Chapter 138 — The Strength Beneath Frostveil

The group continued cultivating inside the underground chamber, taking advantage of the rare opportunity Frostveil had provided them. After several days of continuous cultivation, everyone had become accustomed to the rhythm of the ancient formations. The seven platforms absorbed Origin Energy from the underground river and refined it before releasing it throughout the chamber, creating an environment where even a short period of cultivation produced noticeable results. Aether remained in the center, quietly circulating his cultivation technique. His Origin Tempering Realm Stage 9 cultivation was becoming increasingly stable, while the Infinite Origin Physique continued developing in the background.

[Infinite Origin Physique — Development: 0.95%.]

Aether opened his eyes for a moment before closing them again. The progress was slow compared with his cultivation, but it was still much faster than before they had discovered the chamber. The closer his physique approached one percent, the more noticeable the internal resonance became. It was as though the physique itself was gradually awakening to the energy flowing through his body. Aether didn't know exactly how much would change when he reached the milestone, but the System had already indicated that something important was waiting beyond it.

Across the chamber, Seris was focused on a completely different problem. She had been experimenting with her Life Essence ever since she realized that its offensive potential wasn't limited to simple healing. Her Moonlit Life Physique naturally gave her powerful control over vitality, regeneration, purification, and life force, but until recently she had mostly treated those abilities as support techniques. Now she was beginning to explore another possibility. She raised one hand, and a soft emerald glow appeared around her palm before slowly compressing into a small sphere.

Aether opened his eyes and watched.

Seris concentrated harder. The sphere became smaller, but the pressure within it increased considerably. "I've been thinking about what you said," she explained when she noticed his attention. "Life Essence doesn't have to spread outward. If I compress it enough, I should be able to make it offensive." Aether nodded. "That's the correct direction. But don't focus only on making it powerful. Learn how to control its properties. Life Essence can interact with vitality, regeneration, purification, and foreign energy. If you learn how to manipulate those aspects offensively, you'll eventually have techniques that don't rely purely on destructive force." Seris looked thoughtful before nodding. "I'll work on it."

She released the compressed energy toward a nearby stone pillar. The attack struck the surface and created a deep crack. It wasn't powerful enough to impress Aether in terms of raw destructive force, but the control was promising. More importantly, Seris hadn't lost control of the condensed energy before impact. Aether pointed toward the damaged stone. "Your compression is still unstable. Too much energy dispersed when it hit. Keep practicing until you can maintain the density until the moment of impact." Seris nodded and immediately began experimenting again.

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Aether returned to cultivation. Around him, the others were making steady progress as well. Aria was consolidating her Origin Tempering Stage 9 cultivation after her breakthrough, while Elara had begun stabilizing Stage 7. Lyra and Sylvara remained at Stage 7, both steadily strengthening their foundations. Evelyn continued progressing through Stage 6, while Vaelira remained at Stage 9 and was using the spatial formation to deepen her understanding of the Voidmoon Physique. Nobody was standing still, and Aether was satisfied with that. He didn't want companions who existed only to watch him become stronger. If they were going to travel together, they needed to develop their own strength.

A faint spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared beside Vaelira. Aether opened his eyes and looked over. She had one hand raised, and the space above her palm was slightly distorted. A thin silver ripple appeared and disappeared several times before she finally allowed it to fade.

"What did you discover?" Aether asked.

Vaelira looked toward the formation beneath her. "The space around this chamber isn't normal. I can sense several layers beneath the mountain. The formations aren't simply refining the Origin Energy from the river. They're redirecting it through some kind of spatial structure."

Aether's expression became serious. "Where does it lead?"

"I don't know yet. Whatever is beneath us is too deep for me to perceive clearly with my current cultivation." Vaelira paused before adding, "But I can tell that the energy is moving downward."

Aether glanced toward the ancient passage they had discovered earlier. The chamber was clearly not the deepest part of Frostveil. The seven cultivation platforms had been built for a purpose, and the ancient stone door they had encountered before suggested that someone had deliberately constructed the entire underground system.

"Don't force your perception," Aether said. "If there's something deeper, we'll investigate it together."

Vaelira looked at him before giving a small nod. "Understood."

Aether closed his eyes once again and resumed cultivating. The underground chamber slowly returned to silence. Origin Energy continued flowing through the formations, and everyone settled into their own cultivation.

[Infinite Origin Physique — Development: 0.95% → 0.96%.]

Aether felt the subtle change immediately. The resonance within his body became slightly stronger, and for a brief moment he sensed something hidden beneath the surface of his physique. It disappeared almost immediately, but the feeling remained in his mind.

The first one percent was getting closer.

Aether continued cultivating without rushing.

He had already reached Origin Tempering Stage 9. The next breakthrough would bring him to Stage 10, the final stage before entering the Origin Vein Realm. He could sense that bottleneck approaching, but he wasn't going to force it. There was still time to strengthen his foundation, develop his physique, and improve the abilities he already possessed.

Frostveil had already given him more than he expected.

But Aether had a feeling that the true secret of this place was still waiting deeper beneath the mountain.