Chapter 280: Peak Soul Core

Kael arrived at the Shattered Tower after three hours of travel.

The tower was massive—even in ruin. It rose sixty meters above the ground, its upper half missing as though something had bitten it off. The base was easily 30 meters wide in diameter with a single entrance leading into darkness.

Kael activated his soul sense. His perception swept the area.

It seems Cassian hasn’t arrived yet.

He circled the tower once, scanning for traps, hidden mechanisms, or residual treasures. But it seems this place had already been raided during previous openings of the Void realm. Afterall, the tower really stuck out.

Kael returned to the base of the tower. He sat cross-legged on the ground and began inscribing runes with his carving needle moving precisely across the stone. He inscribed barrier runes and mana gathering runes.

Vvvvm.

A translucent barrier formed around him—ten meters in diameter. Runic light pulsed along its edges.

He reached into his system storage and pulled out several pills—soul cultivation pills that Kelvin Henderson had crafted before his departure. Soul Nourishment Pills. Designed to accelerate soul energy regeneration and strengthen soul core density.

He swallowed three.

Gulp.

Hhhh...

Warmth spread through his soul core. The pills dissolved, releasing concentrated soul energy that his soul core absorbed greedily.

Kael closed his eyes.

The boundary between Late Soul Core and Peak Soul Core was thinner than he expected. The guardian elder’s soul energy—absorbed after the third trial—still lingered in his soul core. The guardian’s energy provided the raw power. The pills provided the refinement catalyst. The Void Realm’s ambient soul density provided the environment. Right now, he had everything needed to push through to the Peak Soul Core Realm.

He began circulating his soul power.

Hours passed. The soul energy compressed further. His soul core solidified—thrum—becoming denser, heavier, more concentrated.

Vvvvm.

A day passed. Then two. Then three.

On the fourth day, his soul core cracked—crack—and reformed. The membrane between realms thinned.

On the sixth day, his soul power surged—whuum—and the barrier buckled but held.

On the seventh day, it broke.

WHUM!

Soul force erupted from Kael’s body. The rune barrier around him trembled—crackle—but held. His soul core expanded—thrum-thrum-thrum—and solidified at a new density.

[Soul Cultivation Breakthrough: Peak Soul Core Realm.]

[Soul Sense Range: 55 meters.]

Kael exhaled slowly. Hhhh. His eyes remained closed as he continued cultivating his soul power. The soul force settled around him like a second skin.

Four figures moved through the forest toward the Shattered Tower.

They were Northern sector cultivators—fur-trimmed combat gear, runic patterns unfamiliar to Western eyes. Three men and one woman. They’d been traveling for days, searching for untouched ruins.

The Shattered Tower looked promising.

But when they reached the base, they found something unexpected.

A man sat cross-legged with his eyes closed inside a rune formation barrier.

"Look at that barrier," one of them said—a lean man with sharp features and a Mana Heart Rank 5 aura. "A rune formation. That guy must have found something good in the tower."

A taller woman—also Mana Heart Rank 5—narrowed her eyes. "His aura is only Mana Heart Rank 4."

The largest of the group—a broad-shouldered man at Mana Heart Rank 6—stepped forward. "We can take him."

The youngest—barely twenty, Mana Heart Rank 4—hung back. "Are you sure? He’s cultivating in the open. That’s either stupid or—"

"Relax," the lean man said. He raised his palm. Light energy condensed—humm—forming a concentrated blast. "One shot and the barrier breaks."

CRACK!

The light blast hit the rune barrier. The runes flickered—fzzzt—and cracked. Light energy seeped through the gap.

Inside the barrier, Kael’s eyes snapped open.

WHUUUM!

A soul force eruption—uncontrolled, violent—exploded from his body. The breakthrough he’d been teetering on crashed through simultaneously. His soul core expanded—thrum-thrum—and solidified at a new density. Peak Soul Core Realm.

The soul force hit all four cultivators like a physical wall. The Mana Heart Rank 4 staggered backward. The others flinched—eyes wide.

Kael stood up slowly. His aura exploded outward—whuum—Mana Heart Rank 4, Peak Soul Core Realm, Void Body Refinement Tier 4 Peak.

He examined them. Two at Mana Heart Rank 5. One at Mana Heart Rank 6. One at Mana Heart Rank 4.

The lean man who’d fired the light blast laughed nervously.

"Relax, relax. We just wanted to—"

"Soul Spike."

PZT!

The man’s body dropped. Thud. His teammates froze—confused—until a body of white lightning appeared beside them.

CRACKLE! ZIP!

Kael’s Lightning Body materialized next to the falling corpse. One Shadow Slayer blade swept horizontally.

SHING.

The man’s head separated from his shoulders.

Three left.

The woman screamed—AAH! She raised both hands. A shield of condensed light formed—vvvm—bright, thick, shimmering.

Kael rushed her. Both blades came down—SLAM—striking the shield. It cracked—crack—but held.

Behind him, the Mana Heart Rank 6 man attacked. A light blade formed in his grip and thrust toward Kael’s spine.

Orbital Deflection activated.

WHUUUM.

The gravitational field around Kael rotated—micro-layer lateral distortion bending the light blade’s trajectory. It slowed—screeee—and deflected sideways.

Kael pressed down on the woman’s shield. Gravity applied to both blades—doubling their weight, tripling it. The shield shattered—POP.

Before she could react, Kael’s foot connected with her chest.

SLAM!

She flew backward—whoosh—crashing through the underbrush. CRASH. Unconscious.

Kael turned to the Mana Heart Rank 6 man.

"GRAVITY PUSH."

WHUUUM!

The man was launched backward. Kael followed immediately. A quasar orb formed in his palm—condensed, spinning, dense.

The orb hit the man mid-flight. He crashed into the Shattered Tower—CRASH—stone crumbling. He coughed blood—cough—and slumped. Unconscious.

One left.

The youngest—Mana Heart Rank 4—stood frozen. His weapon clattered to the ground. Clatter. His hands shook.

"P-Please—" he stammered. "Please don’t kill me."

Kael bent down, grabbed his hair, and pulled his face close.

"Now tell me," Kael whispered. "Do you possess any valuable treasure? If you do, give it to me. If not, I will kill you and search your storage ring."

The man’s trembling hands reached into his storage ring. He pulled out a fruit—small, round, golden-orange, pulsing with vitality.

"It’s a Lifebreath Fruit," he said quickly. "Strengthens the body and meridians. Improves physical limitations. A body cultivator can improve one sub-realm with it."

Kael took it. His Spirit Eyes analyzed it—flicker.

Lifebreath Fruit. Body cultivation enhancement. Effective for Tier 1 to Tier 3.

Not useful for me. But Nora and Elena could make good use of it.

Kael looked at the man with an evil smile. "Surely, you must have more."

The man’s face crumpled—almost crying. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out three more Lifebreath Fruits.

Each one costs at least two million credits, the man thought, internally devastated.

Kael took all three. "You can go."

The man ran. Whoosh. Gone.

Kael turned to the Mana Heart Rank 6 man—still unconscious against the tower wall. He walked over. Stood above him. Waited.

A few moments later, the man’s eyes opened. He saw Kael standing above him. Kael waved with a smile.

The man’s blood went cold. That was the smile of a devil.

"Do you have any treasures? If not—"

Kael raised his Shadow Slayer blade. Gleam.

The man scrambled into his storage ring. Two Lifebreath Fruits appeared in his trembling palm.

"Here! Take them!"

Kael took both. Pocketed them. "Go."

The man ran—whoosh—faster than the first one.

Five Lifebreath Fruits total. Elena and Nora can use them.

Kael returned to his meditation spot and sat down. He checked his soul core.

[Soul Cultivation: Peak Soul Core Realm.]

[Soul Sense Range: 55 meters.]

Done.

A presence entered his soul range. Fifty-five meters. Then forty. Thirty.

Familiar mana signature. Time manipulation. Calm. Controlled.

Kael opened his eyes.

Cassian Vale walked into the clearing. His silver-tier combat attire was scuffed—dust on his shoulders, a small tear in his sleeve. His pocket watch dangled from his fingers.

Tick-tick-tick.

Kael sensed his aura. Mana Heart Rank 6.

He smirked. "It seems you’ve been having quite the fun."

Cassian smirked back. Click. He pocketed his watch.

"I could say the same for you."