Power of Runes Chapter 446: The First Step to Transcendence

The creation of an Immortal Seal was an arduous, complex, and excruciatingly painful endeavor, a trial that tested not merely strength but the very essence of one's being.

The agony it inflicted was beyond the endurance of an ordinary soul, as it directly assailed one's willpower.

Ash understood the pain he was about to endure would be far more acute and profound than anything he had previously encountered, for willpower is intrinsically linked to the soul, and soul-inflicted pain is unimaginably intense. Despite having weathered injuries and soul-level torment before, the ordeal ahead surpassed all prior experiences, though he was yet unaware of its full extent.

This intense suffering is precisely why numerous individuals falter in forming their Immortal Seals, succumbing to premature death, unable to persevere until the final stage.

Yet, Ash recognized this was a sacrifice he could not avoid. He had to forge the Seal himself, not with an ordinary law to be imprinted, but with the Rune itself, a process demanding absolute mastery and control.

"Before I proceed, I must relocate. Establishing the Immortal Seal within the shop presents a significant security risk."

The manifestation of diverse phenomena surrounding an individual during Immortal Seal formation necessitated caution; hence, it was customarily advised to undertake this process under the watchful eye of another Transcendent capable of containing such widespread disturbances within a confined area.

Though Ash lacked an overseer, he possessed alternative methods for concealment.

His eyes snapped open to the real world, and he departed his room mere minutes after settling in. Before leaving, he deployed his Blood Clone within the shop, while his physical body dematerialized, only to reappear amidst the vast expanse of the ocean.

More specifically, he materialized upon a peculiar, uninhabited island adrift in the seemingly endless sea, with no other landmass in sight. The island was of moderate size, neither sprawling nor diminutive. Its shores were devoid of life, as Ash had already eradicated its previous inhabitants.

This very location had been discovered by Ash during his initial arrival in Eden. Its remote position, deep within the ocean and far from any known shores, ensured that even if any protective measures he would implement failed, any resulting phenomena would still leave him relatively safe, providing ample time for his escape.

{Are you actually going to form your Immortal Seal???}

Eva inquired with marked curiosity, having also absorbed the details about the Immortal Seal from the Soul Library.

"Indeed, I will. This place is sufficiently isolated and far removed from inhabited lands."

{Are you perhaps overlooking something? The Sea Lord Alliance and the Ancient Races Alliance hold considerable influence across these nearly boundless oceans. And surely you recall that these alliances encompass millions of oceanic species. Are you truly confident this location is secure??}

Ash gave a slight shake of his head in response to her query, "Certainly not, but risk is an omnipresent factor; true safety is an illusion. However, now that you've brought it to my attention, I shall alter my appearance."

As he spoke, his form began to shift, accompanied by a seamless transformation of his attire, which flowed and reformed as if imbued with life and responding directly to his intent.

His physical dimensions and basic structure remained unchanged, as he had no desire to alter them. However, his torso became completely exposed, his skin now possessing a faint, cool luminescence that shimmered under the ambient light. Behind him, his musculature and skeletal structure reconfigured, extending outwards before settling into a pair of wings resembling sharp, translucent blades.

They unfurled with an understated yet palpable authority, their edges serrated and emitting a faint glow, as if sculpted from solidified light or crystalline shards, projecting an aura that was simultaneously elegant and menacing.

From atop his head emerged a pair of elegantly curved horns, smooth and refined rather than overtly monstrous. They swept upwards in a graceful arc, their polished surfaces gleaming with a subtle, oceanic radiance that pulsed faintly in time with his own respiration.

His irises and hair adopted a deep, oceanic blue hue, rich and clear like the abyssal depths, blending harmoniously with his features. His face, while now less classically handsome than his original visage, retained an undeniable allure, suggesting a magnetism that transcended mere physical appearance.

Strategic sections of his shoulders and arms were now adorned with a form of armor seamlessly integrated from his clothes, molding to his physique as if it were an innate part of him, offering unimpeded mobility.

In truth, he had already fashioned garments capable of assuming any desired form, though they offered no defensive capabilities whatsoever.

Intricate patterns adorned him, blending perfectly with his figure. The lower half of his body was draped in flowing, layered fabric that cascaded in long, uneven strips. These strips, almost translucent, swayed gently as if moved by an invisible current, bestowing upon him the aura of an ocean prince.

Finally, a majestic ocean-blue tail, reminiscent of a sea dragon's, emerged from behind him. Its scales shimmered faintly, catching the light as the tail swayed with a life of its own, completing his striking transformation.

Though this new form offered no special abilities, its sheer magnificence was undeniable, captivating any observer and demanding a moment of stunned silence.

"What do you think? If they see me now, will they associate it with me?"

{I... I'm speechless. Honestly, you look quite dashing like this. However, this form will undoubtedly draw everyone's attention to the ocean. You might actually be left undisturbed.}

{Still, those poor fish might suffer. But whose form is this? And what race are you? I've never encountered anything like it, not even within your memories.}

"Take a guess."

Eva's pout was evident as Ash skillfully dodged her question, her dissatisfaction clearly displayed on her face.

Yet, internally, Ash couldn't help but chuckle.

Following this, Ash traversed the entire island, meticulously crafting Concealment Runes by drawing upon his profound understanding of the Rune of Concealment. He moved with unwavering purpose, placing each rune sequentially, one after another, across the expansive landscape.

His endeavor was to blanket the whole island in these runes, leaving no corner unexamined. This thoroughness stemmed from his reluctance to entertain any unnecessary risks, and the extraordinary form he had adopted was an integral part of this elaborate precaution.

Even without Eva's entreaties regarding oceanic races, his own intuition had been sending him persistent danger signals from the very moment he resolved to forge the Immortal Seal using Runes—a disquieting feeling that lingered relentlessly in his mind.

Admittedly, he remained uncertain whether this premonition was a consequence of the inherent complexities within the Seal formation process itself or if it was due to the inevitable allure that such a powerful creation would exert upon various entities.

After all, the very fabric of the world's laws seemed to resonate when an Immortal Seal was brought into existence through the manipulation of established laws. In Ash's case, however, he was employing the primordial power of the Runes themselves.

To him, every conceivable precaution felt insufficient, as if it were merely a sliver of what was truly needed.

Once his preparations were complete, Ash settled himself in the island's center. The tranquil surroundings finally embraced him as every element of his strategy fell into place. From within Ash's Soul Space, Eva observed his actions. To claim she felt no worry or anxiety would be a blatant falsehood.

Yet, before Ash, she maintained an outward appearance of nonchalance and calm, deliberately suppressing any hint of distress to avoid influencing him in the slightest possible manner.

{I know you possess the capability. If you cannot... then no one can...}

With a profound inhalation of breath, Ash commenced the critical process.

His mind, first and foremost, began to purge itself of every conceivable extraneous thought and distraction. Slowly, deliberately, he set aside each intrusive notion, and within mere minutes, his consciousness became utterly vacant, achieving a state of Absolute Clarity.

This profound state was one he had attained numerous times during his extensive rune comprehension endeavors, rendering this initial step remarkably effortless for him.

The subsequent stages, however, promised significantly greater challenges.

The awakening of the Soul Flame, or the formation of an Immortal Seal, comprises six distinct steps. The first, achieving Absolute Clarity, was a hurdle Ash surmounted with relative ease, his thoughts as placid and undisturbed as the motionless surface of a serene lake.

The second step involved the intense compression of one's will into a singular, focused point. While this may sound deceptively simple, it is anything but. This particular stage is where the vast majority of cultivators falter and fail.

The act of compressing one's will is akin to compressing one's very existence, forcing every defining essence of a person into a solitary nexus without relinquishing control.

Consequently, the agony this process inflicts is beyond human comprehension, transcending any imaginable physical pain and reaching deep into the core of the soul, threatening to shatter its very foundation.

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