Aethercross-Real Game，The Borderland of Reality and Fantasy

Chapter 45: A Crash Course in Cultivation

Sky snapped back to reality as if jolted awake from the depths of a dream, consciousness flooding back into his body like an incoming tide. Yet, the muscle memory and energy didn't cease with the return of his awareness; the attack motion was already unleashed, unstoppable and bursting forth.

With his hands clasped together, a blood-red flame bursting with a strong will instantly rose, converging between his palms into a blazing blood-red blade. With destructive force, he swung it mercilessly down towards his opponent, Lumiya.

Facing this fierce strike, Lumiya remained unshaken, her calmness as solid as a mountain. Whispering ancient spells, her words echoed through the air like verses from an age-old poem. Suddenly, her entire body was bathed in an icy blue glow, reminiscent of moonlight on a tranquil lake, creating ripples and shimmering waves. This cold force rapidly formed a thin, cicada-wing layer of ice around her, acting as a shield.

Particularly eye-catching was the dazzling ice-blue brilliance in her right hand, shining as if stars twinkled within, quickly solidifying into a huge crystal ice block resembling a thick, ice-made gauntlet, enveloping her fist and emitting an intense chill.

Lumiya stepped forward fearlessly, her waist the pivot, and with a stride, she clenched her right fist, ready to strike. She hurled her frost-filled right punch towards the incoming blood-red flame blade, causing a thunderous boom. The ice crystal fist, carrying extreme coldness, scattered the blood-red flames in all directions, turning them into nothingness. Then, like an arrow piercing through mist, it smashed through the flame blade, striking Sky with immense force.

A shockwave resonated as Sky's body flew like a stone launched from a sling, tracing a beautiful parabola before crashing into the distant dense forest, stirring up a whirlwind of falling leaves.

Lilianna exclaimed, "You idiot, why can't you hold back a little?" transforming into a swarm of bats and flying towards where Sky fell.

Lumiya quickly followed, saying, "The pressure from the landlord was too intense earlier, I unconsciously used the energy of a third-level Cultivator."

In mere seconds, Lilianna and Lumiya found Sky lying on the ground, partially covered in fallen leaves. Lilianna reverted to her human form, and both squatted beside Sky, one on each side.

At this moment, the blood-red flames on Sky had vanished. He looked up at the sunlight filtering through the tree canopy, his eyes filled with confusion. Tears streaked down his cheeks.

Lumiya, feeling a bit guilty, said, "Landlord, I'm sorry for hitting too hard. Are you hurt? Please, stop crying."

Sky, coming to his senses, wiped his face, feeling the remnants of wetness. He recalled the vast expanse of void he had seen in the deepest parts of his cellular consciousness, contemplating the broad starry sky that seemed to harbor a form of life he couldn't comprehend.

He then remembered why he had cried. The magical double-helix structure, a shared fundamental framework between life and the void—if true, it was a fact both shocking and touching.

Lilianna, worried, asked, "What's wrong? You've seemed out of it since the fight began. Are you injured? In the cultivation process, if there are grave mistakes in the method or if the power used exceeds the threshold, a terrifying state known as 'Deviation Phenomenon' can occur. I wonder if that's what happened to you."

"Deviation Phenomenon!" exclaimed Lumiya, grabbing Sky's wrist and her fingers glowing softly.

Sky felt a gentle energy seep into his body from his wrist, tracing a miraculous path within him. Feeling this external force, his cells stirred slightly, generating an energy that flowed into his bloodstream and concentrated towards his heart.