"I can't suppress it anymore," he muttered, voice low. "I need to find a place… I need to enter the Unique Domain."
---
After that, Morca blended into the shadows once again, vanishing like smoke into the crevices of the world. His presence faded, indistinguishable from the darkness that wrapped around him like an old friend.
Moments later, he reappeared inside a hidden cave, buried deep within a rugged mountainous region. The entrance was cleverly concealed by a narrow, jagged cliff. From afar, it looked like nothing more than a shaded crevice... an illusion of nature few would ever suspect hid a sanctuary.
Upon entering, Morca immediately began sealing off the entrance. He shifted several flat stones with practiced precision, stacking them just so, until the passage was hidden from both sight and sense. Only after ensuring the concealment was flawless did he finally sit down, settling into a cross-legged position on the cold stone floor.
"The battle just now..." he murmured to himself, voice low and thoughtful. "It was mind-blowing. I almost had a breakthrough on the move... it was close. Too close." He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Alright... let's begin."
This was his third time entering the unique domain with his soul, and the process was now familiar to him. Within seconds, he slipped into a state of pure calmness and tranquility. His breath slowed. His heart quieted. His consciousness drifted away, pulled inward to that strange, boundless plane... one untouched by the physical world.
When Morca opened his eyes again, he found himself standing before the awe-inspiring grandeur of his unique dominion.
Colorful stars sparkled above, their reflections dancing across a sleek, polished black floor that stretched endlessly. Towering walls encircled the space, walls that felt both ancient and modern, relics of forgotten times forged with futuristic design. Time did not exist here. Only the echo of power.
He turned his gaze toward the center of the great hall, expecting the presence he'd grown accustomed to. But the clone he usually met was not there.
Only when he glanced to his side did he realize... it was standing silently beside him, watching him with sharp eyes.
"Oh Morca," the clone said, tone edged with disappointment, "you're not doing things right."
Morca raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Your left eye... always hidden behind that pathetic patch. And now? You can't even wield your unique abilities effectively. That's unacceptable."
The clone took a step closer, expression hardening.
"So, I've decided to help you achieve your breakthrough... by spearing with you."
The way the clone emphasized the word spearing sent a chill straight down Morca's spine. He felt the cold sweat forming already.
He can't seriously be calling those brutal strikes... spears? Morca thought, dread rising.
Without another word, the clone struck.
A fierce blow to Morca's chin snapped him out of thought.
"Never let your mind wander in front of your opponent," the clone growled.
The world twisted. The grand hall, once filled with light and brilliance, now faded into a swirling distortion of darkness and shadow.
Before Morca could fully recover, the clone was already airborne. With frightening precision, it used the back of its foot to slam into Morca's stomach. The impact forced the air from his lungs in a wheezing gasp. A stabbing pain surged through him, intense and absolute.
"Even when you're being beaten, don't forget your purpose, fool!" the clone barked.
Something clicked in Morca's mind.
That's it… That's what I've been missing.
He realized now that he didn't have to be in a serene, still state to use the Breathing Blood Codex. He could activate it mid-battle. He could evolve through pain. It wasn't just theory — he'd proven it during his narrow escape from the two 2-star monsters earlier. The pressure and desperation had pushed him to the very edge of the Awakened Rank.
And yet here he was, almost giving in to pain, forgetting to circulate the technique in the one place he could do it most safely.
He clenched his fists and focused.
Without wasting another second, he began circulating the Breathing Blood Codex. Energy responded immediately. Raw, untamed power surged into him. The space around him shimmered. The hall, the elements, and a strange, ancient force he couldn't name began flowing into his very core. It felt like he was merging with the surrounding itself.
Deep inside him, his refined mana that are organized in the structure of three sets of nine strings... began to change. The colors deepened into a rich brown. The ancient energy infused them, causing each thread to pulse with renewed vigor.
Soon, the three-nine configuration began to intertwine, merging into a single unified string. A massive surge of the ancient energy guided the transformation, helping the string melt into a thick, brown liquid tinged with faint silver light.
That liquid then dissolved into dust-fine particles that spread across the core, moistening its interior. The core trembled violently, releasing a flood of primordial aura. The transformation hadn't ended. The ancient energy was still vast within him.
Guided by instinct, Morca entered a deep trance.
He focused on the dust-like particles, each one appearing to him like a dead star. The strange transparent energy that had entered with the rest — like water — drifted around them. He moved it with care, guiding it like a gardener would rain to nourish a barren field.
He sprinkled it upon each dead "star."
Time slowed. Then, slowly, one by one, each speck lit up with silver light.
They came to life.
Again, his inner core shook. Space expanded until it was the size of a room. Silver droplets formed, suspended like rain frozen in time. The aura that radiated from within washed over him like a tide of peace.
But it wasn't over.
His cultivation path had advanced... but so had his Awakened Path.
The dark elements in the air, the shadows, the very essence of this unique domain surged toward him. They flooded into his body, quenching his veins and muscles, widening his meridians, reforging bone, blood, and cells. Even his mind cooled, thoughts sharpening.
By the time it all settled, everything inside him... except his blood, had taken on a faint silver hue. Energy moved like serpents beneath his skin. He could feel it.
He had ascended.
This was the power of a Saint Rank Expert— in both the Supernatural and Cultivation paths.
Time passed.
Eventually, Morca opened his eyes. The hall looked clearer now. Sharper. More real.
He could see the elements—no, the molecules of darkness and shadow—floating like smoke in the air.
But then he frowned.
Something felt... off.
His left eye.
He reached for it, only to freeze.
His eyepatch was gone.
He could feel his left eye pulsing. Breathing.
He decided to test something.
Raising a hand, he covered his right, crimson eye.
Instantly, his vision changed.
With just the left eye, he could see the flow of the dark elements in detail... like currents in a black river. He could see everything, even hidden lines and threads of power.
Then, out of curiosity, he moved to cover his left eye.
The moment his hand touched it, pain exploded in his palm. A burning sensation assaulted his skin.
"Hm..." Morca frowned and tried again. Still the same result.
"What's going on...? Why can't I cover it with my own hand?" he muttered. "Wait— don't tell me... it melted the eyepatch?"
At that moment, the clone's voice echoed across the hall, laced with amusement.
"You know, it's terribly rude to ignore your surroundings. One day... that kind of carelessness might cost you your life."