A place there light is just from a distan stars, floating in the void of space was a grand tower. With 9 floors, each separated by a carved dragon coiling around the tower. The tower only has openings on each floor, resembling windows. The strange thing was, that tower did not produce light from its openings, but pulled in the surrounding space.
At the highest floor, in a grand hall, decorated with carvings of different mythical beings, sitting in the center was a person. He sat on a black pillow instead of a throne or a chair, which seemed out of place, as the hall seemed more suitable for the kings.
This person, radiating confidence, with features that cloud make any woman dream about him. With black hair, just short of touching shoulders, slicked back, eyes deep black with ocasional sparkle, like blinking stars.
"It's time" suddenly said the man.
Strange things started to happening immediately. All around him, from the beautifully carved walls, a white mist started to seep out, heading straight for the person in the middle.
Still siting in the center, not making any sound or movement, with eyes now closed.
The instant the mist touched him, it continued on, seeping right into him. As the mist continued it's path to the center, it started to create a vortex, spinning around the man, like a whirlpool that was being absorbed by the person.
Before long, light started emanating form the person, lighting up surroundings. The light was accompanied by the sound, a deep beat similar to a heart beating. As minutes passed, light and sound grew in intensity. It got so strong that even this strange tower started to tremble.
As the intensity of light and sound grew bigger, the fall of the tower looked imminent, everything suddenly stopped.
The surrounding mist dispersed, tower stopped shaking, as if it was all just an illusion. The sound that shook whole tower disappeared, leaving deafening silence that made the surroundings eerily quiet.
In the middle of it all, sitting on the the pillow, the man suddenly leaned forward, nearly falling to the floor. Supporting with his hands, he steadied himself, trying not to fall head first on the floor. He started coughing, blood escaped from his lips.
After couple of minutes, he stopped coughing and sat back on the pillow, face pale.
"Still couldn't succeed." Whispered quietly the man.
'This is my tenth time trying to breakthrough and it's still the same. The moment I get near the barrier, it feels like the very will of the universe is shopping me from progressing, not giving me an option to escape its hands.' Thoughts swirled in his head, trying to understand why this is happening.
'I have reached the pinnacle of power, no one has even come close to this stage I'm in now. The last time I checked, the most powerful one was from that central planet and he's five major realms behind me. Can't even compare insights with him to better understand where the problem is.' As no one could hear his thoughts, it was hard to see the frustration from his expression.
'I'm Ahkin, I alone reached the pinnacle of this world, overcome countless challenges to reach where I'm today. I spend thousands of years trying to overcome this hurdle, I can't let it stop me now.' The man stood up, fist clenching in anger, his expression one of furry.
The surroundings started to tremble again but this time, it's different. The space itself twisted, strange swirls of space appeared, lines that started and ended on the same spot but with no bigging or the end.
More strange twisting and swirling lines appeared, some just like a cracked mirror that reflected your back if you stood in front of it.
"Even if it's the very will of the universe, the very heavens that are trying to prevent me from ascending higher. I will not give up. You hear me!" Said Ahkin, his voice getting stronger and stronger with each word. Each word, like hammer, striking the surrounding space making it more chaotic.
"I will not give up!!!"
Suddenly whole place was illuminated. The light that radiated from him was so strong that everything started collapsing around him. In just a fraction of the second, the beautiful hall, the surrounding walls and whole tower disappeared, leaving only him alone.
Now standing in the same place with nothing around him, Ahkin regained his calm, having vented his frustration from failed breakthrough.
'I need to to understand why is it, that after all this time, I still couldn't even trigger a breakthrough. It's like every time I try to make an impact and overcome the limit, all the power I have accumulated just strengthen the very wall that separates the next stage.'
Looking around, to make sure everything is gone, not to leave anything that could be traced back to him. He didn't want to deal with annoyances that pestered him from time to time.
'Ok, let's get back to base, I think it's time to spend more time trying to find where the problem is and not try to brute force it again. I have already waisted enough time as it is, it's counter productive to repeat the same things again.'
Waiving his hand, a distortion appeared before him. A window like thing, with shimmering edges. From the created portal it could be seen that it was another hall but this one smaller and looked more like a library. With bookshelf stacked an either side, replacing walls.
Stepping through the portal, he went straight to the table in the middle of the room. The table, with neatly stacked books wouldn't look out of place in any library. The only strange thing was the light. Brightly lit, but you could not see any source of the light, it was like the very space itself was bright.
Sitting before his study table, Ahkin picked a intricately carved red feather and started writing.
'Attempt number: 10.
Chaotic energy accumulated and converted for one hundred standard central years.
No difference from other attempts noticed in breakthrough, energy disappeared as soon as it touched the wall separating realms.
No concrete answers could be derived from the attempt. Sensation, length and intensity felt the same as other nine times.
Increasing energy accumulation with external help didn't make any difference...'
Ahkin wrote his experience, trying to document everything that could help him find out why he couldn't achieve his breakthrough to higher realm.
He spend hours just writing, putting his thoughts in page after page, organizing them, comparing them to his other attempts, trying to see if he could glimpse a reason in this problem.
With no clock or window to tell the time, it's impossible to tell how long Ahkin spend just writing, feather dancing on pages, seemingly with infinite ink.
Ahkin slowed down, ending his intense writing. He put down red feather and leaned back, trying to relax.
'Is it really possible that the very universe is stopping me from ascending higher? In the realms before, if you accumulated enough energy, if your foundation was strong enough and you could withstand the collision of your energy and the barrier that separated realms, you could step to higher one. Of course there are some nuances but nothing like this. Now, it feels more like I'm feeding back into the barrier, no matter how strong or how much of the energy I accumulate, it doesn't make a difference.'
Tapping his finger on the armchair, his eyes looking up, the ceiling that looked like swirling galaxy. You could see intense concentration in his expression, trying to unravel this mystery that plagues him.
'I always thought that cultivating is going against the universe, against the heavens that births us. The higher we go the more intense hurdles we have to overcome, overcome lightning that descendants from the heaven. This meant that the will of the world is trying to prevent us from succeeding, from getting stronger.'
His thoughts started to swirl, going in strange direction that he hadn't thought before.
'But now, it doesn't matter what I do, how strong I'm, the heavens doesn't respond. Could it be that all this time it wasn't us going against the heavens but heavens just raising us, giving us a challenge to overcome, to make us stronger and at the same time weeding out the weak ones.'
The more Ahkin though, the more his expression changed, he couldn't help but feel that his analysis is correct.
'The heavens doesn't see us as challengers. It's more like raising children, giving us a purpose, a challenge and a reward if we overcome it. But now, I have reached the ceiling, there are no more rewards to get, no more challenge to overcome. Heavens doesn't need for me to grow any more. Why? What's the purpose of this, why even give this chance of cultivation if it is going to end like this?'
This thought started to distress him, it's like loosing purpose of his existence, everything he strived to accomplish coming to an end. Not being able to progress further, stuck with no progress.
'No, this will not stop me. Everything I have now, the person I'am now, I have accomplished myself. Even if heaven won't let me move forward, I don't think it's imposible to overcome this obstacle, there should be a way to break free from this.'
Standing up from his chair, Ahkin looked at the galaxy reflected in his ceiling. Stretching is hand to the galaxy, it started to come down, shrinking and settling on top of his palm, floating just a little from the palm, not touching. The thoughts started to calm down as he looked at the galaxy in his palm, his head clearing from all the disturbances.
"I think the reason why I can't progress any more, is because everything is given to me from the univers, from the heavens, and it's imposible to get stronger then the very thing that your power comes from. If I want to progress, I need to separate myself from this universe power, make it my own and grow stronger."
Expressing his thoughts, his next plan starting to coalesce, making the next step clear.
Waving his hand to the ceiling, Ahkin returned galaxy back to it's place. Taking a step, he appeared in different room which is almost bare, just a strange markings around whole room, no windows or doors could be seen, the sole item in the room, a black pillow lying in the center.
Taking his seat on the pillow, legs crossed with hands on his knees, breathing steady and deep, no sign of turmoil he felt before. His eyes closed, trying to center himself, to find the solution.
'I need to think of the best solution that could work. Not sure how long it will take but I will succeed!' Ahkin thought, not doubting himself for a moment.
With this thought, Ahkin concentrated. Going through all the information he has, every possible angle he could think that could help.
The task before Ahkin, would be impossible for others, but he didn't even entertain the thought that there was a chance for him to fail.
From the moment he started this journey on the path of cultivation, the only thing that was constant, his strongest trait, was his determination. Ahkin knew that giving up or not trying everything he could in things that he do, it will only make him stagnant, stuck in the same place.
With no indication of passage of time, Ahkin just continued sitting in the same place, not moving at all.
After unknown amount of years later, one day, Ahkin opened his eyes. Eyes still clear, as if he just finished a relaxing nap.
He stood up and returned to the table in his study room. The moment he sat down, a book suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Taking the same intricate red feather in his hand, Ahkin started writing on the first page.
'The only option for me to progress further is to begin cultivating from the very beginning. Right now, I'm too much integrated into the universe. Even if I destroy my cultivation now, it won't matter, my very soul is linked to the universe. Also, the hardest part is cultivation path. I can't just practice the same path as before, even demonic path won't do, I need to create a brand new one, one that would not restrict me, would be flexible and grow as I progress further.'
Ahkin paused writing, his expression shifting to one that clearly indicated his displeasure.
'I'm not looking to the separation of my soul at all. But I just can't see any other option around this problem.' Ahkin thought, his expression pained, as if already feeling the pain that he is going to experience.
Leaning back in his chair.
"No need to delay it anymore, its time to plan my reincarnation."
With this statement, Ahkin resumed his writing.