Veil of the Shattered Heavens

Xuan Li sat cross-legged in the quiet solitude of the clearing, his breath steady and his wounds healed. The gentle glow of cosmic energy surrounded him, a testament to the rigorous trials he had endured. Slowly, he opened his eyes, the sharp glint of resolve shining within them.

From the locket hanging around his neck, Verdris emerged, his expression as unreadable as ever. His presence carried an unshakable authority, like a shadow of the cosmos itself.

Xuan Li immediately bowed, his voice respectful. "Master."

Verdris's voice broke the silence, calm yet commanding. "Have you healed enough?"

Xuan Li nodded, his tone resolute. "Yes, with Master's help, I am in 100% working condition."

Verdris gave a faint nod, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then, they began to shine brightly, like twin stars piercing the darkness. His gaze seemed to go beyond Xuan Li's physical form, delving deeper and deeper until he reached the core of his disciple's soul.

Xuan Li's soul appeared as a blazing sun, surrounded by a vast expanse of swirling energy. The sheer magnitude of it was breathtaking, and even Verdris, with his vast knowledge, allowed a moment of admiration before his eyes returned to their usual expressionless state.

"Disciple," Verdris began, his voice echoing with authority. "I have examined your soul. You possess rare spiritual energy. To be precise, the amount of your spiritual energy is... terrifying."

Xuan Li's eyes gleamed with excitement at this revelation. He could barely contain his anticipation as Verdris continued.

"You were born with the talent of a spiritual master," Verdris said. "But setting that aside for now, you have mastered the control of cosmic energy and have grown familiar with its essence. Now, the real challenge begins."

Verdris's face grew serious, and the air around him seemed to grow heavier. His voice turned cold and majestic, each word carrying the weight of the cosmos itself.

"Do you wish to continue? From this point onward, the path becomes truly dangerous. By 'danger,' I do not mean something as simple as death. What lies ahead is far worse. You may find yourself screaming under immense torment, begging for release. You may wish for death or even complete oblivion, but neither will come. However, if you endure, if you surpass these trials, you will become an existence so awe-inspiring that mountains will tremble in your presence."

Xuan Li swallowed hard, his master's words striking deep. His mind raced, considering the implications. "Master's methods have always been cruel to the extreme," Xuan Li thought, "but this time... even I cannot predict what will happen to me."

He hesitated, his resolve wavering under the weight of Verdris's warning. Verdris simply stood there, his gaze steady yet unreadable.

"Disciple," Verdris said, his tone softening slightly. "I know you are still a child, and for a child to hear this may seem outrageous. But within you lies immense potential, waiting to be awakened. To reach it, you must walk a path that will burn your very essence and transform you into someone beyond mortal comprehension. You will become an existence that inspires awe and fear in equal measure—if you dare to endure."

Xuan Li bowed his head, grappling with his thoughts. The memories of his past suffering resurfaced: the rejection by the heavens, the mockery of his peers, the abandonment by his sect. These moments weighed heavily on him, yet they also fueled a growing fire within.

Then, like a whisper carried by the wind, he recalled the words he had clung to during his most desperate moments—when refining the Ethereal Starvine on the brink of death. "Believe in yourself and the cosmos."

A surge of inspiration coursed through Xuan Li. "Everyone faces hardships," he thought. "I was chosen by the cosmic origin. I am destined to become an existence others look up to. For that, I must walk the dangerous path that others fear."

He raised his head, his body emitting a faint aura of cosmic energy. His eyes burned with unshakable determination as he met his master's gaze.

"Master," Xuan Li declared, his voice steady and unwavering, "I am ready for whatever hellish training awaits me."

Verdris's expression remained blank as he turned away, though a small, fleeting smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Then brace yourself, disciple. We start now."

Veldris extended his hand with an air of authority, his long, pale fingers curling gracefully. As his hand hovered in the air, faint ethereal runes began to materialize around his fingertips, glowing faintly with an ancient energy. They danced in a delicate spiral before converging into a scroll, etched with intricate symbols.

The scroll unfurled in his hand, and with a deliberate motion, Veldris passed it to Xuan Li. "First, practice this," he instructed calmly.

Xuan Li took the scroll, his heart pounding with anticipation. Unraveling it, his eyes scanned the words written in a script unfamiliar yet strangely intuitive. "Spiritual Master Awakening," the title read, and below it, a detailed method for unlocking one's spiritual consciousness.

He felt a surge of determination, the method calling to him as if it were the very essence of his existence. Understanding the technique, he sat down cross-legged, the world around him beginning to fade as he prepared to enter a deep meditative state.

Veldris watched Xuan Li's focused posture, his eyes momentarily softening with a deep sigh. He turned away, Gently, he returned it to its rightful place to the locket.

Xuan Li, meanwhile, had already closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he followed the method from the scroll. His inner world, the Primordial Core, responded to his intent, the very fabric of his soul reaching deeper than ever before. He traveled through layers of his consciousness, each breath guiding him further inward.

Time seemed to stretch and bend around him. Soon, Xuan Li felt a profound connection within himself, a pulse of energy radiating as he reached the core of his being: his spiritual consciousness. There, in the vast expanse of his soul, he felt complete, an overwhelming sense of power and clarity that he'd never experienced before.