Lifespan Extraction: I Ascend As The Immortal Beast Tamer
Chapter 31: Celestial Inception (Half-Heaven), Soul Transformation Realm, Attempting Deity Transformation Tribulations

Chapter 31: Celestial Inception (Half-Heaven), Soul Transformation Realm, Attempting Deity Transformation Tribulations

[Combine (Low-Earth) Heavenly Beginnings + (Low-Earth) Ethereal Opening?] - [Y/N] - [Cost: 5,000 Lifespan]

Although it pained him to do so, Zar clicked yes, then watched as two dazzling golden lights enveloped the Heavenly Beginnings and Ethereal Opening Cultivation Techniques in his System Interface.

OOOOM!

Even through the turbulent waves of energy unleashed by the reckless act of Technique Fusion, those within the Rising Dawn Province — the sharpest among them, attuned to the slightest shifts in their surroundings — could feel the air itself stir with unnatural force. Yet, bound by the limits of their Deity Transformation Realm cultivation, their senses could grasp no further truth. Whatever it was that moved in the aftermath... it was something far beyond them — something tied directly to the Anomaly known only as the Lifespan Extraction System.

[Fusion process complete!]

[Resulting Cultivation Technique: Ethereal Beginnings (Mid-Earth)(Unmastered)]

"So even though my Heavenly Beginnings Technique was of the Partially Mastered Proficiency Stage, the fusion Technique still ended up reverting back to Unmastered," Zar noted, a bit disappointed. "Well, no matter. I still have plenty of Lifespan, which means that further evolution is still possible."

Going for exactly that, the Lifespan expenditures continued rolling in...

[You have invested 2,500 years of Lifespan into your (Mid-Earth) Ethereal Beginnings Cultivation Technique, and though you see no substantial stage progression, your Proficiency has still increased by leaps and bounds!]

[Proficiency Increases!]

[Proficiency Increases!!]

[Proficiency...]

[After 5,000 years of striving to advance the Proficiency Stage of your (Mid-Earth) Ethereal Beginnings Cultivation Technique, you finally accomplish it, taking your Proficiency from (Unmastered) → (Partially Mastered)]

4,000 years of Lifespan just to get to Partially Mastered Proficiency was insanity!

But that didn’t deter Zar from going deeper and deeper into the bottomless rabbit hole...

[You have invested 6,000 years of Lifespan into your (Mid-Earth) Ethereal Beginnings Cultivation Technique; your Proficiency moderately increases!]

[You have... Your Proficiency moderately increases!]

[8,000 years of Lifespan has been... Your Proficiency moderately increases!]

[Your Proficiency moderately increases...]

[Your Proficiency moderately increases...]

[Your Proficiency moderately increases...]

[Although it took 12,000 years of Lifespan, you ultimately see a glimmer of hope igniting the path forward, guiding you toward total mastery!]

[Ethereal Beginnings (Mid-Earth) (Partially Mastered) → (Mastered)]

Now for the home stretch!

Evolution time!

[You have invested 15,000 years of Lifespan into gaining insights for your (Mid-Earth) Ethereal Beginnings Cultivation Technique, and though you don’t achieve much of anything, you can feel something carving a path forward...]

[You have invested 17,000 years of Lifespan into... But unfortunately, only minor insights are obtained...]

[19,000...]

[22,000...]

[You have.....]

[Finally, after what felt like an eternity of retrying the same thing over and over and over again, your insights into what lay beyond Ethereal Beginnings bear fruit, and from it, a Celestial Event is shown!]

[At the cost of 25,000 years of Lifespan...]

[Ethereal Beginnings (Mid-Earth)(Mastered) → Celestial Inception (Half-Heaven)(Unmastered)]

FWOOOOSH—

Zar’s core being fundamentally changed.

With his primary cultivation technique directly related to how he perceived the world around him, things that once seemed like colors became something entirely different—much more tangible.

Sounds now felt like they could be touched; what was visible could be actualized; scenery could be altered within one’s mind without affecting reality...

Everything was so... different.

And then there was the rate of energy absorption, which was at least a couple dozen times better than it was when he was only using the Low-Earth Heavenly Beginnings Cultivation Technique!

Absurd!

Ridiculous!

Was this what the Half-Heaven Geniuses of the Immortal World of Cultivation experienced from the moment they were born!?

Was this their normal!?

And what of beyond that!??

The genuine Heaven-rank—what sort of otherworldly existences possessed prospects of that degree???

While imagining something that would surely take him hundreds of thousands of years of Lifespan to acquire for himself, Zar realized that he wasn’t yet done. And with his eyes falling upon his Cultivation Rank, a devilish smirk formed.

"I’ve been edging the Soul Transformation Realm for ages now," he said. "I believe it’s about time I let it win."

*Ding! Ding! Ding!*

That was the sound of buttons being clicked! And Lifespan being drained!

[You have commenced your Soul Transformation Lightning Tribulations after investing 10 years of Lifespan into your Cultivation!]

[1st Lightning Bolt strikes with overwhelming force, yet you survive it unharmed, with all of your defenses still intact.]

[2nd Lightning Bolt crashes down, and once again, you come out of the encounter without having taken any damage whatsoever.]

[3rd Lightning Bolt aims to snuff out your lifeforce, but the moment it touches your hard-as-a-rock body, it realizes how foolish it was in believing it could take you down...]

[4th Lightning Bolt becomes the first of the Lightning Bolts to damage your defenses, but it only deals slight damage to your outer Innate Barriers, comparable to the 7th Lightning Bolt of the Nascent Soul Tribulations.]

[5th Lightning Bolt nearly shatters every single one of your Innate Barriers with a giant, mawing lightning dragon head, but they manage to hold up.]

[6th Lightning Bolt shatters all your defenses, makes a mess of your skin and physical defenses, and ultimately kills you in a single devastating explosion of heavenly lightning that would’ve obliterated entire mountain ranges...]

Damn! That’s one hell of a 1 to 11 scenario!

[You have invested 100 years of Lifespan into your Cultivation, but even with your Half-Heaven Celestial Inception Cultivation Technique and (Better-Tier) Heavenly Sword Essence Spirit Roots, you fail to pass your Lightning Tribulations. On the 6th Lightning Bolt, you try and fail over 20 times, with all ending in failure...]

[You have failed....]

[300 years....]

[You have failed....]

[After 1,000 years, you have failed...]

[You have failed...]

[After 1,500 years of Lifespan has been spent in attempting the Soul Transformation Lightning Tribulations, you finally succeed in surviving the 6th Lightning Bolt! However, the 7th Lightning Bolt quickly quells your ambitions, erasing you and everything in a hundred-mile radius with a Lightning Spear of ultimate proportions....]

[You have... Failed...]

[Failed!]

[Failed!]

[Failed!]

’4000 years of Lifespan has been used up and I still can’t pass these Lightning Tribulations?? The Soul Transformation Realm is truly of a different league than the Nascent Soul Realm...’

But regardless of Zar’s woes, Lifespan continued being burned through. And soon, the expenditures passed over the 5000-year mark...

[You have invested 5500 years of Lifespan into your Cultivation, and though you still can’t survive the 7th Lightning Bolt, you live longer than any previous time, nearly outliving the lasting destructive effects of the 7th Lightning Bolt]

[After 6000 years of cultivating while repeatedly attempting to succeed in your Lightning Tribulations, you fail hundreds of times. But you believe in hope, and through sheer mental fortitude alone, you’re able to outlast the 7th Lightning Bolt of massive proportions]

[Your Soul Transformation Lightning Tribulations are deemed a success!]

[You begin to breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Realm, and with it, your Essential Primordial Soul begins to materialize!]

[Half-step Soul Transformation → Soul Transformation (1st Layer)]

[You have invested 6200 years of Lifespan into advancing your Cultivation, allowing for a breakthrough into the 2nd Layer of Soul Transformation to be made possible!]

[6600 years - 3rd Layer Soul Transformation]

[7200 years - 4th Layer Soul Transformation]

[8000 years - 5th Layer Soul Transformation]

[9500 years - 6th Layer Soul Transformation]

[12000 years - 7th Layer Soul Transformation]

[15000 years - 8th Layer Soul Transformation]

[You have...]

[After investing 20000 years of Lifespan into your Cultivation, and with the help of your Half-Heaven (Celestial Inception) Cultivation Technique and Better Tier- Heavenly Sword Essence Spirit Roots, you reach the very pinnacle of the Half-step Deity Transformation Realm!]

[With the passing of 20,200 years, you face the Deity Transformation Realm Lightning Tribulations head-on.]

[1st Lightning Bolt touches base, but you remain unharmed]

[2nd Lightning Bolt smashes into you, but your Innate Energy Barriers prevent any harm from coming to you]

[3rd Lightning Bolt races down with might surpassing that of the 7th Lightning Bolt of the Soul Transformation Lightning Tribulations, but not even a single one of your Innate Energy Barriers crack!]

[4th Lightning Bolt arrives with 10 times the speed and power of the 3rd, but besides a few of your Innate Energy Barriers shattering, you take no damage]

[5th Lightning Bolt breaks through all your Innate Energy Barriers, but before the destructive energy has the chance to send you to Oblivion, you retaliate with your Level 5 Sword Intent. Your sword light blots out the sky, dispersing the enormous manifestation of Tribulation Lightning Energy that aimed to reap your life. The residual energies from the Lightning Bolt dispersion nourish your body and soul, preparing you for the Tribulations ahead]

[However, nothing could’ve prepared you for the overwhelming might of the 6th Lightning Bolt...]

[And you die...]

[You cultivate for 100 additional years, improving your strength before attempting the Tribulations again. You fail.]

[You fail...]

[Hundreds more years of Lifespan get expended, but you still fail...]

[You fail!]

[You fail!]

[You...]

[After 25,000 years of cultivating with a fire burning inside you, the 6th Soul Transformation Lightning Bolt is ultimately passed!]

[Then the 7th Lightning Bolt enters the fray, vanquishing you and all your hopes and dreams. Its mocking laughter seems to ring out in your head, telling you that going against it is futile]

[You don’t listen...]

[You fail!]

[You die...]

[You fail!]

[You fail!]

[You die...]

[You die!]

[Stop failing already...]

[29,000 years....]

[You fail!]

[You die...]

[You die again...]

[Why do you keep failing and dying...?]

’You’re asking me?? Who am I supposed to ask!?’