Runar activated the Eternal Nexus Ascension at full power, but with a specific modification: instead of focusing on advancement, he directed it purely toward equalization.
The black hole in his dantian began spinning faster, but rather than condensing new orbital spheres, it started redistributing energy throughout his entire existence.
The technique's three-aspect design—Body, Qi, Soul—activated its balancing protocols.
His soul strength, currently at peak early Supernova realm, was too high compared to the other aspects. But he couldn't lower soul strength—that was impossible and dangerous. Regression in cultivation could shatter the foundation permanently.
Instead, the technique used a different approach: elevation.
Use the strongest aspect as the baseline, Runar understood as he felt the technique working. Pull the weaker aspects up to match it.
His soul's overwhelming power began flowing through channels the Eternal Nexus Ascension created specifically for this purpose. Not draining his soul—redistributing its strength to reinforce the other aspects.
Soul energy flowed into his body.
Every cell absorbed spiritual power. Muscles refined themselves, becoming denser without becoming larger. Bones restructured at the molecular level, approaching theoretical maximum density. Organs enhanced their functions. Blood became purer, carrying more qi with each circulation.
His body, already at Peak Red Giant level from all the Law tempering, began advancing rapidly.
Peak Red Giant → Early Supernova → Peak Early Supernova.
The advancement was internal, not external. His physical appearance didn't change—the transformation technique maintained his seven-year-old form—but his actual body's capabilities skyrocketed.
At the same time, his qi cultivation responded to the elevation.
The 3333 orbital spheres in his dantian began glowing brighter, spinning faster, becoming denser. They weren't increasing in number—he was still at Meteor Forging realm in terms of stage count—but their quality was improving exponentially.
Each sphere started resonating with both his soul and body, creating a three-way harmony loop:
Soul power flows into body → body strengthens and generates more refined qi Refined qi circulates through enhanced body → quality increases dramatically
High-quality qi feeds back to soul → soul stabilizes at new baseline
The process was delicate, requiring perfect control. Runar had to carefully manage the energy flows using his particle-level qi manipulation, ensuring nothing spiked too high or dropped too low.
Hours passed in the Pocket Universe. Subjective hours—only milliseconds were passing in the real world outside.
Gradually, the three aspects pulled toward equilibrium:
Soul Strength: Peak Early Supernova → Stabilizing at baseline
Body Strength: Peak Red Giant → Advancing → Reaching Early Supernova
Qi Quality: Meteor Forging 3333 → Refining → Reaching Supernova-equivalent purity
After what felt like eight subjective hours of careful, continuous meditation—roughly three minutes of external time—the balance finally stabilized.
Runar opened his eyes and examined the results.
Current Status After Balancing:
Soul Strength: Peak Early Supernova Rebirth realm (stable baseline)
Body Strength: Peak Early Supernova Rebirth realm (elevated to match soul)
Qi Quality: Peak Early Supernova Rebirth equivalent (refined to match both)
Actual Cultivation Realm: Still Meteor Forging Stage 3333/3333
Perfect harmony, Runar thought with deep satisfaction. All three aspects now match early Supernova level in terms of power, refinement, and capability.
But there was something crucial to understand: despite having Supernova-level strength in all three aspects, his actual cultivation realm remained Meteor Forging.
This was the result of his extremely compressed cultivation path—3333 stages in a realm that normally contained only 9 stages. Each of his Meteor Forging stages was exponentially more powerful than a normal cultivator's.
When I finally break through to Satellite Orbit, Runar realized with a mix of anticipation and trepidation, the power surge is going to be catastrophic. I'll probably jump multiple stages immediately. Maybe even skip Satellite Orbit entirely and land in Planetary Core.
But that's a problem for future me. Right now, everything is perfectly balanced.
He checked his combat capabilities with his newly harmonized cultivation:
Combat Assessment:
Combat Power: Genuine early Supernova Rebirth level across all parameters
Can Fight: Mid-Supernova opponents with confidence
Can Defeat: Early Supernova opponents easily
True Limit: Still unknown—has never fought at genuine full power without suppression
(AN: Please take note that Elder Samsara is also a freaking genius, he is not a normal Supernova cultivator. He can battle a black hole cultivator. Spoiler.....there are still geniuses ahead of him.)
The weapon soul awakening had taken about two subjective hours.
The Rule comprehension insights had taken another hour of analysis.
The cultivation balancing had required eight hours of careful work.
Total time in Pocket Universe: approximately eleven subjective hours.
Total time in real world: about three minutes.
The time dilation here is incredible, Runar thought with genuine appreciation. 1:100,000 ratio means I can spend years training while only minutes pass outside. I could bring Celestia here and accelerate her cultivation by millennia without anyone noticing.
Plans for the future. Right now, he needed to return to reality.
Everything is balanced. The weapon soul is awakened and integrated. I have insights toward Rule comprehension. My three aspects are perfectly harmonized at early Supernova level.
Time to go back.
Back in the Hotel Room
Runar opened a portal back to his hotel room and stepped through.
The room was exactly as he'd left it. No time had passed—maybe three and a half minutes at most.
He lay back down on his bed, his seven-year-old form perfectly maintained by the Myriad Faces Divine Art transformation technique.
Three major issues solved in one meditation session, he thought with satisfaction.
First: The appearance problem. Fixed with transformation technique. I'll maintain this seven-year-old form until it's convenient to "grow"—probably during my Satellite Orbit breakthrough when I can blame it on physique evolution.
Second: The weapon soul awakening. Completed safely in the Pocket Universe. Primordial Grade Void Severance fully integrated. No one noticed the energy release.
Third: The cultivation imbalance. Fixed through Eternal Nexus Ascension's balancing protocols. Soul, Body, and Qi all at early Supernova equivalent level now. Perfect harmony achieved.
Plus bonus insights on Rule comprehension. Not immediate progress, but a clear path forward.
He ran through a final mental checklist:
Family thinks he's still seven years old: ✓
System rewards organized: ✓ Complete Weapon soul awakened: ✓
Fully integrated Cultivation balanced: ✓
All three aspects harmonized and Rule comprehension path identified: ✓
Transformation maintained: ✓ Perfectly stable Next steps planned: ✓
I think that's everything.
He was finally about to drift into actual sleep when—predictably—another knock came at his door.
"Runar?" His mother's voice, now familiar with that particular tone. "Are you still awake? Celestia's here. She says she needs to talk to you about something important."
Runar sighed but couldn't help smiling. Of course she does. That girl has a sixth sense for when I've done something interesting.
"Coming!" he called out.
He got up, checked his appearance one final time in the mirror—perfectly seven years old, perfectly normal, no trace of starlight transformation or Supernova-level power—and headed for the door.
Time to see what Celestia wanted. Probably to interrogate him about being the "mysterious expert" who saved everyone, even though she already knew it was him and was just waiting for him to admit it.
That girl is going to be trouble, Runar thought with genuine affection.
But definitely the good kind of trouble.