Act III: Beyond the Liquidation Stage

Still pleased with the clever name he had chosen for himself, Nihil sat in an infinite white expanse of nothingness—a void that seemed paradoxically finite and infinite at once. Gazing once more into the abyss, he began to ponder what else he might occupy himself with.

Sitting idly, boredom slowly creeping in, he rested his head on his hand and leaned forward slightly, his crimson eyes still fixed on the endless expanse. "Hmmmm," he murmured quietly, thinking deeply yet feeling a faint twinge of monotony from remaining in the same spot for so long.

"What should I do?" he asked aloud, his voice filled with contemplation as he sought a way to break his boredom, yearning for something productive to engage in.

"Hmm… Earlier, I tried shaping and containing energy, but I gave up quickly... maybe I should try doing more with it this time," he said to himself. Extending his hand forward, he directed his energy toward his palm, where a small black flame flickered into existence.

The flame, just as dark and wild as before, danced with chaotic energy. Tilting his head slightly to the side, Nihil brought his hand closer to his face, resting his head lazily on his other hand. He stared at the flame, his gaze thoughtful.

"What should I do with you?" he mused with a faint smile, studying the flame closely. He exhaled softly, the flame swaying gently in response to his breath. His crimson eyes reflected the flickering light of the chaotic blaze as he observed it, still untamed and unpredictable.

After a moment, the flame began to move—not aimlessly, but deliberately—circling his index finger with a newfound sense of purpose. Nihil watched, intrigued, as his mind raced with possibilities. "Perhaps… something like this?" he said aloud. The energy, previously in the form of a flame, shifted and reformed into a cube—a solid block of energy that continued to orbit his finger.

"But what's the use of this?" he questioned, examining the energy block closely. "What does it do? How is it different?" His gaze sharpened as he noticed something unusual. The energy of the surrounding void seemed to gravitate toward the cube more strongly than it had toward the chaotic flame. "Hmm… Interesting. Why does that happen?" he wondered aloud. His eyes widened slightly as a curious smile spread across his face.

"Maybe the 'why' isn't as important as the 'what'—what can I use this for?" Excitement sparked in his voice as he straightened from his previously slouched position, his mind racing with ideas.

"This might help with cultivation… Normally, when I draw energy from my surroundings, the process speeds up as my cultivation advances, but it still takes time," he said, his tone growing more animated. "But if this energy cube orbits around me… perhaps it could help me attract energy faster!" His crimson eyes seemed to glow with determination and the thrill of discovery.

"Well then, let's get to work," Nihil declared, a smile of excitement lighting up his face. He extended his hand and created four more cubes of energy, forming five in total. The cubes hovered before him in the vast emptiness, their surfaces shimmering faintly. He studied them for a moment with a grin, then made a swift motion with his hand. The cubes began to move, spinning rapidly around him.

The speed of their motion was astonishing, so fast that they seemed to create a shimmering circle of light around Nihil. He watched the spectacle he had created with a mixture of fascination and hope, eager to see if his theory would hold true. Moments later, as the cubes spun at blinding speed, energy from the nothingness surged toward them—not slowly, as it had with the lone flame, but in a torrent, four times faster and five times more abundant.

Nihil's otherworldly features reflected his growing excitement. His lips curved into a smile, and his crimson eyes sparkled as he observed the energy being drawn in. "Hahaha…" he chuckled softly, the sight before him confirming his hypothesis. "I was right," he said, his voice tinged with satisfaction.

"The energy flows toward the cubes… It's absorbed by them to sustain their motion and existence, but most of it still flows toward me as a side effect of their speed," he noted, his gaze narrowing with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. Closing his eyes, Nihil began to cultivate once more, focusing the flowing energy into a single point within himself.

..................

Five days later, Nihil opened his crimson eyes and rose from his meditative state. Running a hand through his hair, he swept stray strands away from his face, only for them to fall back moments later. "Haaa…" he sighed, his expression tinged with mild disappointment. "I thought the energy would condense into a single point faster… but it's been nine days already."

He released his hair and let it fall back across his forehead. "Still, I can't expect everything to go exactly as I plan," he said with a resigned smile, resolving to be patient. "Let's see how the gathering is progressing," he muttered, closing his eyes again to examine the energy within himself.

Peering inward, he saw a dense core of energy beginning to take shape. "What could this be? A sphere? A core?" he wondered, observing the process with a mix of curiosity and expectation. "At this rate, it'll probably take another two days… Hopefully no longer," he said to himself before resuming his cultivation, pushing the process forward with renewed focus.

.......................

Two days later, Nihil's aura shifted dramatically. What was once calm now grew chaotic, a storm of energy swirling around him. Unlike before, when this state lasted mere moments, the chaos endured for several minutes as the liquid energy within him was drawn into the newly formed core.

As the last of the liquid energy was absorbed, the chaotic aura dissipated, replaced by a calm yet far more powerful presence. The transformation was profound—his aura was now ten times stronger than it had been in the previous realm.

Nihil opened his eyes, and immediately he was overwhelmed by a surge of power, relaxation, and profound satisfaction. These sensations washed over him in waves, the culmination of breaking through the 9th stage of Energy Liquidation. For over twenty grueling days, he had labored at this stage—a period of painstaking effort and focus that had now rewarded him with immense progress and relief.

He stretched his hand out before him, opening and closing his fingers a few times. Observing the subtle changes in his movements, a faint smile crept onto his face. "Excellent... I didn't expect such a boost in strength and relaxation," he muttered, his tone carrying a note of surprise, tinged with pride. His voice was calm, but his satisfaction was palpable.

After a brief moment of savoring his accomplishment, Nihil closed his eyes once more. As soon as his consciousness shifted inward, his vision was drawn to the core at the center of his being—a small, gray construct, suspended in the darkness within him. Its presence felt stable, enigmatic, and brimming with potential.

A smile spread across Nihil's face as he focused on the core. His thoughts swirled with questions, curiosity driving him to explore its purpose. "What were you created for?" he murmured, directing the question toward the core itself. In his mind's eye, he extended his hand and lightly brushed it against the core, his touch gentle yet deliberate, as though trying to coax an answer from the enigmatic structure.

The core remained silent, offering no immediate revelation. Nihil lingered for a moment longer,, before finally opening his eyes again and returning to the external world.

"The purpose of this core still eludes me," he said aloud, his voice low and thoughtful. His mind drifted to the memory of first witnessing the core's appearance within him—a moment that had left a profound impression.

He recalled how, when he broke through into this new cultivation realm, the once-liquid and refined energy within him had condensed further, becoming more potent and stable. "This core… when I entered this realm, I felt the energy that was once fluid and refined transform—condensing and becoming far stronger," he reflected, raising a hand to his face as if the gesture might help organize his thoughts.

"Does this mean the core refines the energy I absorb?" he questioned aloud, his brows furrowing slightly as he considered the implications. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, his tone firm and resolute. "There's only one way to find out."

His focus returned to the present, and his gaze settled on the vast white void surrounding him. Before him, black energy cubes moved in rapid orbits, streaking through the air with incredible speed. The sight was mesmerizing, but Nihil's mind was fixed on his experiment.

He extended his hand, and with a simple thought, the cubes halted abruptly, coming to a dead stop in mid-air. The sudden stillness was almost startling, a stark contrast to their previous frenetic motion.

One by one, the cubes obeyed his will, flying toward his outstretched hand. They gathered above his palm, forming a neat cluster that floated with an almost deliberate precision. Nihil's crimson eyes glimmered faintly as he observed the gathered cubes, studying their movements and the energy they radiated.

With a sharp motion of his hand, the cubes dissipated, vanishing into nothingness. A faint shimmer lingered in the void for a moment before fading entirely.

"Hmmm," Nihil murmured thoughtfully, as his gaze shifted to his hand. He stirred the energy now stored within the core, directing it toward his palm. Slowly but deliberately, he channeled the refined energy outward, allowing it to take form.

Once again, flames burst forth—vivid and wild, their intensity far greater than before. energy they radiated were palpable, even within the nothingness. Nihil narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed on the blazing flames.

"They're much denser... and wilder than before," he remarked quietly. A faint smile played on his lips as he observed the chaotic energy. His sharp features softened ever so slightly, reflecting his satisfaction.

"But this is better," he added, his voice laced with quiet conviction. The flames expanded, growing larger and more imposing as he willed them forward into the white expanse.

Despite their unruly nature, the flames soon began to settle, their chaotic movements calming as Nihil manipulated their form. Slowly, they shifted into a shape that had taken root in his mind—a form similar to a sphere but not quite: an icosahedron. The structure was elegant yet complex, composed of twenty equal triangular faces.

The shape served no practical purpose; Nihil had crafted it purely out of aesthetic preference. "Hmm… an intriguing shape," he mused, a faint smile gracing his features as he admired the result.

However, as he observed the icosahedron, he noticed something expected. The energy in the surrounding void seemed to be drawn toward the shape at an accelerated pace. The flow of energy was stronger and faster than before, a phenomenon that immediately caught his attention.

"Interesting," Nihil remarked, his curiosity piqued. With a wave of his hand, he set the icosahedron in motion. It began to spin, orbiting him at an incredible speed. This time, the energy flow became even more efficient, 

He watched in silence for a moment, his mind racing with ideas. The possibilities this newfound efficiency presented were limitless.

Finally, Nihil closed his eyes once more, retreating into meditation. His focus turned inward, and he resumed his cultivation, eager to see what further discoveries lay ahead.