This realm demanded more than energy. It demanded sacrifice.
Spirit Severing required refining one's body and spirit to such a degree that impurities were forcibly cut away. If done poorly, it could cripple a cultivator permanently.
Jian set up a makeshift formation in his courtyard, circulating energy through carved lines of spiritual ink. When activated, the formation compressed the spiritual energy around him until it felt like he was sitting beneath an avalanche.
He screamed only once.
Then he grit his teeth and bore the pain.
Every cycle stripped weakness from his meridians.
Every breath cleansed a sliver more of impurity.
Every hour was another trial of endurance.
Eventually, the moment arrived.
With one final surge of will, Jian triggered the severing technique.
The world went silent.
His spirit tore away a layer of itself—painlessly, beautifully—and the surge that followed shook the courtyard.
When he opened his eyes, he knew.
He had stepped into the 9th Realm.
Even the wind seemed to bow.