My Infinite Cultivation System

Alex lay among the scattered remains of his enemies, his body broken beyond what any normal person could endure. Three ribs had shattered like glass. His hands were twisted in directions nature never intended. Flesh hung in ragged strips from his forearms. The metallic scent of his own blood filled his nostrils, thick and overwhelming.

But he was not normal.

A warm sensation spread from his body, flowing through his veins like liquid fire. His regeneration skill had activated. He watched with detached fascination as bones realigned themselves beneath his skin, knitting together with audible cracks. Torn muscles rewove their fibers. Skin crawled across wounds like living fabric, sealing shut without leaving so much as a scar.

The pain faded, replaced by a dull ache that would soon vanish entirely.

Alex pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his tattered clothes. He should have finished the battle earlier. He had the power to end it in seconds. But he wanted to enjoy the fight.

Far to the south, the forest looked different. Thicker trees. Darker canopies. The air smelled of decay and something else, something ancient and hungry.

Sofia stood in a clearing surrounded by a dozen corpses. Her weapons were clean, which was strange given the massacre around her. She did not wipe blood from her blades. The blood simply refused to touch her.

Each fallen monster released a wisp of energy, a soul essence that glowed faintly in the dim light. But unlike Alex, who absorbed such power directly into his body, Sofia did something entirely different. She simply watched as these essences drifted downward, sinking into her own shadow on the ground.

Her shadow grew darker. It pulsed once, twice, like a heartbeat.

"Delicious," Sofia whispered, licking her lips slowly. Her tongue was red, too red, as if she had already tasted something sweet. "He is literally very tasty. I think I will meet him soon."

She smiled faintly.

Alex gathered his thirteen companions in a loose semicircle. They had seen him fight. They had seen him regenerate. Now they watched him with expressions ranging from fear to admiration to something close to worship.

"Listen to me carefully," Alex said. His voice was calm, which made it more terrifying than any shout. "From now on, I am going on a killing spree. Monsters or candidates, it makes no difference to me. Give me their locations. I do not want to waste time searching."

Ares stepped forward first. His eyes were practically glowing with excitement. He had seen many powerful warriors in his life, coming from a primordial race as he did, but none had moved him like this. Alex was different. Alex was special.

"Boss, just wait. We will find information for you." Ares gestured toward the north. "Right now, in the northern forest, I have heard there are a good number of monsters gathered. You can start from there."

The others nodded in agreement. None of them questioned Alex’s authority. He had earned it through blood and power, the only currency that mattered in this trial.

They began walking toward the forest, leaving the battlefield behind.

As they walked through the thickening trees, Alex’s curiosity got the better of him. There was so much he did not know about the wider universe, about the races that inhabited it, about his place in their grand design.

"Do you guys know anything about the prime sanctuary?" Alex asked without looking back.

Jaros answered first. He was from an eternal race, one of the highest in the cosmic hierarchy, but he spoke to Alex as an equal. "Yes. Once we reach the star realm, we need to enter the prime sanctuary to become a soldier there and serve a certain amount of time. This is our racial obligation."

"Same here," Ares added. "We also do the same thing. Every race has their own territory in the prime sanctuary."

Alex considered this. "Is there fighting between races in the universe?"

"Of course there is." Jaros sounded almost surprised by the question. "Everyone wants supremacy. Every race believes they are the chosen ones, the destined rulers of all existence. Wars have been fought for billions of years."

"Then how are you guys cooperating so well?" Alex turned to look at the group. Twelve different races, twelve different backgrounds, yet they moved together like a single unit.

Jaros explained. "We twelve are from the Grand Cosmic Academy. That is where only the supreme prodigies from different races come to study. The five sages chose us specifically for this trial because we were already friends. They told us clearly: if we betray each other because of our race, they would erase our existence."

Ares shivered. "The sages do not make empty threats."

Alex found himself intrigued. "Grand Cosmic Academy, huh? Are there humans as well? And what are the criteria for studying there?"

Jaros hesitated. He glanced at the others before answering. "There are one or two humans in every batch. But most of them join as lackeys."

He stopped, realizing how that sounded.

"I mean, most humans enter there with the help of god races. Humans cannot interact with primordial or eternal races on because they are only a normal race. It is not an insult. It is simply reality. As for how to join, if you have a talent above god tier and pass the test, you can join."

Alex’s expression did not change. "How do you decide the level of these races?"

Jaros relaxed slightly, glad that Alex had not taken offense. "Only the races where a sage is born can be called an eternal race. Where a transcended being is born, that race can be promoted to a primordial race. And god races are those who have five or more universal beings in their history."

Alex nodded slowly. "Okay. Thanks for the clarification."

Ares could not contain himself any longer. "Boss, if you become the disciple of Sage Merlin, your planet would instantly become the highest priority planet among the human race. And if you marry into a higher race, maybe your planet would gain similar treatment to a god race."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You can tell I am here for Sage Merlin’s trial?"

Ares grinned. "Yeah. Normally a human does not get the chance to enter a trial like this. And judging by your exceptional talent, it is only normal to assume that even a sage would want you as his disciple."

"Then you are correct," Alex admitted. "I am here for a trial. Once I get five thousand reputation points, I will pass this trial and become his disciple."

Ares sighed with frustration. "Man, I am so jealous. Even though I come from a primordial race, I cannot even meet a sage, let alone become his disciple."

They continued walking, the forest growing darker around them.

Soon they emerged into a wide clearing. The trees opened up to reveal a grassy field littered with fallen branches and patches of strange purple flowers. But the flowers were not what drew their attention.

A group of candidates stood in the center of the clearing. Fifteen of them, maybe twenty. They had been fighting each other, judging by the wounds on their bodies and the weapons in their hands. But they stopped when they saw Alex and his twelve companions approach.

"Go kill them," Alex ordered calmly.

He had taken command of this team, and he was worthy of that command. No one questioned him.

"Yes, boss."

Boom.

The twelve of them vanished from his side, appearing in the midst of the enemy candidates like ghosts made of steel and fury. Swords flashed. Spells erupted. Blood sprayed across the purple flowers, turning them red.

Alex watched without moving.

Mira stood beside him. She had not joined the attack either. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes were fixed on something far away, something only she could see.

"You do not want to gain points?" Alex asked her.

Mira shook her head slowly. "I do. But I am waiting for something."

"What is it?"

She turned to look at him. There was intelligence in her eyes, a sharp cunning that Alex had not noticed before. "I heard that the trial ground shrinks every day by a small margin. So all the candidates must fight within one hundred years. There will not be any chance to hide. I want to find the last border."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "The last border?"

"Yes. I heard that if you kill fewer than one thousand candidates, you can get a ten times boost if you fight while touching the border. Imagine the power you could gain. Imagine how many points you could earn."

Alex smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You sure know many weird pieces of information."

Mira smiled back. "I pay attention to things that others ignore. That is how I survive."

The sounds of battle faded. The twelve had finished their work. Bodies lay scattered across the clearing, and the purple flowers were now completely hidden beneath a layer of crimson.

Alex was about to step forward and collect his share of points when he heard it.

A voice. Soft. Sweet. Completely terrifying.

"Hello, Alex. We meet again."

The voice came from behind him, close enough that he could feel warm breath on his neck. He had not heard anyone approach. He had not sensed any presence at all.

He turned slowly.