Chapter 177: Silvershade Realm!
The immense relief that washed over Daniel was overwhelming.
He felt like a man who had crossed a fiery canyon on a tightrope and somehow reached the other side unscathed.
Principal Finch, the most powerful and perceptive person he had ever met, saw the impossible results of his SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] and simply attributed them to the kind of luck that often follows a genius.
It was a perfect, if somewhat unnerving, misunderstanding.
"Now then," the Principal said, his demeanor turning serious once more.
"Your foundation is tempered, your bones are forged anew.
You are ready for the third stage of your cultivation.
But be warned, Daniel, this next trial will be significantly harder, and far more dangerous, than the previous two."
"I’m ready, Principal," Daniel replied, his earlier fear replaced by a renewed, unshakeable resolve.
"The third ingredient you require," Alistair began, his gaze turning distant, "is a legendary divine medicine known as the Everfrost Aetherium.
It is a unique, crystalline fungus that grows only in environments where the energies of absolute zero and pure life force meet.
It is the key to the third stage of your cultivation: Perfect Marrow Tempering.