My Infinite Cultivation System-Chapter 96: The Seven Statues

They stood in a clearing before him, arranged in a semicircle. Each one was magnificent in its own way, carved from some stone that seemed to glow from within. They were massive, easily fifty feet tall, and they radiated dignity and power so intensely that Alex felt an almost overwhelming urge to kneel.

Around each statue, strange weapons floated in the air, circling slowly as if held by invisible hands. One statue had a cudgel, thick and brutal. Another had a disk, perfectly round and covered in intricate carvings. A third held a sword that seemed to be made of pure light. Next to it stood a statue with a shield so massive it could probably block a meteor. Beside that, a bow made of crystal floated, an arrow already nocked and ready to fly. The sixth statue held a spear that crackled with barely contained lightning.

But it was the seventh statue that drew Alex’s attention. The one in the center.

It held no weapon. It needed none. The figure carved in stone was simply standing there, hands clasped behind its back, head tilted slightly upward as if contemplating the universe itself. And yet, despite the lack of weapons, despite the simple pose, this statue radiated more power than all the others combined. Looking at it made Alex’s eyes water. Looking at it made his soul tremble.

He activated his Eye of Revelation, pointing it at the first statue.

[Name: Statue of Gilbert

Talent: Telekinesis (Eternal)

Rank: Transcended

Note: He is the sixth student of Merlin the Sage. His mastery of telekinesity allowed him to move galaxies with a thought. He chose the cudgel as his weapon because he believed in facing his enemies directly, with no tricks or deception. But his cudgel can split in tiny forms if he needed.]

Alex’s breath caught in his throat. Transcended rank. Eternal level talent. And this was just the sixth student?

He moved his gaze to the next statue.

[Name: Statue of Remold

Talent: Telekinesis (Eternal)

Rank: Transcended

Note: He is the fifth student of Merlin the Sage. Remold preferred the disk, a weapon few could master. He could make it spin so fast that it could cut through dimensional barriers. His enemies never saw him coming.]

One by one, Alex examined the statues. Each one was the same. Eternal level telekinesis talent. Transcended rank. Each one a master of their chosen weapon, each one a student of the same legendary figure.

The fifth statue wielded the crystal bow.

[Name: Statue of Varian

Talent: Telekinesis (Eternal)

Rank: Transcended

Note: He is the fourth student of Merlin the Sage. Varian’s arrows could track their targets across multiple dimensions. It was said that once he nocked an arrow, no force in the universe could prevent it from reaching its mark.]

The fourth statue held the shield.

[Name: Statue of Cassius

Talent: Telekinesis (Eternal)

Rank: Transcended

Note: He is the third student of Merlin the Sage. Cassius’s shield was not just for defense. He could use it to reflect any attack, sending it back at his enemies with twice the force. He never lost a battle.]

The third statue gripped the light sword.

[Name: Statue of Seraphina

Talent: Telekinesis (Eternal)

Rank: Transcended

Note: She is the second student of Merlin the Sage. Seraphina’s sword moved faster than thought, faster than light. She could cut through concepts as easily as through flesh. Enemies feared her above all others.]

The second statue held the crackling spear.

[Name: Statue of Maximus

Talent: Telekinesis (Eternal)

Rank: Transcended

Note: He is the first student of Merlin the Sage. Maximus’s spear could pierce anything in existence. Space, time, reality itself. Nothing could stand before his charge.]

Alex’s heart was pounding now. Six statues. Six Transcended beings with Eternal level talents. All students of one master.

He turned his gaze to the central statue, the one with no weapon, the one that made his soul ache just to look at it. His Eye of Revelation activated, and the words that appeared made his mind go blank with shock.

[Name: Statue of Merlin

Talent: Telekinesis (Genesis)

Rank: Earl (Multiversal Realm)

Note: He is one of the five sages of the universe, beings who have transcended the limitations of reality itself. Merlin reached the Multiversal Realm, becoming an Earl among sages. His telekinesis was not just a power, it was a fundamental law of existence. With a thought, he could create universes. With a glance, he could destroy them. He took no weapon because he needed none. He himself was the greatest weapon in the universe.]

Alex swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. Genesis level talent. Multiversal realm. One of five sages in the entire universe.

And this was his trial.

The statues suddenly shifted, their stone eyes glowing with inner light. They were watching him now. Judging him. The air grew heavy with anticipation.

The voice returned, echoing through the clearing.

[Trial of Spirit: Begin.]

[Objective: Earn the recognition of Merlin the Sage and his six students. Earning the recognition of at least student would be considered partially successful.]

[Method: Unknown.]

[Reward: You may become the the student of one of them.]

[Punishment: None but you will gain nothing]

Alex took a deep breath and stepped forward into the clearing, ready to face whatever came next.

Far across the vast expanse of the universe, within a supermassive galaxy whose scale surpassed a hundred combined systems, a presence stirred.

This galaxy was not a place where ordinary laws held firm. Its structure stretched across unimaginable distances, containing countless stellar systems bound together under forces that even advanced civilizations could not fully comprehend. At its heart, within a solar system so immense that it dwarfed entire galactic clusters, a young man slowly opened his eyes.

There was no movement in the conventional sense, yet the moment his consciousness awakened, the surrounding space seemed to respond.

"Oh? Someone has triggered my trial?" he said quietly, his tone carrying a trace of curiosity rather than surprise. "Let me see."

He closed his eyes again, though the gesture was merely symbolic. In the next instant, his awareness shifted across layers of reality, traversing distances that could not be measured in light-years or time.

His conciousness entered the forest where Alex was.

The young man’s form materialized before the sixth statue.

This was his statue.

However, the moment he fully perceived his surroundings, his composure broke for the first time.

His eyes opened wide.

The other statues were active.

Not just one or two, but all of them.

The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth statues stood illuminated, their presence unmistakable. Even beyond them, towering above all others, was the statue of their master, a figure whose existence had long since surpassed even their understanding.

The pressure in the hall intensified.

This was not his trial.

It was a convergence.

"What is going on?" he murmured, his voice no longer as steady as before. "How can someone trigger all of our trials at once? Even Master’s?"

A brief silence followed as he processed the implications.

"Didn’t Master say he would not accept any more disciples?" he continued, his thoughts sharpening.

Then, without hesitation, his eyes changed.

They turned a deep, radiant gold.

He looked at Alex’s talents.

"Five eternal talents..." he said slowly.

There was no disbelief in his voice now, only recognition.

"So he is the first existence to reach the hundredth stair."

Understanding settled in.

"No wonder he can trigger all of our trials together," he concluded but he couldn’t see Alex’s other talents.

"His potential exceeds the threshold Master once described."

The name surfaced in his mind.

Alex.

Before he could examine further, another presence entered the space.

A voice followed, smooth and layered with a subtle allure that carried both authority and familiarity.

"Little brother, you are here as well?"

The young man immediately straightened, instinctively lowering his head in respect.

"Second Sister," he said, his tone formal. "It has been a long time."

A faint ripple formed near the second statue as her presence became more distinct.

"Have you completed refining that weapon of yours?" she asked, her voice calm but observant.

He paused briefly before answering.

"Not yet. The process is still incomplete. At my current rate, it will require approximately another billion years." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

There was no exaggeration in his estimate. For beings at their level, time was a resource measured differently, yet even so, a billion years was not insignificant.

"I see," she replied. "You have always been meticulous."

"It has been several million years since we last gathered like this," she continued. "Circumstances rarely align for all of us to be present simultaneously."

Her tone shifted slightly as she added, "As for Master, he is still exploring the outer regions beyond known space. However, he recently sent word to the eldest brother."

Gilbert raised his head slightly.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"He indicated that he may return in approximately five thousand years," she replied. "When he does, he intends to take one of us beyond this domain, to witness what lies further outside."