Supreme Paragon Reborn: Humanity's Rise To Galactic Supremacy-Chapter 347: Double Enlightenment
In the blink of an eye, the Echo vanished, taking Queen Seer with him and leaving Michael with the most philosophical quest he had ever received.
"If my future self has taken Seer, then he must have concluded it wouldn’t impact humanity for the worse." Michael mused, settling on the ground.
Hopefully, there won’t be any more distractions.
"Don’t take it the wrong way..." Devil’s voice echoed.
"But you were... way cooler in your past... or was that supposed to be your future? Other timeline? No matter. Can’t you, like... become more like that version of yourself?"
Michael didn’t even give Devil the benefit of an answer, focusing on cultivation.
[You are in an area with a staggeringly high concentration of spiritual energy. +50,000% cultivation speed applied.]
[Spirit Radiance takes effect.]
[You have consumed spiritual energy—]
Potent energy began to flow throughout Michael’s body. Luckily, due to the nature of the closed chamber, the majority of the spiritual energy was trapped with him, easing the process.
Seconds ticked into hours that blended into days, Michael progressed with astonishing speed, while Devil stared in annoyance at his owner’s undeniably striking face.
"Tch! I don’t swing that way, and even I have to admit that he doesn’t just look handsome, but actually attractive..." Devil murmured in annoyance. "Though considering that this would inevitably lead to increased women’s affection, perhaps I ought to look from the bright side..."
The soul weapon chuckled. He was fueled by both slaughter and profanities. His owner seemed more than prone when it came to killing. Now it was a matter of making him indulge in his primal urges more frequently.
With Victoria, Claire, and Ava constantly by his side, it seemed easy on paper...
"Considering his past, it would be smarter to treat him with the mindset of a wise sage rather than a young man. Hmm... would slipping an aphrodisiac into his morning tea be too much?" Devil pondered. On one hand, it was morally incorrect, not that such a thing had ever stopped a Devil like himself, and on the other, he would probably be hailed as a hero by the women from the base.
"Hold a minute... So it’s basically all win with no downside? Wouldn’t that make me, like... the best wingman there is?"
Lost in his own world, Devil wondered how far he could push it. After all, Michael had never explicitly forbade him from slipping an aphrodisiac into his drink.
There was also the matter of Devil’s own manhood. The soul weapon had advanced into a Mythic rank when dipped into the blood of a Titan. Perhaps, to evolve into the Supreme rank, the method could involve his owner forming deeper bonds with women more often.
"It doesn’t really make sense. But then again, here I am... a Devil in an underwater cave, with megalodons swimming above me, while my owner, a supposed Regressor, absorbs the power of a slain parasite of humanity after meeting his future self. When has anything ever made sense?"
If Devil weren’t a soul weapon, his talent for twisting things to suit his perspective might have led him to the path of a lawyer... or a politician.
The next tournament round neared with the week of preparation almost over. Michael finally achieved enlightenment.
[You have achieved enlightenment!]
[Peak Grandmaster → Radiant Lord]
"At last..." Breathing deeply, he opened his eyes, which now carried tremendous power.
It could be said this was the first time he had ascended to the Lord realm as one was meant to, since in his previous life he had done so at the border between life and death.
To reach enlightenment, a cultivator typically needed to double their spirit from the Peak stage. But that rule only held true in the lower realms. In the Lord realm and beyond, advancement became an entirely different beast, hence why the stages were named differently.
As a result, meaningful progress became so rare. Which was why those at that level commanded... and more often than not demanded, far greater respect.
The benefit of the system Michael possessed was the skill points it gave him upon completing quests, granting him the ability to expand his power in a way besides breakthroughs, which were tremendously hard to achieve in the Lord realm.
Without further ado, Michael inspected his status.
Name: Michael
Soul Realm: Radiant Lord
Cybernetics: Indomitable System, Archwarlock, Dash, Perfect Senses, Spirit Radiance, Blink, Bypasser, Parallel Sight, Fade, Psychokinesis
• Strength: 12,000
• Agility: 13,500
• Stamina: 12,000
• Spirit: 10,000,000
• Mind: 1,000,000
Skill Points: 0
The 3,000 points to his basic attributes were an invaluable boost. It was also worth noting that before his Echo had obliterated the body of the Monarch, Michael had consumed a portion of the alien’s meat, gaining 300 points, which he used to even out his strength.
But the greatest boon was his Spirit and Mind. With such immense spiritual reserves, he could fight for extended periods, all while keeping his thoughts sharper and more focused.
Clapping dramatically, Devil spoke aloud. "Congratulations on achieving enlightenment as well."
Michael raised an eyebrow.
"As well? You can’t achieve enlightenment. What are you talking about?"
Devil shook his head with a scoff.
"In my case, I meant it in a more literal sense... Nevermind, you’ll see what I mean eventually."
Obviously, Devil was up to no good. But since everything the soul weapon did was supposed to benefit Michael, he didn’t pursue the matter.
Without lingering needlessly, the two made their way back. Michael’s powers were evident. This time, the journey was much shorter, and he wasn’t on the brink of exhaustion upon its completion.
"This is much easier than before." Michael glanced down at Devil in sword form.
Flying on his own was possible, but traveling on Devil didn’t drain Michael’s reserves as severely.
The sword trembled and hurled curses in protest, insisting he was more than just a floating board. Michael blissfully ignored him with a laugh as they made their way back to the base.
"We’ve been apart for less than a week. Surely things haven’t changed too much?" Michael mused, his gaze fixed on the golden tree visible on the far horizon.
Abruptly, his chest expanded.
He had yet to enter the blessed lands, but the spiritual energy had already become more potent. It wasn’t on mind-blowing levels, but there were clear improvements.
"So, the Monarch parasite was indeed holding back the tree..." Michael murmured. "Hopefully, this aids humanity in the long run."
Quite fortunate on his part. Should he ever need to explain how he managed to ascend to the Lord realm so quickly, he could point to the increased energy output from the golden tree as the reason.
Gracefully landing on the ground, Michael entered the base of his faction.
He was taken aback by the sight of Scarlett waiting for him at the entrance.
"Brother!" She exclaimed, her voice laced with pure awe. Her excitement was so palpable that she didn’t even notice her brother had reached the Lord realm.
Grasping his firm hands gently, Scarlett began to lead him eagerly, a radiant smile visible on her face.
"Something amazing has been happening! You have to see it!"
