Chapter 9: The First Step Beyond Mortality After returning to Hinthada... Adrian returned to his quiet life. The outside world remained unchanged. To everyone else, he was still the same person. But inside... Something had changed. The battle with the witch gave him a deeper understanding. Not only of his enemy. But of his own path. His cultivation was still at the beginning. But his foundation had already started changing. That night... Adrian sat in silence. The room was dark. The Originless Immortal Core inside him slowly circulated. Unlike ordinary cultivation methods... It did not require him to constantly absorb external energy. It continued operating naturally. But after the battle... The core had reached a point where it could no longer remain unchanged. The understanding of sword intent. The creation of thunder energy. The confrontation with curses and spiritual forces. Everything became part of his foundation. Adrian closed his eyes. His consciousness entered the depths of his energy. The Originless Immortal Core slowly expanded. The energy within it became purer. More stable. More controlled. The connection between his will and spiritual energy became stronger. Then— A silent change occurred. The barrier was broken. Foundation Establishment Realm. Adrian opened his eyes. The atmosphere around him changed. There was no explosion. No destructive pressure. Only a deeper control over his own energy. He could now sense his spiritual energy clearly. Every movement. Every flow. Every change. Everything was under his control. The difference was not simply more power. It was understanding. Before... His energy was like a vast ocean without a complete structure. Now... That ocean had become stable. Controlled. Endless. Adrian looked at his hand. A small amount of energy gathered at his fingertips. The energy responded perfectly to his will. "This realm..." "Is only the beginning." He understood. Cultivation was not about chasing power. It was about continuously refining his existence. ... After reaching Foundation Establishment Realm... His ability to create also improved. Artifact refinement became easier. Techniques became clearer. The Eternal Void Sword responded more naturally to his energy. The Storage Ring became more stable. Even the formations inside his artifacts could now contain more power. But Adrian did not rush. There were still countless mysteries in this world. Ghosts. Witches. Guardian spirits. Hidden beings. He had only seen the surface. The path ahead was still unknown. Adrian looked out of the window. The night sky was quiet. But somewhere beyond ordinary human sight... The hidden world continued moving. And one day... They would discover the existence of a being who walked a path they had never seen before.