Inside the carriage the atmosphere shifted completely. The tremor of Lucas's breakthrough still lingered in the air, a thick hum of power that seemed to seep into the very walls. The girls sat wide-eyed, their breathing shallow, their bodies trembling not from fear but from the overwhelming force that coursed through them. They could feel it vividly, the pulse of Lucas's newly ascended cultivation running like a river through the invisible thread that tied their souls together.
Nyx was the first to gasp audibly. Her hand clutched her chest as she felt her dantian convulse, not in pain, but in sudden, uncontrollable expansion. The strange energy of Lucas's surge did not stop at him, it flooded into her as well, smoothing her meridians, sharpening her senses, strengthening her very core. Her aura flared without warning and her eyes flew open. She could hardly believe it as the veil that had trapped her at the peak of the Expert rank shattered into pieces. The dam broke, and the power of a Master rushed into her. She sat there stunned, unable to form words, her body trembling with the realization. From the third stage of the Expert rank to the second stage of the Master rank, in the span of seconds....it was madness.
Lira too felt the invisible surge push into her. The boundaries of her Adept rank, which she had been stuck at, simply dissolved under the torrent. A cry escaped her lips as she felt herself ascend into the Expert rank. Her tiny frame shuddered with the strain before settling, her dantian stabilized, and her eyes brimmed with tears. She never imagined she could make such progress so quickly. The soul bond was real, and the power Lucas wielded had lifted her up with him.
Selene could not stop the sharp breath that tore from her throat. Her aura flared violently, the very air around her vibrating. She had been balancing at the edge of her limit in the Expert rank, but the force that burst through the soul bond obliterated her plateau. She felt the rush of power invade her veins, transform her, elevate her into the realm of Masters. From the third stage of Expert rank she was catapulted into the first stage of Master rank, her body humming with raw, vibrant energy. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock, and for a moment she forgot her pride.
The three of them sat there bewildered, staring at one another as if to confirm that it was not a dream. Their souls, bound to Lucas, had resonated with his breakthrough, and the power had uplifted them. It was not just their cultivation that had changed...it was their very connection to him. They could feel him more intimately than ever before, his aura pulsing within them like a second heartbeat.
Nyx pressed a trembling hand over her chest, her voice barely steady. "I… I reached Master rank. Just like that." She turned her wide eyes to Lucas, disbelief etched across her face.
Lira's lips quivered as she spoke softly, almost reverently. "I thought I would never catch up. But now… Master, I… I broke through. I'm an Expert now."
Selene clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with a mix of awe and pride, though her voice betrayed her shock. "And I… I am no longer an Expert. I crossed over. I'm a Master now."
They all turned their gazes to Lucas, bewildered, almost fearful, yet overflowing with something else too...wonder. His power had not only elevated himself but had dragged them along with him into realms they never thought possible so quickly. The sheer weight of his cultivation energy, shared through the soul bond, had rewritten their paths in a matter of seconds.
The carriage was silent but for the sound of their uneven breaths, the realization of what had just happened pressing heavily upon them. Lucas sat at the center of it all, calm and composed, though the glow of his aura still lingered faintly in his eyes. They had all broken through because of him, and they knew it. The bond was no longer just a contract of souls....it was the very bridge that carried them into greater heights.
None of the girls hesitated for even a moment after realizing what had just happened. The shock of their sudden breakthroughs lingered in their eyes, but they were too wise, too disciplined, to allow such fortune to slip away unanchored. Without exchanging a word, they each drew back into themselves, their postures straightening, their hands folding into familiar cultivation seals, their eyes fluttering closed once more.
Nyx breathed deeply, her aura settling as she guided the violent surge in her dantian. She knew that if she did not stabilize now, the sudden leap to the Master rank could destabilize her foundation. The thought of wasting such a miracle terrified her, and so she devoted her entire focus to refining the energy within, pulling it tighter, smoothing it until it flowed like silk through her veins. Her hair floated slightly around her face as the energy coursed, and a serene expression began to replace her earlier shock.
Lira, on the other hand, was trembling with both joy and anxiety. She had crossed into the Expert rank, something she thought would take years, yet the influx of energy still burned wildly in her body. She pressed her hands together and focused with all her strength, sweat beading on her forehead as she tamed the flood. Her small frame shook, but her determination was firm. She wanted to prove worthy of the chance her Master had given her, to rise steadily beside him instead of being left behind.
Selene clenched her jaw, her aura flaring dangerously as she held herself still. She could feel the raw power of the Master realm running through her, wild and untamed, and she knew that if she faltered even slightly it could backlash and injure her. Her pride would not allow her to stumble. With a deep exhale, she guided the current inward, drawing it back into her core, tempering it, hardening it until it obeyed. Beads of light shimmered faintly around her as her cultivation steadied step by step.
At the center of them all sat Lucas, still as stone, his presence anchoring the circle. His dantian and meridians pulsed with newfound power, vibrating with excitement as he guided the overwhelming flood into order. The Grandmaster realm was a mountain few ever scaled in their lifetime, yet he sat there cultivating with calm precision, already shaping and refining his foundation for the next path ahead. His breathing was slow and deep, his aura retracted inward, and his focus was absolute.
Outside the carriage the guards had long since realized the significance of what was happening within. They had felt the explosion of aura earlier and knew their lord had advanced to the Grandmaster rank. Now, even though the sun had begun to sink and night shadows stretched across the road, they remained mounted in silence, watching the horizon but not daring to disturb. One of the captains shifted uneasily before whispering to the others that it was time to make camp, yet no one moved. They all knew there could be no interruption until Lucas emerged. Until he gave the order, they would wait, no matter how long the night grew.
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