Against The Eternity Chapter 63: [62] Chapter - 38: Unknown Formation

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[62] Chapter - 38: Unknown Formation Eklavya stood still at the edge of the lake. Watching it in silence as the once crystal-clear water continued to darken, until it resembled a vast basin of congealed blood rather than a natural body of water. Its surface was thick with a crimson sheen that reflected the storm-lit sky in a grotesque parody of beauty. For a brief moment, a sense of unease crept into his thoughts. Yet the exhaustion gnawing at his depleted ki reserves reminded him that curiosity without preparation would only invite death, especially in a place like Pranahara Forest where even hesitation could be fatal. The thunder cracked above, echoing through the surrounding mountains like the growl of some ancient beast awakening from slumber. Eklavya exhaled slowly as he accepted that whatever mystery lay beneath the lake would have to wait. He lowered himself onto the wet ground near the shore, allowing the rain to soak into his clothes as he crossed his legs and straightened his posture. Closing his eyes, he turned inward, focusing entirely on restoring his exhausted core before confronting whatever aberration had turned an entire lake into a sea of blood. Ordinarily, even an experienced warrior would require an entire day—sometimes longer—to replenish a ki core drained to such an extreme. Especially after prolonged combat and continuous movement without rest. Yet Eklavya was never bound by ordinary standards. Deep within his sea of consciousness flowed primordial ki and primordial blood. Ancient forces that defied the conventional laws governing human cultivation, though he himself had only recently learned the true extent of their significance. It was Magha who had revealed this truth the previous night. Speaking with an unsettling calm as Eklavya fled through the forest, warning him that one day he might be forced to expend everything just to survive. And that knowledge might mean the difference between life and annihilation. Now, as rain hammered against his still body and thunder continued its relentless roar, Eklavya allowed his awareness to sink deeper. Passing beyond flesh and bone into the vast inner world that existed within him. The moment his consciousness crossed that threshold, the external world faded into nothingness. Within his sea of consciousness, Eklavya stood before the ancient dead tree. Its gnarled roots twisted through the blood-red pool beneath it like veins feeding some long-forgotten god. And for a fleeting moment, even he felt a trace of reverence. He knelt beside the pool and extended his hand, drawing forth a single drop of primordial blood. It shimmered faintly, radiating a pressure so profound it seemed capable of crushing the soul of a lesser being. Sitting beneath the dead tree, he began absorbing the blood slowly. Methodically. Allowing it to merge with his being rather than overwhelm it. As he did so, the world outside responded. Spiritual ki from the surrounding environment surged toward his physical body. Gathering like golden mist and coiling strands of luminous smoke, wrapping around him in dense layers before being drawn inward through every microscopic pore on his skin. The process was silent, yet violent in its own way. As if the heavens themselves were pouring energy into him, compelled by a force they could neither understand nor resist. Outside, the valley descended into a near-unnatural darkness. The storm clouds thickened until even daylight seemed extinguished, leaving the land beneath them cloaked in a dim, ashen gloom broken only by flashes of lightning. Thunder rolled endlessly through the mountains. Each strike reverberated through the stone pillars and jagged ridges that enclosed the valley. The lake before Eklavya’s unmoving body simmered ominously. The blood-red water, once disturbed by combat and death, now lay unnaturally still. Covered by a low-hanging crimson mist that drifted lazily across its surface as though the lake itself were breathing. Rain struck the l