Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2876: Training

Mastering a high-grade divine technique was never as simple as memorizing its structure.

To activate something like the Star-Rending Claw was akin to engraving a grand formation within one’s own soul. Runes had to be constructed in precise sequence. Specific essences or materials were required to stabilize those runes, and although the Chamber of Knowledge had provided foundational imprints to assist the process, the refinement itself demanded relentless focus and discipline.

Within his inner domain, both avatars began working in perfect coordination. The Dark Avatar remained merged with the Star Devouring Beast, regulating the violent primal fluctuations, the Light Avatar activated the Astral Link—his Tier 7 refining artifact—enhancing perception and control.

It was grueling.

Each internal rune had to be etched through repetition, reinforced through soul pressure, and harmonized with his existing cultivation base.

What should have taken months was condensed through synergy.

Three weeks later, Emery finally opened his eyes.

The internal rune matrix for the First Form had been stabilized.

Without delay, he returned to the Virtual Palace.

As a disciple of the Stellar Beast Emperor, his entry into the Supreme sector required no delay. This time, however, an arena awaited him.

It was a wide stone platform suspended within the Supreme sector, surrounded by nothing but mist and sky. Xernas stood opposite him, arms folded calmly. In the distance, Emery could sense the presence of the Beast Emperor—watching.

”Let’s see it,” Xernas said simply.

Emery inhaled and activated his Twilight Formation. Shadowed runes ignited across his physique as cosmic and primal energies intertwined. He guided the refined structure of Star-Rending Claw into his arms, allowing the internal rune network to activate in sequence.

Primal force condensed around his hands, dark and fierce. The surrounding air warped as pressure accumulated.

With a decisive motion, he unleashed the attack.

A massive claw-shaped arc tore through space, ripping a visible fracture across the arena. The destructive output surpassed even his Dao Edge in raw force.

Xernas, however, merely lifted a finger.

The claw dissipated instantly, as though it had struck an immovable mountain.

There was no recoil, no visible effort on the Supreme’s part.

”Master says you grasped its structure faster than expected,” Xernas said evenly. ”But you have not made it your own. Return to your training.”

The words struck harder than the deflection.

Emery returned immediately to meditation.

The feedback clarified several flaws.

First, the technique’s raw output exceeded what his current physique could safely sustain. Even under Twilight transformation, he could barely release one-quarter of its potential. Primal transformation might double that output—but at the cost of precision and stability.

Second, claws were not his natural medium.

He was a swordsman.

The process became one of reconstruction. Like altering a potion’s formula while preserving its core properties. He began reconstructing the rune framework, adjusting energy pathways to channel primal force into a sword rather than projecting it through clawed limbs.

Within his sea of consciousness, he sparred against his own projections repeatedly, refining the flow pattern through trial and error.

One month passed.

Three months followed.

Five months later, he succeeded in releasing the modified technique through his sword—but its output reached only ten percent of the intended form.

It was progress, but insufficient.

He continued refining.

After another three months, efficiency rose to twenty five percent, yet structural limitations prevented further compression of primal energy into a single strike. Recognizing this bottleneck, Emery altered the approach again.

Instead of concentrating all force into one devastating blow, he divided it.

Three sequential strikes.

Layered impact.

Sustained pressure.

The change unlocked new potential. Efficiency surged to nearly forty percent, and the recoil became manageable. During this phase, he realized the curved trajectory of the original claw aligned more naturally with heavy cleaving blades than straight swords. Memories of his former master Xion’s teachings resurfaced, guiding his adjustments.

It took nearly a full year of relentless refinement before Emery finally felt ready to request another evaluation.

When he returned to the Supreme sector, the arena was already prepared. At the far end stood Xernas, calm and composed, as though he had been waiting.

Emery stepped onto the platform, savage blade resting at his side. The weight of almost two years of training pressed against his shoulders—not as doubt, but as anticipation.

”Senior,” he called out steadily, drawing the blade upward. ”Here it is.”

Twilight runes ignited across his body, weaving shadow and cosmic force into his physique. At the same time, primal energy surged from deep within, no longer chaotic but segmented—divided precisely into three controlled reservoirs.

”Star-Rending Cleaves.”

The first strike descended.

Primal force burst along the blade’s edge, forming a curved arc of dark authority that tore through the air. Space itself split along the trajectory, a visible fracture racing toward Xernas.

Before the shockwave dissipated, the second cleave followed, slightly offset yet perfectly layered upon the first. The overlapping energies intensified the rupture.

The third strike erupted immediately after, completing the sequence. All three waves compounded in a violent cascade, compressing into a concentrated surge of destructive pressure.

This time, Xernas did not dismiss it casually.

He raised his arm.

Green scales shimmered across his forearm as Qilin bloodline authority activated. The triple assault collided against him in succession, the arena trembling under the impact. The air roared and fractured, and the force rippled outward in expanding shockwaves.

When the dust settled, Xernas remained standing exactly where he had been.

He had not taken a step back.

Yet three distinct cuts marked his scales—shallow, but undeniable. Fine lines of torn energy etched across the green surface before slowly sealing themselves.

A faint smile appeared on the Supreme’s face.

”Master is satisfied,” he said.

At that moment, the arena shifted.

The mist thickened. The air grew heavy. Emery felt an overwhelming presence descend from above, compressing the space around him. When he looked up, he saw them—two immense, ancient eyes emerging from the void, their golden irises blazing with quiet intensity.

The aura of the Stellar Beast Emperor enveloped the arena.

Continue your training to deepen your mastery of the technique,” the Emperor said. ”And to keep the two primordial entities in check, you must continue refining your soul as well.”

Emery felt the weight of those words. The Beast Emperor’s concern for his path of balance. The Khaos Mountain and the Elysian Tree within his domain were not merely sources of power—they were volatile existences that required constant refinement and control.

He bowed deeply.

”Yes, Master.”

The pressure faded as quickly as it had appeared. The void receded, and the arena returned to stillness.

When Emery straightened, Xernas was already standing closer than before.

”Master has deemed you to have passed the first stage... You are granted another entry into the Chamber of Knowledge.”

He extended a metallic card toward Emery.

”This is also from him. Buy yourself a proper blade—or something worthy.”

Emery accepted the card and glanced at its inscription.

He froze.

[5000 Palace Points Credits]

Five thousand points.

Equivalent to five billion spirit stones.

His master had handed it to him as casually as one might give an apprentice travel expenses.

Before he could voice his gratitude, Xernas continued.

”And there is one more thing Master has prepared for you.”

The way he said it made clear that this was not a simple reward.