'You think it will work?' Pef asked inward towards the glove.

'It will do something. As for the actual result, who knows?' the glove answered, rather cryptically.

Pef shrugged and turned the giant sword inward, then flashed his sword qi for a second, then plunged the Heart Dividing Ruler into his own heart.

While he knew a man thought with his brain, the reality of this verse was much more different than his old memories suggested. And perhaps the soul and the heart were indeed linked here. The pain in his soul was unmistakable as well.

The blade itself thrummed and buzzed with energy, while subtle qi shockwaves propagated and spread throughout his entire being, radiating outwards from his heart.

'It hurts quite...' Pef muttered inward.

'Ignore that pain. Focus on what's happening in your heart.' the glove replied cheerfully.

'My heart? It has split in two and hurts like...'

'Not your human heart, moron. Your Sword Heart!' the glove chided him.

Pef blinked in confusion for second, then turned his senses inward, observing the changes unfolding into his own cultivation. The lotus-like shape of the Legion Method had grown a metaphysical heart made out of sword intent and qi pathways, and it was now rapidly dividing into a myriad of cell-like structures, internal shape folding onto itself over and over.

A glance at his inner power screen confirmed he wasn't just imagining things. Each cell structure was a control node for a Voidsword now, and the number kept growing.

'I did it! I finally reached the next stage...' Pef gloated victoriously, just before he fell flat on his face, qi reserves depleted. The glowing edge of the ruler still poked out of his back, and slowly faded into its normal metallic sheen.

-------------

To his side the old Alchemist sighed in disbelief, and sipped more Godwine. Truly, he has never seen such a reckless display of idiocy, nor such a fool so beloved by the heavens to actually succeed at such moronic actions.

'I can't believe that worked.' Rejin commented inward.

'It has mostly worked, but not completely. The Ruler is not yet conscious. It goes by instinct now, and it simply responds to self-sacrifice and bravery, like any sword should. But it won't be long now. These two will ascend together from now on. These three, in fact. That sneaky glove...' the Nine Universe Cauldron observed with a keen eye.

'So. You agree I made the correct choice?' Rejin asked with a small smile.

'The potential for greatness is there. Anyone with eyes can see it. As for the Ruler, it will make a perfect dowry...for Lady Kalima.' the Cauldron commented wryly.

Rejin choked on his wine, then resumed his posture as a respectable Alchemist. 'Really? You mean she chose this boy?'

'Lady Kalima hasn't smiled for 70 Chaos Cycles, Rejin. And she smiled thrice at your employer. Young Pef is rather charming, isn't he?' the ancient Divine Artifact noted with an audible snicker.

Rejin glanced at the comatose cultivator, still flat on his face and with giant sword exiting out through his back.

He just didn't see what women saw in this man. Oh well, it wasn't really his problem.

----------

When Pef recovered from the ordeal, he found himself still face down in a pool of drool, while Rejin kept cooking cultivation pills, eye focused on the Divine Cauldron covered in green flames.

With a groan, he extracted the Ruler from his chest, and flashed his qi to regenerate his body to full health. At his cultivation realm, body injuries were mostly cosmetic anyways, and easy to heal, more so with a Legion cultivation guiding the process.

He noted however the giant weight was gone. The sword felt light as a feather now, probably a side-effect of their heart-to-heart communion.

"Hey Rejin! What's cooking?" he asked cheerfully.

The Alchemist glanced dispassionately at him for a second, then resumed his alchemic magic. "I am making a batch of a thousand Saint Ascension pills. Some of your recruits have returned with lots of bits from a Perfect Nine-headed Hydra."

In an instant, Pef scanned the space station with his coresenses, and located the early returnees. And they had all ascended into Saint Realm already. Truly, the Mausoleum was a treasure for all cultivators, but he already knew that.

'I guess we have the early start of a new Legion regiment here. They even killed a Tier 2 beast! ' Pef muttered inward, a bit surprised.

'Your father passed by and struck the hydra beast. The idiots had entered Yellow Realm looking for better loot.' the glove explained amused.

Pef sighed. "Perhaps I am not the best role model for new Legion recruits." he uttered softly.

"You think? What gave you that idea?" Rejin added with a snort, as the green flames began to die down.

Pef grit his teeth and struck an inner comet with a Voidcutter, then held his hand out. "Tribulation?"

The Alchemist just nodded calmly and opened the cauldron's lid, then directed the falling lightning into the cauldron for the necessary heavenly energies. "The pills will be ready in three days. And you have a million new Monarchs in my inner world now, ready to explore the Mausoleum as well."

Pef grinned widely. " A million already? You're a miracle indeed , Lord Rejin!" he exclaimed happily.

Rejin just shook his head. "I'm the miracle? Did you master the Ruler yet?"

Our hero glanced the at violet weapon in his hand. "Well, the Ruler it's not heavy anymore. But, I think this trial was mostly about mastering myself, not the weapon. I can direct the Heart of the Sword now!"

The alchemist smiled kindly at the aspiring sword master. "Heart of the Sword...How amazing! Eager to test yourself? I rarely practice the sword these days."

Pef nodded eagerly. "I've reached 4 percent now. I need to know where I stand." he disclosed while summoning his Voidswords around, like sunrays glowing with sword intent.

The Alchemist grinned back. "Ah, only 4 percent. Then I'll try to keep with your level." he said while exploding outwards with a million giant Voidwords, all burning with green flames around them.

Pef gulped and cursed his mouth. This was going to hurt.