The Empyreal Gem Master

It was something unfathomably unique. In the strange, boundless space Alexander now occupied, it was not his true body that acted, but rather his Minor Empyreal Clone.

This clone did everything, moving, fighting, perceiving. It served as the conduit, the vessel through which all gains were funneled directly into his main body.

So when shards of remnant authorities surged into him, they were devoured, processed, and channeled into his Origin through the terrifying structure known as the Enneagram.

The Enneagram that defied the very laws of nature. Through its design, Alexander held the ability to link his clones across hundreds of millions of light-years. Though each clone existed separately and could be destroyed, they never truly died as they could rise again right after. The knowledge, the essence…everything was shared instantaneously with the main body, and then, from there, echoed out into every other Minor Empyreal Clone to empower them.

Now, at this moment, as the echoing musings of a terrifying Primordial Tao began to flow through him, Alexander had a profound eruption in the complexity of his own existence.

It was as if his already staggering pace of growth had been catapulted into new, chaotic heights.

[You have now stepped into the grandiose authority of the Cosmic Tao, the law that governs the very Rivers of Realities, where countless Cosmos dwell.]

[The point you have touched is but a decimal of a percentage in comprehending this supreme authority. And yet, within your Existence, a mountain of its threads and weavings has begun to course through you, accelerating every aspect of your existence. Less than 1% of the Primordial Cosmic Tao has been comprehended.]

[Your Empyreal Vigor and Energiea are now undergoing exponential growth, which will only compound faster with a deeper understanding of the Primordial Cosmic Tao.]

[The very origin of your being, born from Supermassive Empyreal Galaxies, is now subtly shifting. Their spin, their density, and their complexity each increasing tenfold at this moment.]

[At full comprehension, the density, complexity, and weaving of your origin, your body, and your soul could be multiplied by thousands or even tens of thousands of times. The possibilities that lie within the assimilation of the Primordial Cosmic Tao remain unknown.]

…!

Alexander's eyes trembled as these weavings exploded within his mind, delivered in the cold, monotone voice of the Enneagram!

But he could barely focus on the words. His main body, his true self, was forced to cease all action just to brace itself against the tide of change as he even had to tell Claire to give him a moment.

The transformation had begun the instant the Primordial Cosmic Tao started coursing through him.

His Supermassive Empyreal Galaxies, the very foundations of his Origin, were wrapped in energy so vast, so incomprehensible, that they began to double and triple in mere seconds.

The Tea of the Omniversal Oak of Existence, stored securely within his Enneagram, began to burn away rapidly- consumed as though a long-awaited pathway had finally opened.

His body, once like a small, carefully crafted cup that was growing steadily to contain the ever-increasing pressure had been transformed. It was now being remade, reshaped into a vast, expanding vessel, capable of holding galaxies as easily as it could.

Basically, from a small cup, a more massive cup bloomed as it could hold a lot more!

The breadth of his being and the Complexity…was expanding.

This was his fastest, most violent transformation yet.

[ Within your body, the basal energy of Primordial Essence has begun to flow.]

Primordial Essence.

The words echoed within him with the weight of galaxies This was no ordinary energy. It was not Grand Tao. Not Lesser Tao. It was something far above- something older, purer.

In less than a minute, Alexander felt his origin approaching a saturation point. The galaxies within him, the maximum number he could once bear, had reached their cap.

And because of this...

He felt something new. A boundary that was faint but unmistakable coalesced around his Supermassive Empyreal Galaxies. It did not bind, but it defined. It whispered something inevitable! That it was time!

It was time for all these Supermassive Empyreal Galaxies, for this great Galactic Filament that was his origin, to be wrapped as a whole.

Into…a Universe.

[The First Supermassive Empyreal Universe is being born under the catalyzation of Primordial Essence.]

…!

A universe bloomed inside his body.

An act that would have been unthinkable just days ago had become reality!

As the Universe unfolded within him, Alexander's Minor Empyreal Clone opened his eyes, casting his gaze upon the radiant being of light before him.

Aliana.

A golem left behind by a Cosmic Entity. A guardian of the Crucibles, a marker of an unknown legacy.

Alexander met her gaze and spoke calmly.

"We can begin the Crucible of Perseverance."

…!

Even as power surged through him, even as his very structure ascended, Alexander was eager to get started. The statues surrounding the arena were not merely decor. Each bore a Universe within its chest. Some, closer to the summit of the Colosseum, held multiple.

He intended to face them all.

If the challenge was to withstand as many as possible, and if each success brought greater reward, then there was no reason to wait. He would use this opportunity not only to measure his strength but to forge it.

At the end of it all was the right to inherit the legacy of a Cosmic Entity.

But for Alexander, the Crucible was not about ascension.

It was a hammer.

A means to beat himself down and to test the limits of his power.

The Light Golem seemed stunned, momentarily frozen by his declaration, but then soon after, it moved and raised a hand.

HUUM!

A dozen statues, each with universes glowing in their chests, lit up in unison. One by one, they began to descend from the Colosseum's walls like ancient titans returning to battle!

Alexander cracked his neck and raised a hand as a bow appeared.

Three Gem Recipes he had yet to test shimmered within his Enneagram.

Now seemed as good a time as any to test them!

The descending statues of Universal Realm Entities were merely appetizers.

Though he was only just entering the ranks of universal realm entities, his eyes were already fixed higher, on the Universal Filament Realm.

He intended to stand beside those titanic beings, and once he reached them, his gaze would already be cast beyond. Toward the Cosmic Entities.

He would not stop! For his Peace, he could not stop.

Until the day came when monsters like the Wandering Alchemist Ashmole were no longer ones to avoid.

For peace!