Epic Of Caterpillar

”I am in awe...” Wasp murmured. ”In less than two months, you have accomplished what others might need hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years to achieve.”

”Hm...” Kireina sank deep into thought. Each Stage had unveiled more truths about existence and even her own origins. ”Now that I have reached this point, the Four World Axis comes next, correct?”

”Yes,” Wasp confirmed. ”For that, I can offer two Methods. The Four Stations Cicada Molting Method, or the Four Cursed Abyssal Spider Eyes Method. The first draws power from the Stations to forge the axes. The second harnesses Curses and Madness. It is faster, but it risks consuming you instead.”

”Axes...” Kireina repeated softly. ”What exactly are they?”

”World Axes are accumulations of Blessings,” Wasp explained. ”You must obtain them either by stealing an Elemental Axis from another cultivator at this Stage or by seizing Lifespan from mortals.”

”...!” Kireinaʼs mind turned to her Cosmic Realm, home to billions of mortals.

”The Methods from my Legacy will ease that process. I also have a Spirit Sol Connection Stone prepared. You can descend your Consciousness into the World to grant Blessings to people in the Physical Realm and Spirit Domains,” he continued. ”In exchange, they will offer lifespan. It takes a very long time, so your cultivation may pause here. We can focus on other training instead.”

”No. I believe I can do it quickly,” Kireina smiled faintly.

”...What?” Waspʼs eyebrows twitched in disbelief. ”Kireina, you have already reached an absurd level of Cultivation! How could you possibly— Ah!”

His eyes widened as Kireina grasped the Stone and channeled its power toward her Cosmic Realm.

Drawing upon the Blessings she had already bestowed as a Goddess upon billions, Kireina gently claimed a small portion of Lifespan.

She targeted powerful Gods with vast lifespans, taking only fifty years from each.

In mere seconds, ten thousand years of lifespan accumulated. Without a Method, however, she could not yet guide it properly.

”Can you teach me both methods?” Kireina asked calmly.

A Heaven-defying talent.

At last, Wasp truly began to comprehend the immense greatness within Kireina.

”...Very well,” he nodded, inwardly awed, and handed her the two scrolls.

Kireina absorbed their knowledge in a single day and pressed forward.

Both the Four Stations Cicada Molting Method and the Four Cursed Abyssal Spider Eyes Method were profound and beautiful.

The first allowed her to embody her Soul as a Cicada that molted with each station.

The First Axis, Autumn: the Cicada hatches from its egg and feeds beneath the soil.

The Second Axis, Winter: the Cicada grows, then enters dormancy and insulation.

The Third Axis, Spring: the Cicada emerges and undergoes beautiful metamorphosis.

The Fourth Axis, Summer: the Cicada sings, mates, and dies.

This Insectoid Path Cultivation Method of the Four Axes embodied the Cicadaʼs brief yet radiant life, bound to the Four Stations. It was simple to understand, embody, and gradually form.

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