MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 997: Apexus

Although everyone here aside from Altheria and Veronica possessed planetary level combat power, the younger generation, like Aura Nova, Lucian Darkheart, and Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos, hadn’t reached the peak of the cultivation rank that granted such overwhelming battle prowess: Apexus Mana Rank, a level that represented the absolute pinnacle of their Galaxy cultivation.

At this moment, only Null Anthony, and the Older generation had touched such a Mana Rank. But even though the Older generation had touched this rank, they weren’t stronger than the younger generation who hadn’t, who were simply anomalies, monsters of a completely different calibre whose growth and potential defied logic and convention.

Aaaninja, who was in a trance state, felt his Mana Rank shoot upwards like an arrow released from its bow, unstoppable and accelerating beyond normal limits.

Ascendant Mana Rank Level Five... Level Seven... Level Nine.

The next instant, mana exploded outward in a catastrophic blast that tore space apart as though it was nothing but fragile paper, the surrounding reality unable to withstand the violent surge. But the breakthrough didn’t stop just because it had hit the peak of Aaaninja’s current Mana Rank, instead, it continued with terrifying momentum.

The barrier between the Ascendant Mana Rank and the next rank weakened immediately, cracks forming across its invisible structure, then shattered with absolute ease as the breakthrough continued without obstruction or resistance.

Dominion Mana Rank; Level One... Level Three... Level Six... Level Nine.

Aaaninja felt more and more mana pour into his body from his very skin pores, his mana core seemed to turn into a black hole that appeared ready to devour every form of energy it came across without restraint.

Aaaninja felt the transformation in real time, his muscles expanded and condensed simultaneously, the density and mass increasing exponentially, his bones hardened and refined to a higher state, his blood thickened with power, his veins strengthened as his heart pumped more blood with overwhelming force, his mind seemed to expand even further as though he was gaining clarity, awareness, and perception in real time.

Aaaninja felt his physical prowess shoot through the roof to the point that if he battled his old self prior to his breakthrough, a single casual slap from him would erase the former him from existence without effort.

But that wasn’t the only transformation, he also felt another transformation within his Soul, something far deeper and more fundamental than the physical changes.

His Soul seemed to brighten up and become more saturated as though it too had been strengthened, refined, and elevated to a higher state of existence, and indeed, it had undergone a complete restoration and enhancement.

Whenever someone was breaking through, if they had any form of physical or non physical injury, like a Soul injury, the Heavens would automatically heal the person and return them to their perfect state as a form of acknowledgment and congratulations for reaching a higher realm of existence.

But of course, this didn’t work for things like curses, as curses were external afflictions anchored beyond simple restoration, so if anyone had any unhealable injury, all they had to do was break through to the next Major Mana Rank, and they would automatically be healed completely. And of course, this didn’t apply for sub Mana Ranks, Level One to Level Nine, but only worked for Major Mana Ranks and Realms instead.

Earlier, during Aaaninja’s battle with Lucian, he had sacrificed a piece of his Soul to create a True Soul Clone that could fool Lucian perfectly, hence leaving his Soul incomplete and fractured. He wasn’t bothered because he already had ways to heal his Soul and complete it once more, but now, he didn’t have to, the Heavens were already doing that for him as his Soul was restored and returned whole again, more complete than before.

The moment his Physical and Soul transformation were completed, Aaaninja’s body began to tremble violently as though he was convulsing under immense pressure, the mana pouring into the planet thickened to an unprecedented density, the planet they were in groaned as it could no longer endure the overwhelming strain, and imploded with devastating intensity, collapsing inward violently, but it didn’t affect the ongoing... ascension.

”Don’t tell me...” Lucian’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the trembling Aaaninja, his voice barely above a whisper.

”He is stepping into the Apexus Mana Rank,” as those words left Klaus’ lips, reality itself seemed to acknowledge it, the very fabric of existence reacting.

The next instant, the part of the Galaxy they floated in turned blinding and ethereal blue and white as Aaaninja’s body seemed to vanish from everyone’s sight completely, yet he was still there, his existence present yet untouchable, mana still roared towards him endlessly.

Aaaninja felt as though his entire DNA was being rewritten fundamentally. His body broke down in real time and rebuilt itself repeatedly, his Eyes Of Genesis exploded outward into fragments of divine light, then regenerated themselves in a far superior form, his heart exploded in a gory eruption of blood and flesh, but another one regrew instantly. For each body part and organ that was destroyed, one that seemed far stronger, more durable, and transcended everything replaced the old.

The procedure continued as though the Heavens were ridding Aaaninja of his Mortality and were now reforging him into a more Perfect being, one that was worthy of the level he was stepping into, one that existed closer to divinity itself.

His mana core seemed to tremble violently within him, then expanded continuously as it devoured mana without limit, then it reached a threshold, then stopped abruptly, then unleashed a blinding burst of mana as it crossed into the next level of existence.

The Apexus Mana Rank.

The Apexus Mana Rank didn’t have any sub Mana Rank, it simply existed as a singular and absolute state. At this level, there was no further breakthrough in terms of conventional cultivation. Any increment in power was achieved purely through self refinement, mastery, and skill elevation, like how Null Michael, the Sword Saint, had achieved a transcendental breakthrough after his battle with the Eleven Winged Angel known as the Sword Origin.

The blinding white and blue ethereal light seemed to vanish the moment Aaaninja stepped fully into the Apexus Mana Rank. Aaaninja’s body finally came into view once more, his white hair now seemed far brighter, glowing faintly with transcendent brilliance, his Eyes Of Genesis seemed to have become more ethereal and mesmerizing as though words themselves failed to describe their beauty and authority.

Aaaninja felt an overwhelming amount of vitality within his body, endless and boundless, he had previously possessed the combat prowess of those at the Apexus Mana Rank, but he wasn’t truly there yet, now he was... and everything felt... perfect, complete, and absolute.

His body seemed packed with more power than even he himself could quantify at the moment, his mana burned endlessly as though it was now truly infinite. Physical injuries lost their meaning entirely as only damage to his essence itself could now truly affect him.

His eyes moved calmly around, and he saw he was now in the Galaxy, as the planet he was in prior to this moment had shattered completely, reduced to cosmic debris. He didn’t speak, he simply thought and willed it silently, and the next moment, Time itself blinked and reversed, causality bending to his thoughts, and the next moment he and everyone else were within the planet again as though nothing had ever happened.

The mana cost for reversing the time of an entire planet? Negligible to the point it was incalculable.