The storm raged on for three relentless days, howling with a fury that seemed to shake the very earth beneath. But amidst the chaos of the sandy tempest, Grey remained untouched, completely absorbed in his cultivation. For the entire duration of the storm, he had immersed himself in the depths of his practice, so consumed by his efforts that he barely noticed the other cultivators in the cave with him even though he was keeping an eye on each of them.
The breakthrough to the Ninth Level had been a monumental shift in his understanding of spiritual energy. It was no longer a vague, abstract force to him. No, now he could feel it on a sub-atomic level. His senses had sharpened to an incredible degre, his perception of the world around him had expanded, far beyond the limits of mere mortals. Even the faintest stirrings of energy in the air now registered in his awareness, and it was as though he could touch the very fabric of existence itself.
