'Wow, now that was a good bath!' Xiao exclaimed as he stretched his body and dressed up after a warm and relaxing bath. It had been a few hours since the trial had finished, and he had shown an outstanding performance. As long as he awakened a good talent, he would be considered a seeded candidate in the family.
After finishing dressing, Xiao went towards his bed and lay down, contemplating his next plans. The trial had gained him the attention of the elders, but it also brought him animosity from the older kids. However, he believed it would be all right until he awakened his talent. For now, the older kids would only mark the ones who might become a challenge to them. They had to be careful about who they wanted to mess with.
Sighing, Xiao lamented as he lay on his bed with a tired look. His body was exhausted from the fights and constant lookout for trouble. Dealing with his overly excited and proud mother after the test didn't help either. Though his fatigue eased a bit when his sister came up to him and hugged him.
"I must get my hands on the Pill of Reform soon," Xiao spoke with utmost seriousness. His eyes glazed over as he thought about the pill, the one thing that could help him remove his fate. He had read about this pill in the novel, and back then, he could only curse the idiots who destroyed this precious treasure.
Xiao raised his hands and gripped his fingers tight. In the ever expanding will of the cosmos, everyone is born with a talent limit. No matter what, your body can only cultivate and reach a cultivation talent bestowed upon you. While it's not impossible to change as there are several supreme treasures spread across the heavens that might help increase one's talents. However, these treasures are extremely rare and in the hands of powerful people whom Xiao couldn't dream of facing.
Even if one acquires these treasures, they only increase talent and don't remove the restriction placed on the body due to innate talent. Each talent level corresponds to a specific level of cultivation. For example, in the lower realm, the cultivation levels are as follows:
Body Refinement Realm (9 levels) - Lifespan: 120 years
Qi Refinement Realm (9 levels) - Lifespan: 150 years
Foundation Establishment Realm (9 levels) - Lifespan: 200 years
Martial Spirit Realm (9 levels) - Lifespan: 300 years
Core Forming Realm (3 levels) - Lifespan: 500 years
Mortal Core Realm (3 levels) - Lifespan: 800 years
Earth Core Realm (3 levels) - Lifespan: 950 years
Heaven Core Realm (3 levels) - Lifespan: 1000 years
These are the major cultivations in the lower realm. Beyond the Heaven Core Realm is the Nascent Realm, but breaking through it forces one to ascend to the higher heaven. One can also rise to higher realms by walking through the Heavenly Stairs within the Heavenly Tree, which spans the entire Four Heavens and the cosmos. However, climbing the Heavenly Path requires matching talent to the corresponding heaven, or else one perishes.
In the Four Heavens of Quadralia, everything comes down to talent. Xiao was born with Mortal Core Realm talent, which was above average and sufficient for a powerful and steady life in the lower heavens. However, in the upper realms, he was considered trash. Though having Mortal Core Talent didn't limit him to only cultivating up to the Mortal Core Realm, as he had exceeded it in his previous life. But the price he paid was beyond imagination, and his level of strength was still trash compared to those born with higher talent.
With his current talent, reaching the Mortal Core Realm would be relatively smooth sailing. However, going beyond that would require 100 times the effort compared to someone born with that talent. Even if he exceeded his natural talent, his power would be inferior to those born with the potential to reach those higher realms.
That was the story of his first life. He used forbidden techniques to raise his cultivation to sky-high levels, but his strength remained lacking. Even a newborn baby from the third heaven could easily defeat him. It was his talent that limited him.
In the Four Heavens, there are other ways to derive power, such as bloodlines, special physiques, heavenly treasures that increase power or luck, heavenly eyes that grant unique sight, and more. Xiao learned about all of this when he read about the Heavenly Opposers.
Among these ways, the treasure that could completely change him was the Pill of Reform. While other treasures would only increase his potential to a certain extent, the Pill of Reform could remove the shackles of his powers. In other words, it would pave the path for him without an end. Theoretically, he could become as strong as the heavens themselves.
Of course, the pill wouldn't suddenly make him a genius or increase his talents. It would only remove the talent restrictions that bind him. Previously, he would only reach the Mortal Core Realm and have to work hard to progress further. However, after consuming the pill, he would only need the average time, and his powers wouldn't be diminished when he reaches a level beyond his talent.
He would have the same average strength as someone born with the talent to reach the same realm. This pill defied the heavens since it opened a path without limitations. However, it wouldn't grant him higher-level qi or change the difficulty of exerting 100 times more effort. Nevertheless, getting rid of his shackles was Xiao's primary goal. As for the rest, he could find the treasures he had read about and acquire them for himself. Of course, he would proceed at a moderate pace and prioritize those treasures that wouldn't heavily impact the future. Even obtaining just those treasures would bring about a complete transformation.