As Asura attended his lecture session, he found that it was actually quite beneficial. He could now manipulate his spiritual energy more freely and precisely than before.
Usually, in the martial arts world, practicing a technique or learning through practical means makes more sense than theory, but in reality, one can reduce the time needed for practice if one understands the theoretical underpinnings of the technique one is practicing.
And this benefit of theory was even more significant for a cultivator like Asura, who had an exceptional capacity for comprehension and insight.
The session ended and they went outside. Fatty said,"It looks like Brother Asura gained some new insights again."
Asura replied,"You could say that but it was minor yet effective."
Then Asura asked Fatty,"You didn't tell me when the Tournament is about to start."
Fatty said "Oh! I forgot, it's the last week of next month."
Asura said "So, we have a little over a month. In this time, it will be difficult for me to break through to the second realm of the Spiritual Realm but not impossible. And if I can't, it will be impossible for me to get into the top 10."
Fatty said "I don't believe that. I know Brother Asura has the ability to get into the top 10 and if you can't, you can still get the 11th position which is not poor."
Asura said "You don't get it. In reality, the current me is not an opponent for any of the top 10 geniuses and you can't forget some hidden talents who don't like to show off and hide among the ordinary cultivators. If they join the tournament, it will get difficult for even the top 10 geniuses to retain their rank."
Fatty said,"Brother Asura, what will you do now if you don't get strong enough before the tournament starts? Your undefeated strike against opponents at the same cultivation level will be broken, although I know you won't lose to same-stage cultivators, you can definitely lose to some cultivators who are one stage above you and all top 10 geniuses are above you by one or two cultivation stages."
Asura said "I know but I can only train hard enough to catch up with them in the remaining time. Also, I will try my best not to be defeated by cultivators at the same cultivation level, at least those who defeat me will be at least one stage higher than me. In this way, my undefeated strike against opponents at the same cultivation level will remain."
Fatty said, "It looks like Brother Asura is going to the Dark Forest to train again."
Asura said, "Fatty, you understand me best among my friends."
Fatty smiled and said, "I know."
Asura entered the Dark Forest with renewed focus and determination. Fatty's words had reinforced his resolve to train hard enough to reach the second realm of the Spiritual Realm within the next month.
The Dark Forest was aptly named - thick foliage blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving an ominous gloom throughout. But Asura was not deterred. He soon found a secluded clearing to begin his cultivation.
Asura sat in the lotus position and cleared his mind. He summoned his spiritual energy and began circulating it through his meridians at an accelerated pace. Sweat started to bead on his forehead from the strain.
Hours passed as Asura pushed himself further, trying new techniques and configurations of his spiritual energy. The forest around him was deathly still, as if holding its breath in anticipation of Asura's breakthrough.
As night fell, Asura was exhausted but no closer to a breakthrough. He kept at it, repeating the same cycles over and over again. Fatigue began to numb his mind, yet he persevered.
Asura realized that to truly advance his cultivation to the second stage of the Spiritual Realm, he needed practical experience and not just theoretical knowledge. Merely reaching a new realm of cultivation was not enough - he had to strengthen his abilities within that realm through actual combat.
Asura knew he could not face other cultivators yet, as they were still beyond his current level. So he decided the only way to progress was by battling magical beasts of the fourth rank - the highest he could face with a chance of victory at his current cultivation.
Asura ventured a little deeper into the Dark Forest in search of suitable beasts. He soon encountered a pack of ferocious tiger-like creatures. Asura attacked without hesitation, unleashing the full power of his peak first-stage Spiritual realm abilities.
Asura sensed the pack of tiger-like creatures approaching him slowly, muscles tensed and ready to pounce.
He steeled himself for the imminent attack. The largest tiger suddenly roared and charged at Asura, claws slashing. Asura reacted instantly, summoning his spiritual energy and concentrating it into his right palm. He thrust his palm forward, striking the tiger in the chest with a force that sent it crashing into a tree.
Before Asura could regain his footing, two more tigers leaped at him from both sides. Asura spun in a circle, summoning a sphere of spiritual energy that expanded outwards, knocking the tigers away. But two more were already launching themselves at his back.
Asura ducked low and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding their claws. He called upon all his willpower, channeling his spiritual energy into a long whip of pure light that lashed out, catching one tiger across the face. It howled in pain as blood spilled from the wound.
The remaining tigers saw their comrades falling and became more frenzied in their attacks. They clawed and bit at Asura from all sides, drawing blood with every strike. But Asura endured the onslaught, focusing his energy into sharp jabs that pierced the tigers' vulnerable spots, killing one after another.
Finally, only the largest tiger remained. It roared in rage and charged head-on at Asura. Asura gathered all his strength and slammed a massive palm strike into the tiger's chest, sending it flying into a tree with a sickening crunch. The tiger fell limp to the ground, dead.
Asura dropped to his knees, covered in blood both his own and the tigers'. He had prevailed, but at a cost. He stared at his hands, still unsure if he had attained true power, or merely become a killer of beasts.
As Asura caught his breath, he took a moment to observe the tigers he had faced. The largest one had clearly been an early-level rank 4 magical beast who broke through into the rank 4 not long ago based on its strength and abilities. However, the remaining smaller tigers were at the peak of the Tempered Realm stage - just below rank 4.
Though Asura had defeated them all, he did not relax his guard. He knew that if he had been seriously injured fighting the largest tiger, the smaller ones at the peak of Tempered Realm would have likely been able to overwhelm and kill him in his weakened state.
Asura's victory against these magical beasts was a testament to how far his cultivation had advanced and he was ready to enter into the second stage of the Spiritual Realm. However, he also realized that against opponents at his own level or higher, he could not afford even the slightest error or moment of carelessness.
Asura stood up slowly, surveying the tiger corpses around him. While the battle had been difficult and taxing, he had emerged victorious through a combination of quick thinking, focused spiritual energy attacks, and sheer perseverance. Most importantly, Asura felt he had gained valuable experience that would serve him well at the upcoming tournament.
On top of that, Asura felt relieved because he had not needed to resort to using his trump card - Total annihilation( his spiritual attack name) that he had yet to fully master. This gave an added boost to his confidence in his abilities.
Asura realized that by defeating rank 4 magical beasts using only the regular attacks in his skillset, he had proven that his basic techniques were now potent enough to challenge opponents at his level. He did not need his trump card at this point, though he knew it could prove decisive in truly formidable battles.
With this newfound assurance in his strength and skill, Asura's anticipation for the upcoming tournament grew. He wondered which top cultivators he would face first and how his abilities would measure up against theirs. Asura now eagerly looked forward to testing himself against the best in his generation.