Sam's exhale was deliberate and measured, a manifestation of the weight that had lifted from his shoulders.
He had ascended to the pinnacle of Body Transformations First Stage long ago, now standing on the precipice, poised to breach into the Second Stage.
Even absent the Golden Deer Pill, it was but a matter of days before he'd complete this transition.
The initial stage of Body Transformation was similar to forging the essence within the muscles, a gathering of power.
With the advent of the Second Stage, this essence would cascade, permeating his entire being.
Strength would surge, and resilience would amplify. It wouldn't grant invincibility, but a blade that once pierced would now barely graze.
Combat prowess, while not monumental, would surge by a significant margin.
Yet, merely half a year prior, Max had only just attained the pinnacle of Body Transformations Third Stage. His passage into the Second Stage, aided by the formidable 'Primal Chaos Formula,' still paled in comparison.
A chasm stretched between them, and this didn't even account for Max's half-year head start, owing to his status as a fourth-grade talent.
Sleepless, Sam stepped outside, his path leading to the Calin Mountains.
The Great Clarity Pavilion lay a few miles from his usual practice spot, but with newfound prowess, the journey that would once consume two incense sticks' worth of time was now halved.
Sam's elation was palpable.
Reaching his accustomed spot, he carelessly tossed his knapsack to the ground, its contents an assortment of precious medicinal supplies and potent bandages, all infused with the essence of black bone grass.
With these luxuries, worries about internal injuries dissipated.
Sam set about his practice with a singular focus, aided by a soul gathering pellet to expedite essence absorption.
Both 'True Primal Chaos Formula' and ' Infinite Chaos Battle Forms' became the conduits through which he channeled his newfound potential.
In Starlight Spill Continent, one's strength was gauged in 'jins,' and achieving a thousand was laudable. From Marrow Tempering to Pulse Condensation, the transition involved forging both flesh and bone. Upon completing Body Transformation, a martial artist's strength might reach a formidable 8000 jins, or even 10,000 jins for those blessed with celestial might.
This marked the zenith of physical might.
Even Houtian masters, though capable of refining essence, could only augment their true power.
Then came the realm of Xiantian, an ascent into understanding the essence's true nature, cultivating the soul in tandem—a rightful path of martial arts.
Yet, within the ' Infinite Chaos Battle Forms,' these benchmarks were meager beginnings.
Newcomers aimed for 10,000 jins, the moderately skilled approached 100,000 jins, and the most accomplished exceeded imagination.
The 'Eight Gates of Hidden Heavenly Stems' following the 'Nine Stars Palace' reached into realms unquantifiable by such measurements, potentially surmounting millions of jins.
Upon discovering this in his memories, Sam was incredulous.
A doubling or tripling of strength might be conceivable, given the legacy of countless eons from the Realm of the Gods.
But to magnify it by thousands was staggering.
Recollections revealed that custodians and mere children in sects wielded strengths measured in tens of thousands of jins. True disciples surpassed 100,000 jins.
The gulf was undeniable.
However, this potency remained distant for Sam.
Bridging the gap from Marrow Tempering to the 'Eight Gates of Hidden Heavenly Stems' and 'Nine Stars Palace' was monumental.
Many disciples within these sects languished at this juncture, a more formidable ascent than Houtian to Xiantian.
For now, Sam could only contemplate this future possibility. His focus lay on honing the basics of ' Infinite Chaos Battle Forms,' striving for mastery of 'Flowing like Silk.'
As Sam meditated, pondering the wisdom of the ancients, elsewhere in the southeast of Starlight Haven City, a squad of vigilant guards stood watch.
In a corridor, a youth, clad in opulent silks and armed with a fine blade, waited with eager anticipation.
After an incense stick's worth of time, another figure approached—a man in mail armor and helmet, exuding the aura of a seasoned warrior.
The silk-clad youth beamed upon seeing him.
"Elder brother, you've returned. Father will be overjoyed. Your exploits on the frontier have left him greatly impressed."
The youth in armor, Jame, praised his younger sibling, David.
Both hailed from the main family, sharing the same bloodline, and Jame understood his brother's disposition well.
"You've waited for me to address the matter of that lost bet," he stated.
The father had already censured David, well aware of the incident.
David met his brother's gaze.
"Elder brother's perception is uncanny, truly admirable! You must know, that lad is insufferably arrogant. He struck my servant, manipulated the bet, and dared to slight our esteemed martial lineage..."
As David spoke, Jame discerned the fabrications, impatiently interjecting,
"Spare me the embellishments. You desire my aid in vengeance, do you not?"
David smirked.
"Elder brother, your prowess is unmatched; dispatching that fellow would be as simple as lifting a finger..."
Jame's tone turned stern.
"I hold the esteemed position of a martial commander. You expect me to intervene against a mere First Stage of Body Transformation practitioner? Is this a joke?"
David chuckled faintly. "Yes, I may have overstepped. Using an ox cleaver to slaughter a chicken, indeed. Yet, elder brother, do you not command four formidable guards? Releasing them would yield the same result..."
"My father leads the armed forces of Starlight Haven City. With the throne on the cusp of transition, it's a delicate stage. You propose to mobilize the city's guards for an arrest in the capital? Do you not foresee the repercussions? I'd venture that two months of confinement were insufficient!"
Jame's reprimand echoed, and he turned, leaving David to fume in frustration.
Seething, David stood in place. He hadn't anticipated his own brother's blistering rebuke.
His fists clenched, teeth gritted. "Damn it! Such injustice I've never borne in Starlight Haven City. Sam, if I don't cripple you, then my name is not David!"
Days waxed and waned, fifty overcast mornings quietly passed...
Within the Calin Mountains, a young figure moved in fluid arcs, a ballet of shadow and strength in the secluded glade.
The mountain's breath could not overpower the resonance of his fists.
"Boom!"
The youth's strike met a wooden post, a resounding 'thud' coursing through the air.
The post, treated with potent medicines, succumbed to the onslaught, shattering in two.
Before the dust settled, a kick followed, obliterating the remnants.
"While 'Flowing like Silk' remains elusive, I've made strides in the first stage of the 'True Primal Chaos Formula.' Body Transformation's Second Stage has settled marvelously. My strength now exceeds 2600 jins,"
Sam reflected.
For the past fifty days, he'd been an unwavering presence in the mountains, a beneficiary of countless precious medicines and twenty Soul Gathering Pellets.
These expenditures led to the sale of an inscriptive symbol to replenish his coffers.
Yet, despite his abundant resources, Sam had yet to breach the threshold of the Third Stage of Body Transformation, Viscera Training.
The ' Infinite Chaos Battle Forms' emphasized the necessity of building a solid foundation, a path that shunned haste.
"Fifty days have elapsed. Tomorrow marks the Seven Profound Martial House's entrance examination. I should sail through without a hitch,"
Sam mused as he donned his clothes, taking a brisk dip in the nearby river.
His body released elegance beneath the bright light, each muscle a monument to aesthetics and power. He resembled a coiled cheetah, radiating grace as well as dangerous potential. His mere presence belied the fifteen-year-old he was.
Sam dressed and left the mountains, his pace indicative of a hawk in search of its prey, disappearing into the dark forest, a flash of transitory brilliance.