Year 5015
After ten years of travel, Aurelius finally arrived at the 4-tier battlefield. His first stop was the inquiry desk to gather information about the battleground.
Following a brief conversation, he obtained all the necessary details. He learned that the 4-tier battlefield featured the same battle medals as the 2-tier battlefield, with a few additions:
- Basic Honour Medal: Kill 10 initial abominations.
- Brave Honour Medal: Kill 50 initial abominations.
- Knight Honour Medal: Kill 150 initial abominations and 10 medium abominations.
- Brave Knight Honour Medal: Kill 100 medium abominations.
- Expert Knight Honour Medal: Kill 150 high abominations and 1 peak abomination.
- Hero Knight Honour Medal: Kill 100 peak abominations.
- Supreme Knight Honour Medal: Kill 250 peak abominations.
The 4-tier battlefield also had additional medals:
- 1-star Supreme Knight Honour Medal: Kill 350 peak abominations and 10 awakened abominations.
- 2-star Supreme Knight Honour Medal: Kill 550 peak abominations and 20 awakened abominations.
- 3-star Supreme Knight Honour Medal: Kill 750 peak abominations and 30 awakened abominations.
- 4-star Supreme Knight Honour Medal: Kill 850 peak abominations and 40 awakened abominations.
- 5-star Supreme Knight Honour Medal: Kill 900 peak abominations and 50 awakened abominations.
- Knight Lord Honour Medal: Kill 1000 peak abominations and 100 awakened abominations.
Aurelius stared at the Knight Lord Honour Medal. Normally, for a baron to become a viscount, they need to go to the 5-tier battlefield and earn a 1-tier royal medal. However, there's another way to meet this requirement: by achieving the Knight Lord Honour Medal at the 4-tier cultivation realm.
As Aurelius gazed at the medal, a burning desire ignited within him. He wanted to stay at the 4-tier battlefield until he reached the peak of the 4th Soul Dantain Opening Realm and earned the Knight Lord Honour Medal.
Shifting his focus to the required kills, he noticed a new term: awakened abomination. His brow furrowed in thought. "Awakened abominations, huh?" he muttered.
"I don't think I'll find them here. They usually appear only in the 5-tier battlefield. That's why the basic cultivation to become a baron is the 5th realm. At that level, a person can create a spirit genesis root, which helps manipulate and replenish soul energy from the surroundings."
"I'll need to kill 100 awakened abominations. No wonder they have this alternative condition to become a viscount. Even for someone at the peak of the Soul Dantain Realm, killing a single awakened abomination is a huge task. In my current state, I can't even think about killing peak abominations, let alone awakened ones."
After solidifying his plan, Aurelius approached the employees to get a pass to the 4-tier battlefield. With determination in his heart, he headed towards the entrance, ready to learn, fight, and achieve his goals.
Year 5100
A mid-level abomination advanced toward Aurelius, its claws poised to tear him apart. Aurelius quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the swipe, and countered by slashing his sword, releasing a sharp burst of sword Qi aimed at the creature's neck. The abomination dodged, narrowly escaping the deadly arc.
Seeing its agility, Aurelius channeled his soul energy through his acupuncture points, enveloping his body in a protective layer of blue energy. The abomination, a grotesque fusion of a lion's head, a crocodile's body, and cheetah's legs, roared and lunged at him. Aurelius anticipated its move, slid along the ground to evade, and, springing back to his feet, slashed his sword in a swift arc. Despite the abomination's attempt to dodge, his sword Qi left a deep gash, tearing through its crocodilian scales and wounding it.
Enraged, the creature unleashed a soul attack, aiming to confuse Aurelius. He fortified himself with the soul armor technique, but the attack still caused a momentary lag in his thoughts. As he shook off the disorientation, an initial-level abomination tried to ambush him from behind. Aurelius performed a backflip, simultaneously releasing sword Qi that killed the attacker instantly.
In that vulnerable moment mid-air, the chimera leaped at Aurelius. He hastily formed a shield of soul energy around himself, absorbing the brunt of the attack as he landed on the ground, slightly injured but alive. The chimera, undeterred, rushed at him again.
Aurelius stood his ground, channeling his energy into the emotion severing technique. This method was particularly effective against abominations, as they were amalgamations of the emotional residue of countless beings. As his blade sliced through the air, the chimera froze momentarily, its mind clouded by the confusion induced by the technique.
Seizing the opportunity, Aurelius dashed forward before the chimera could recover and delivered a powerful strike with his sword Qi, severing its head. He paused, breathing heavily, surveying the fallen creature and the battlefield around him. Satisfied that the threat was neutralized, Aurelius sighed in relief and made his way back to the lodge in the Southern battlefield, ready to rest and recover before facing the challenges that awaited him again.
Back in his room, Aurelius sat cross-legged, replaying the recent battle in his mind. He meticulously analyzed each move, seeking the best methods to counter and improve. As he went through the fight, he discovered numerous flaws in his techniques. His performance had been crude and lacking precision.
Opening his eyes, Aurelius glanced at his watch. He remembered hearing about an application called KillApp, which many used to find instructors for improvement. Each instructor offered different training programs, regimes, durations, and methods, all at varying costs of training points.
Curious, Aurelius opened KillApp and browsed through the list of instructors. One name stood out: Bahadur, a level 8 realm sword warrior. Bahadur offered a basic training program for 50 years, with a merit point cost of 2 million.
Aurelius was intrigued. Bahadur's profile revealed exceptional achievements since he began his cultivation journey. He had reached perfection in all seven realms and was currently stuck in the 8th realm, striving for perfection. While waiting for opportunities and chances to progress, Bahadur dedicated his time to teaching young warriors.
Bahadur's high merit point cost deterred many, but those who had paid left exceptional reviews. Impressed by these testimonials, Aurelius decided to seek Bahadur's guidance.
Determined, Aurelius got up, prepared himself, and left the room to meet the esteemed instructor.
Aurelius used his GPS to navigate directly to the training ground under Bahadur's administration. After 15 minutes, he finally reached his destination. Observing the area, he was impressed. The 2 million merit points he had heard about seemed well spent.
He entered the training ground and approached the registration desk. There, he noticed a five-tailed fox woman. Her fur was a shimmering silver, her eyes a piercing blue, and her five tails swayed gracefully behind her. She exuded an aura of wisdom and elegance.
Aurelius walked up to her and asked, "Hello, I'm here to register for training under Bahadur."
The fox woman nodded, her voice smooth and melodious. "Welcome. Let me show you the different training regimes available under Master Bahadur."
She handed Aurelius a list:
Basic Level Training - 2 Million Merit Points
- Includes: Soul Energy Refinement (Mortal Level), Warrior Knowledge, Sword Knowledge, Access to Kill Tower Levels 1-10
- Duration: 50 Years
Intermediate Training - 5 Million Merit Points
- Includes: Soul Energy Refinement (Earth Level), Personal Guidance in Sword and Warrior Knowledge, Access to Kill Tower Levels 1-50
- Duration: 100 Years
Advanced Level Training - 10 Million Merit Points
- Includes: Soul Energy Refinement (Heaven Level), Personal Guidance in Sword and Warrior Skills, Anytime Questionnaire, Access to Kill Tower Levels 1-100
- Duration: 200 Years
Peak Level Training - 15 Million Merit Points
- Includes: Soul Energy Refinement (Origin Level), Personal Instruction in Sword and Warrior Skills, Anytime Questionnaire, Access to Kill Tower Levels 1-150, Inheritance Sword Technique if Level 150 is reached within the duration
- Duration: 500 Years
After reviewing the options, Aurelius didn't hesitate. "I would like to enroll in the Peak Level Training."
The fox woman raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by his decision. "That's our most comprehensive program. Are you sure?"
Aurelius nodded confidently. "Yes."
Aurelius thought "Thanks to Eisheth, I've earned a lot of money. My income is now in the millions. Because of this, I've already paid for my residency in the underworld before reincarnation. Now, I have plenty of money to invest in my training."
The fox woman smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Very well. The cost for the Peak Level Training is 15 million merit points. You can transfer the payment using your smart watch."
Aurelius activated his smart watch and transferred the required amount. "The payment is done."
The fox woman checked her screen and nodded. "Payment received. Welcome to Bahadur's elite training program. I will notify Master Bahadur of your enrollment. You can start your training tomorrow."
Aurelius thanked her and left the registration desk, ready to embark on his rigorous training journey.
The next day, Aurelius arrived punctually at 7 o'clock. Upon arriving at the training ground and showing his ID, he was led to his personal training area.
Aurelius was alone, as personal guidance was one-on-one. After waiting for five minutes, Bahadur arrived. The moment Aurelius saw him, he felt an overwhelming aura. Bahadur stood straight, like he would never bow to heaven or earth. His calm confidence and the way he walked gave the impression of a sheathed sword, ready to end the world with a single strike.
Bahadur approached Aurelius and said, "I will be addressing you as Aurelius from now on. As you will be training under me for the next 500 years, I will teach you with all my effort. It will depend on you if you can achieve the results, okay?"
Aurelius nodded and said, "I will be in your care."
Seeing this, Bahadur said, "I have looked into your record, as you gave us access yesterday. According to your record, you are taking the royal path. May I ask why you want to train in the warrior path?"
Aurelius looked at Bahadur, thought for a moment, and replied, "Whether it is the royal path or the warrior path, weakness is a sin. Only invincibility can let me overcome any challenge."
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Bahadur said, "Okay, I understand. I have reviewed your battles in the 2-tier and 4-tier battlefields. You lack a lot of experience and the basics in battle. The reason you have been able to fight so far is due to analyzing the situation properly and avoiding traps."
"But you can't avoid everything. Sometimes you will be surrounded and unable to fight multiple opponents simultaneously."
"True invincibility means killing all opponents standing in your path. It doesn't matter the numbers or their levels. Alone, you must kill and stain the world red until no one can stand before you."
Aurelius nodded, listening attentively.
Bahadur continued, "First, let's talk about your major weakness: the quality of your soul energy. At present, your soul energy is of high mortal rank. Soul energy is divided into mortal, earth, heaven, and origin rank."
"The higher the rank, the greater the potential and power. With origin rank soul energy, a peak 4th-level cultivator can fight against a peak 5th-level cultivator. The higher the quality of energy, the greater the fighting strength you will have."
"For soul energy refinement, you can go to the Soul Refinement Tower. It will help you refine all the soul energy in your body."
Aurelius nodded, taking in the information.
Bahadur continued, "Let's talk about your second weakness: fighting. You are good at analyzing opponents, but you lack experience in fighting many opponents at once and in different situations."
"The Kill Tower can help cover this weakness. Inside the Kill Tower, you will find many opponents, not only limited to abominations but also different races—humans, devils, succubi, fallen angels. You will fight them in various environments such as volcanoes, ice fields, swamps, and storms. It won't be one-on-one; everything will be unpredictable."
"There is an array spirit inside the Kill Tower that will monitor you, identify your weaknesses, assess your survivability in different scenarios, and construct settings to improve your adaptability and flexibility. It will send me reports of your progress so I can understand what to teach you."
Aurelius was fascinated by the training program and continued listening.
Bahadur continued, "Now, the third part of your training is to train your warrior path. Since you aim for invincibility, you will need to understand what a true warrior is and how to fight as a warrior."
"The fighting style evolves over time, and there are four stages in this path. The first is Instinct. This instinct can only be gained after accumulating a lot of fighting experience. The soul and body will remember how to react and escape in dangerous situations."
"Only warriors with countless fighting experiences can master Instinct."
"Next is Insight. This evolves from Instinct. It not only helps you react and escape in dangerous situations but also helps you differentiate between true and false attacks. Only 7th realm warriors have mastered this form of fighting."
"Next is Prediction. In this stage, you can see a few seconds into the future and change the outcome. Mainly 8th-level warriors like me master this. Very few can achieve this, and those who do are known as Grandmasters."
"Finally, there is Domain. This is the path I would like to master. It is the most difficult to master, but once you do, everything within the domain will be under your control. No one can evade your control unless they have also mastered Domain."
"In legends, there is another path known as Conqueror. I don't know the specifics, but it is known as the ultimate form of the warrior path."
Aurelius, listening to all the different forms of the warrior path, was fascinated. He felt glad he had used all his money to train under Bahadur.
After pausing to let Aurelius understand everything, Bahadur continued, "Now, the final weakness: the sword. The sword cultivation path is classified into mortal, spiritual, divine, primordial, chaos, genesis, and god level."
"Unfortunately, I only have knowledge up to the mortal level. For more knowledge, you will have to go to a higher level of the underworld."
"The mortal level is divided into five realms: Sword Qi, Sword Intent, Sword Heart, Sword Body, and Sword Domain."
"I will not talk about other realms now. I will only tell you about Sword Intent for now and give you information about the others later."
"You have reached Sword Qi, which means you have practiced basic sword positions and understand the sword. But Sword Intent means the sword should understand you. The sword in your heart needs to understand why you are wielding it, what its purpose is, what your resolve is."
"When you answer these questions, you will achieve the Sword Intent realm."
Aurelius noted everything Bahadur said without missing a single detail, thinking, "The world is much larger and more fascinating."
After giving all the information, Bahadur said, "I have given you all the basic knowledge. The path you walk will depend on you. I have also sent all the training programs to you. Check your watch for the file and follow the training regime."
After saying that, Bahadur left. Aurelius opened his watch to look at the file, determination flashing in his eyes. This was his chance to transform.
After reviewing the file, Aurelius noted that the first step was to refine his accumulated soul energy to the peak of the mortal rank. Once he reached the peak, he was advised to complete the first 37 levels in the Kill Tower, gaining experience in the warrior and sword paths.
After completing the 37 levels, he was to return to the Soul Refining Tower to advance his soul energy to the peak earth level, then tackle another 37 levels in the Kill Tower. This process would continue back and forth until he reached peak origin level in quality and completed 148 levels in the Kill Tower.
Understanding the regimen, Aurelius headed to the Soul Refining Tower to elevate his soul energy to peak mortal rank.
Aurelius arrived at the towering structure within a few minutes. The Soul Refining Tower was immense, with 12 levels, each set of three levels corresponding to a different rank.
Aurelius entered the first level, where the soul energy was noticeably denser and purer than outside. He sat cross-legged and took out the soul refining scripture, following the instructions meticulously.
As he operated the scripture, waves of soul energy began flowing toward Aurelius. Following the prescribed pathways, the energy started refining the soul energy within his body, massaging and purifying it, enhancing its quality.
After three hours, Aurelius felt saturated. During this time, he could sense the impurities being stripped away from his soul energy. The process was intense and demanding, but also deeply rewarding. He felt waves of energy washing over him, each pass cleansing and refining his soul energy. The sensation was like a gentle yet firm massage, soothing yet invigorating.
Because he already possessed high-mortal rank soul energy, it didn't take long to reach saturation. The soul energy within him, now sharper and purer, hummed with a newfound vitality. Feeling invigorated, he proceeded to the second floor.
On the second floor, the process was more challenging. The denser and purer soul energy required greater focus and effort to assimilate. As the years passed, Aurelius dedicated himself to the arduous task. Each day, he could feel the energy becoming more refined, his soul growing stronger. The impurities were harder to eliminate, but with each successful refinement, he felt a sense of accomplishment. The energy felt smoother, more potent, and he could sense his capabilities increasing.
It took Aurelius five years to feel saturated again. By then, his soul energy had reached an even higher level of purity and strength. Satisfied but not complacent, he moved on to the third floor.
The third floor was the pinnacle of the mortal rank refinement process. The soul energy here was incredibly dense and pure, presenting a formidable challenge. Aurelius immersed himself in the process, feeling the soul energy becoming razor-sharp and extraordinarily pure. The sensation was intense, almost overwhelming at times, as he battled to remove the last vestiges of impurity.
Aurelius opened his eyes and examined the soul energy within his body. "The quality is totally different from before," he thought. "It's much sharper, and the purity is at a higher level. I feel like I can fight ten opponents of the same rank."
Having reached the peak mortal realm, Aurelius set off for the Kill Tower to complete the first 37 levels.