As time trickled by and the sun slowly went down, Xu Kai slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
He gazed at the orange skies with melancholy. "How can I combat those possessing elements when I lack my own? Can I withstand a sphere of fire with my skin? Without Spirit Qi, I don't stand a chance. My only advantage is my knowledge but how long will that last?'
He removed his sweat-soaked tunic, threw it into the sea, washed it, and squeezed it. As he watched the dirty, brownish water fall back into the sea, a soft gleam flashed through his red eyes.
'Why did I receive a second chance?'
Just as he was about to sink into the memory of the battle against the sea beast that annihilated three hunting ships, Xu Kai shut his eyes, his eyelids trembling.
After resting for a short while, he ate what he could scavenge, climbed the tall stone and continued practicing. The distant sounds of waves fell into his ears, attuning him deep into their story.
The sea was his best friend; he found solace and forgot all his problems, but it was still the same water body that nurtured ferocious sea beasts like the renowned Skylark Shark!
As he sank deeper, his punches became faster, more precise, and fluid. Anyone watching him would think that his fists produced the sound of waves.
Xu Kai tightened his muscles, moving his legs in rhythm with the predetermined image in his mind. Sweat drenched him, yet he persisted.
There was a sense of joy. It was exhilarating for Xu Kai, as he experienced everything from a different perspective. The warm sensation emerged again and spread out.
Because he had no talent, absorbing Spirit Qi to nourish his muscles would be tenfold more difficult, but the jade mushroom negated this disaster.
Without the jade mushroom, it would take him two months to break into the Marrow Cleansing Realm's initial stage.
While training, Xu Kai lost sense of time. Obsessed with the comforting sensation coursing through his body, he sank deep into the "Raging Tide Technique" almost merging with it!
"Imagine the sea, its fierce waves raging in the storm." While his eyes were closed, those words left his lips.
"Strengthen your feet. They are your connection to the earth. Dig your toes into the earth and feel the wind caressing your fist. Imagine your fist to be the waves of the bitter stormy sea, relentless, formidable, and raging."
His fists tore through the air, carrying a gust of wind.
As the sun went down, the evening turned into night. When morning came, the sun rose up, illuminating a young scrawny boy training on a large boulder before the sea. His fists shot out like waves.
Swoosh—! Swoosh—!
Xu Kai could feel a transformation within his body. The jade mushroom was such a miraculous herb! Knowing he was close to some sort of breakthrough, he refused to stop.
In the same vein, another day passed, and the starry skies took over.
Basking under the crescent moon's silvery light was a boy with short black hair sitting cross legged.
Black viscous substances were excreting from his pores, accumulating around him, and a foul smell billowed off him.
"Ugh!" Xu Kai felt like vomiting. Xu Kai quickly leaped into the sea, which instantly cleaned him up. However, as the black substance spread, nearby fish began to float.
The fish, stubbornly refusing to allow him to catch them all these years, finally died. Unfortunately, he couldn't eat them.
'I've entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm!' Xu Kai clenched his fists. His body felt light, as if he had been moving sluggishly all this time!
His skin tone lightened, but he still wanted to check out what was most important.
For this reason, Xu Kai ran to the training ground, which was desolate since everyone had gone to their homes.
He approached a 50-kg stone and lifted it with one hand. With ease, he threw the stone over a distance of twenty meters, smiled, then walked over to a 100-kg stone and secured it with his fingers.
With a soft grunt, he lifted it above his head. After a short time, his arms trembled so he dropped it. "Last time, my body required nourishment from birth to be a martial arts practitioner, and I could only lift a 75 kg stone, and I could never reach the peak of any stage," he said.
The jade mushroom's miraculous effect shattered Xu Kai's concept of the world. No wonder he always heard people say a miraculous herb would change their fate.
It had seemed absurd until tonight.
'I've reached the initial stage, but I still haven't exhausted the jade mushroom's energy.' Xu Kai's eyes gleamed. 'This means I can compete for a guaranteed slot, unlike last time!'
The competition for the guaranteed slot took place the next day, and this date made it impossible for those who weren't in the Marrow Cleansing Realm to compete. This was why he couldn't join in his past life.
'I heard it was something about hunting a—'
"XU KAI!!"
A reverberating ancient voice fell into his ears, causing goosebumps all over his skin. The voice's owner wasn't shouting, yet it seemed to resonate with the heavens and the earth!
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he fell. Thud—!
The next moment, Xu Kai saw himself in a mysterious, foggy space. He kept looking around until the fog cleared, revealing an ancient palace!
The golden doors swung open, revealing a brilliant white light that almost blinded him.
"XU KAI!"
He heard the voice again, but this time, he was certain it came from that palace.
Sensing his delay, a mysterious force transported him into the palace, giving him a glimpse of its unmatched aesthetic before tossing him into a chamber.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and the moment his body touched the ground, Xu Kai found himself on top of a boat in the middle of a stormy sea!
"It's coming. Prepare your spears!" The captain bellowed, his voice carrying above the thunder. Xu Kai's heart raced as he grabbed a spear and joined the others at the ship's rail. The stormy sea churned beneath them, with waves crashing against the hull.
Rumble —!
A purple glow flickered through the dark skies, and water droplets splashed against Xu Kai's horrified face.
Even in the heavy downpour, men and women ran about.
"Xu Kai, get your spear in position. The Skylark shark is coming!"
Xu Kai's heart grew cold. 'How did I return to the time I died?'