"Last piece of the herb," Auron whispered, feeling the breakthrough just within his grasp. Moments later, an unbearable pain surged through his body. With no one home, he let out a loud scream, his voice echoing through the empty house. But soon, the pain faded, replaced by an incredible lightness. "Breakthrough achieved," he muttered, feeling as if he could float off the ground.
Suddenly, a foul stench hit his nose. Glancing down, Auron saw a layer of black goo covering his chiseled white skin. It was the impurities being expelled from his body. "Ugh, this is disgusting," he grimaced and hurried to the bathroom to wash it all off. Once clean, he noticed the same goo staining his clothes and spent extra effort scrubbing them until they were spotless.
Just as he was hanging his clothes to dry, Sarah returned from the market.
"Auron, why did you change your clothes?" she asked, eyeing him curiously.
"Oh, I was walking around the house and accidentally tumbled into the mud in the backyard," Auron replied with a sheepish smile. "But I'm fine, just got a bit dirty. I just finished washing my clothes."
Sarah raised an eyebrow but didn't press him. "Hmm, whatever you say," she muttered before heading into the kitchen to store the ingredients and prepare lunch. As she passed by the backyard window, she noticed the mud pool Auron had mentioned. But something felt off—there were no signs of anyone having fallen into it.
"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. As long as you're not in trouble," Sarah sighed to herself, her thoughts lingering on her sensible little boy.
"Almost got myself into trouble there. But seriously, what was that black goo? The stench was unbearable. Just thinking about it makes me want to puke," Auron muttered to himself. "Now, let's check out what's changed after all that," he eagerly poked his skin in various places, noticing its newfound toughness. "Feels like iron, plus my meridians are stronger too. Larger, more resilient meridians will mean a much higher celestial aura output."
"I doubt I'm ready to cultivate the second phase of the Genetic Ascension Art yet, but it wouldn't hurt to study it," Auron mused, debating whether to move forward.
The second phase, known as the Muscle Enhancement phase, focused on refining muscle fibers and activating dominant genes that would boost his physical attributes and endurance. These dominant genes would evolve, leading to improved strength, speed, and resilience, making him a force to be reckoned with.
"Such an improvement at the genetic level... It's truly astounding. Genes form the foundation of all life. Evolving them elevates not just physical abilities, but also mental resilience and comprehension. Whoever created this cultivation art must have been a genius beyond measure," Auron muttered to himself, still shocked by the discovery. "Better explore the new limits of Void Shatter and Ripple Palm first," he thought, shaking off the awe.
From that day on, Auron made his way upstream near the forest to practice his combat arts. The area was desolate, with only a few Nobel Walnut trees scattered around, offering the perfect solitude. Each time he unleashed Void Shatter and Ripple Palm, the river roared in protest, massive ripples and explosions disturbing its calm waters.
One afternoon, while practicing his techniques, his mystical eyes caught sight of something—a silhouette in the water, moving swiftly toward the surface. Instinctively, Auron retreated from the riverbank, readying his combat arts.
A large, hippo-like beast emerged from the river, its eyes gleaming with rage. As soon as it spotted Auron, it charged at him furiously. Though his mystical eyes didn't signal immediate danger, Auron remained cautious. Confidence didn't mean underestimating unpredictable foes.
As the beast thundered towards him, Auron sidestepped swiftly, narrowly avoiding the charge, before launching Void Shatter directly at its side. The creature was thrown back by the impact, but to Auron's surprise, its thick hide bore no damage.
"What a ridiculous hide. Looks like I'll have to damage it internally," Auron mused. He shifted tactics, focusing on Ripple Palm to penetrate the beast's defenses while using Void Shatter to maintain distance. Each exchange made Auron's heart race, filling him with a mix of excitement and tension. Xiao Yu's calm guidance kept him grounded, alerting him to every shift in the battle.
The fight dragged on for a few minutes, but the creature stubbornly endured.
"Don't hit aimlessly, find its vulnerable part. Aim for its forehead with Ripple Palm to destroy its brain," Xiao Yu advised.
"Alright, I'm ending this now," Auron muttered under his breath, determination flaring in his eyes. He leaped to the side, channeling all his strength into his Ripple Palm technique. His palm struck the creature's forehead with devastating force.
The beast's scream echoed through the forest as its eyes bulged and burst. Brain tissue oozed from its eyes and nose as the monstrous creature collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.
Breathing heavily, Auron stumbled back, exhaustion washing over him. He quickly began absorbing the ambient mana, replenishing his depleted celestial aura. Lying down on the cool earth, he replayed the battle in his mind.
"If it weren't for Xiao Yu's guidance, I might not have survived this," he thought, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude.
After half an hour later, he tidied up his shirt a bit and walked back home. " This night , I will tell me parents about my decision. After thinking about pros and cons , I concluded that it is better to attend Magus School as dual ascent path cultivation system. This time I mostly fight with my body and celestial aura. I should integrate and learn elemental spell so that I can increase my firepower. Another thing is, I need a customs bow as the one that Uncle Ray made was really light. It doesn't match my strength at all. Maybe I can find any black market in the future," thought Auron.
Sarah saw Auron shirt but didn't said anything as it seem normal for a boy to play roughly right. If he didn't injure himself then it was already good.
Seeing no reaction from his mother, Auron went to take a bath. His hands was clean without a spec of scratch or injury even after fighting the beast. It's good that I have already completed Skin Fortification phase before I encounter that beast , if not I might be coming back with bunch of scars.
That night, he told his parents that he wanted to persue the his study in Swamp Enclave Academy. His parents didn't said much but encouraged him. His father even offered himself to teach Auron the way of swordsmanship but he politely declined it.