Seasons came and went. One year passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Wu Zheng finally broke through to the perfection of the Body Realm.
[Wu Zheng]
[Lifespan: 15/100]
[Potential: 24 percent]
[Cultivation: Peak Body Realm]
[Cultivation Technique: Wu Body Realm Technique]
[Techniques: Sword Serpent Technique (Mortal)
Swift Sword Technique (Mortal)
Two Bull Sword Technique (Mortal)]
After finding the cave and setting up the independent space, Wu Zheng returned to the manor. The news of his breakthrough quickly spread throughout the estate. His mother, sister, and several siblings came to congratulate him.
Two days later, he approached his father to discuss his intention to use the cave for cultivation. His father immediately agreed, eager to support his son's progress.
Wu Zheng's siblings were excited, too, as their father had ordered family members not to disturb Wu Zheng while he cultivated.
After a pleasant chat with his mother and sister, he left the manor and made his way back to his cave.
He spent most of his time in the cave, emerging only when he achieved breakthroughs. Although he could have reached the peak of the Body Realm in three to four months, he decided to take a year. He also used this time to learn some mortal techniques from the Wu Family Pavilion.
He didn't pursue black-level or higher techniques, as those required spirit qi to use. At the Body Realm, cultivators merely passed spirit qi through their meridians to strengthen their bodies. Spirit qi could only be utilized in the Qi Condensation Realm.
Wu Zheng stood up and exited the cave, determined to obtain the Wu Qi Condensation Realm technique at least on the surface.
It took him thirty minutes to reach the top. He headed straight for the left entrance of the manor and made his way to his mother's house, located on the top left side of the main hall. Before he could knock, his mother opened the door.
"My son, you have finally broken through to the peak of the Body Realm! Your mother is so proud of you! Come, let your mother give you a hug."
His mother enveloped him in a warm embrace, and Wu Zheng returned it, grinning as he said, "Mother, I want to break through to the Qi Condensation Realm now. You'll see—I'll be the youngest person in the family to achieve this!"
His mother replied softly, "Yes, yes, my Zheng'er is the most talented!"
"Mother, you need to teach me many strong techniques once I break through to the Qi Condensation Realm."
"Yes, I will teach you plenty of strong techniques."
"Okay, you said it! Don't go back on your word!"
After a cheerful exchange, Wu Zheng left to visit his sister, his smile wide.
His sister's house was nearby, and he soon arrived. After a joyful chat, they headed to the Wu Pavilion for the next part of the cultivation technique.
"Zheng'er, you truly are very talented! You've reached the perfect Body Realm in just one year. Father was the most talented person in the Wu family before you, and it took him over fifteen months to reach the perfected Body Realm. You've beaten him by three months!"
Wu Zheng said nothing, feeling a blush of embarrassment creep onto his cheeks.
When they arrived at the pavilion, the atmosphere buzzed with activity. The Wu Family Pavilion boasted three stories. The first floor housed mortal and black-level techniques, accessible to all. The second floor contained yellow-level techniques, open only to those with foundational cultivation or higher. The third floor held earth-level techniques, reserved for golden core cultivators and above. Currently, the Wu family possessed only one cyan-level technique, which remained in the sect master's house and was exclusively available to Wu family nascent soul cultivators—of which there were only two.
Wu Zheng and his sister didn't need to queue like the others; people parted for them as they made their way through the pavilion. They reached the counter on the first floor and received the second part of the technique without delay.
Wu Zheng spent a week in the manor, chatting with his mother and sister and visiting his father. On the eighth day, he bid farewell to his family, returning to his cave to prepare for his breakthrough to the Qi Condensation Realm.
With a cheerful expression, he left the manor, descended the cliff, and soon reached his cave. Upon entering, he checked to ensure no one had intruded since his last visit. Satisfied, he activated the independent space.
As he stepped into the independent space, his cheerful demeanor shifted to a more serious expression. He sat on a simple mat, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.
Instead of immediately cultivating, he began reading the second part of the Wu cultivation technique. However, as he delved into it, his interest waned. It wasn't a bad technique, but after reading it just once, he quickly realized that the Wu cultivation technique was not an original technique. It was a branch technique derived from a more advanced heaven-rank technique. This branch technique could only take one as far as the nascent soul stage; to ascend beyond that, one would need the original heaven-rank cultivation technique.
Wu Zheng pondered where the original technique might reside. "It's probably with the Huang Kingdom royal family. After all, it was the Huang Kingdom's founder, Sword God, one of the original five, who brought the cultivation techniques to Earth."
This was also why the Huang Kingdom was known for its sword cultivators.
After some contemplation, he finally began cultivating. From that moment on, he decided to focus on the Heaven Origin cultivation technique.
Currently, he had three goals:
1. Cultivate the Heaven Origin technique.
2. Reach the Qi Condensation Realm.
3. Master a concealment technique to hide his realm.
"After completing these three tasks, I will be able to cultivate as much as I want in the future," he said excitedly.