Wu Zheng returned to his cave, the familiar chill of the stone walls and the quiet solitude greeting him like an old companion. His week outside had been quiet, yet the tension that gripped the Wu clan was unmistakable. Training sessions had intensified, and resources were being poured into the younger disciples at an unprecedented rate.
Wu Zheng's sharp mind pieced it together with ease. His father, Wu Cheng, had learned the full extent of the looming threat. The Wu clan was preparing for war, a war that would come in thirty-four years, one that would likely be the bloodiest battle the clan had ever faced. A war of survival.
Sitting cross-legged on his cultivation mat, Wu Zheng let out a small, almost inaudible sigh. His expression remained calm, his thoughts steady.
"The storm is coming," he murmured. "And it seems they're readying themselves."
War was not new to him—he had lived through battle in his past lives and emerged stronger each time. This time would be no different. What mattered now was not the clan's preparations but his own strength. He needed to be powerful enough that no one, not even the looming shadow of this war, could make him feel threatened.
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Four and a half years passed like the shifting of seasons—quiet, swift, and inevitable.
The days blurred together in a haze of cultivation, meditation, and quiet reflection. Outside his cave, the world moved on, but within his secluded space, Wu Zheng had become a force of focus, honing his abilities with the patience of a stone against the endless tide.
He stood by the lake outside his cave one late evening, watching the horizon as the golden sun slowly dipped beneath it. The last rays of sunlight reflected off the water, casting shimmering patterns across the surface, like ripples in time itself.
Wu Zheng had changed, not just in strength but in appearance as well. Now at twenty-two, his once youthful, boyish beauty had matured into something deeper. His face had sharpened, the soft edges of adolescence giving way to a commanding presence. His eyes, once wide with curiosity, now carried the weight of someone who had seen much and understood even more.
The wind ruffled his robes, carrying the scent of pine and earth. His gaze remained fixed on the horizon, the quiet serenity of the moment almost surreal given the storm that loomed in the distance. Yet, in this fleeting stillness, there was peace—a rare, calming pause in the relentless march of time.
After several moments of standing in silence, Wu Zheng turned and walked back inside the cool darkness of his cave. The fire in his heart was far from extinguished. His path was still long, and there was much more to achieve.
Sitting cross-legged on the mat , Wu Zheng closed his eyes. With a slow, deliberate breath, he opened his independent space, allowing his energy to rise within him. His true aura emerged: the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Over the past four and a half years, he had reached the very limits of the Foundation stage, his cultivation surging forward at an astonishing pace. Yet, as always, he masked his true strength, allowing only the aura of someone at the third stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm to be felt by others.
He smiled faintly. To anyone observing, he was a prodigy at the third stage of Foundation Establishment, a rare feat in itself. But if they knew the truth—that he had reached the very peak of this realm at the age of twenty-two—it would send shockwaves through the kingdom.
A brief flash of pride lit up his eyes. Breaking through to the Golden Core Realm at this age was almost unheard of, a testament to his discipline and the countless hours he had poured into his cultivation. The thought of it almost made him chuckle, but there was no time for idle celebrations.
Today was the day he would take that step forward. Today, he would form his Golden Core.