The days turned into weeks as Xuan Li immersed himself in relentless training. The faint light of dawn marked the beginning of his practice, and the shadows of nightfall barely brought him rest. One month of unwavering effort transformed him, body and mind tempered like steel.
Now, he sat cross-legged in the heart of his secluded training ground, the air around him alive with a swirling flow of ethereal runes. Behind him, the Abyssal Warden loomed, its towering figure radiating an aura of vast and oppressive spiritual pressure.
Xuan Li opened his eyes and glanced at the enigmatic guardian. Memories of their last encounter surged back. He had confidently stood before the Warden, ready for battle. But the creature had crushed his spirit without so much as lifting a finger. The overwhelming weight of its mere presence had rendered him unconscious.
"That was not even its full power," Xuan Li muttered, his voice tinged with frustration and determination. "If I couldn't withstand its aura, how could I hope to fight it?"
This realization had driven him into a month-long odyssey of self-improvement. Now, he was ready to challenge it again. The runes around him dimmed and vanished as he stood, gripping the hilt of his blade. His eyes, now sharper and brimming with resolve, locked onto the Abyssal Warden.
"Let's begin," he said, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of defiance.
The Abyssal Warden shifted slightly, its stance unchanging but its spiritual pressure surging forward like a tidal wave. Xuan Li staggered, beads of sweat forming on his brow. His thoughts raced, a mixture of awe and realization.
"This pressure... It's heavier than before. No, I'm not imagining things. It wasn't using its full strength last time!"
His gaze hardened as a flicker of determination ignited in his heart. "Then this time, I'll surpass even myself."
Xuan Li released his spiritual pressure, meeting the Warden's force head-on. The air trembled as the opposing energies clashed, creating a cacophony of invisible strikes. Xuan Li gritted his teeth, his body straining under the immense burden. The Warden, however, remained still, its hands clasped behind its back, exuding an unshakable dominance.
"I can't match it in raw power," Xuan Li admitted, his lips curling into a faint smirk. "But I have other techniques."
In an instant, he vanished from sight, reappearing behind the Abyssal Warden in a burst of speed. His blade, now glowing with a brilliant light, was infused with five spectral swords, each emanating a heavy sword intent. The blade hummed, resonating with raw power as he swung it with everything he had.
The light from the strike illuminated the surroundings, and when it faded, deep sword marks scarred the ground. Boulders lay cleaved into countless fragments. Xuan Li's breath came in heavy gasps as his gaze locked onto the Warden.
It stood unmoved, a silent monolith, its dark figure unmarred.
"Impossible," Xuan Li whispered, disbelief clouding his features. "A month of training, and I couldn't even scratch it."
The Abyssal Warden raised its head slightly, its gaze piercing. With a subtle motion, the ground beneath them rumbled. Massive chunks of earth rose, forming a colossal sword over a hundred feet long, which hurtled toward Xuan Li with terrifying force.
"Not yet!" Xuan Li roared, gripping his blade tightly. Sparks flew as his sword met the oncoming attack, the ground beneath his feet cracking under the strain. His muscles screamed in protest, but his spirit refused to yield.
"I won't give up," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Not until I defeat you!"
The Warden, as if unimpressed by his resolve, intensified its spiritual pressure. Xuan Li's body trembled violently under the weight, his mind teetering on the brink of collapse. Yet, within that suffocating pressure, something deep inside him stirred.
"Second Sword!" he bellowed, summoning more spectral swords. One after another, the spectral weapons appeared. First six, then seven. His eyes, bloodshot and leaking crimson tears, glowed with an unearthly light as he pushed himself beyond his limits.
"Not enough," he muttered, his voice a mix of desperation and unyielding resolve. "It's still not enough!"
With every ounce of his will, Xuan Li's foundation responded as if recognizing and aligning with his unyielding determination. Deep within him, the Primordial Core trembled slightly, then began to resonate powerfully with his essence. The layers of the Core expanded drastically, unleashing waves of energy that rippled through his body.
Unbeknownst to Xuan Li, his very being was undergoing a profound transformation. His genes seemed to awaken, unlocking dormant potential hidden within. His bones hardened, their density increasing to support the immense pressure surging through him. His muscles strengthened, becoming more resilient and brimming with latent power.
The energy coursing through him surged to unprecedented levels, radiating outward and filling the surrounding with an awe-inspiring presence. The ground beneath him quaked, cracks spiderwebbing across the terrain as the air shimmered with cosmic energy. This transformation was not just physical—it was a complete elevation of his existence, a redefinition of what his body and spirit were capable of.
Fifty spectral swords now hovered around him, their combined intent shaking the very air. The cosmic energy within him roared like a beast, a testament to his indomitable will. His body screamed in agony, but a smirk crept onto his lips.
Finally, the moment of breakthrough arrived. The Primordial Core within Xuan Li erupted, unleashing a radiant wave of cosmic energy that surged outward with unstoppable force. The ground quaked, the air vibrated, and the surrounding space rippled as though reality itself was bending under the might of this energy.
Xuan Li let out a primal roar, a sound that echoed with both triumph and unrelenting will. The sheer might of the cosmic energy he now commanded collided with the massive sword hurtling toward him. In an instant, the sword was repelled, shattering into countless fragments that dissolved into the ether.
The Abyssal Warden's oppressive aura, once suffocating and invincible, was swept away as though it were nothing but a fleeting shadow. The battlefield, which had moments ago been dominated by the Warden's overwhelming presence, now seemed to bow to Xuan Li's newfound power.
Xuan Li straightened, his posture now exuding newfound strength. Around him, 120 spectral swords manifested, each one sharper and heavier than before. Each blade carried not just the weight of Xuan Li's relentless will to never give up, but also his unyielding killing intent. They shimmered with an ethereal glow, resonating with his unbroken determination and the fury that burned within him.
These swords were not merely weapons—they were an extension of his very soul, forged from the trials he had endured and the unrelenting drive to overcome the impossible. The air grew thick with a suffocating aura as the spectral swords hovered, their presence amplifying the battlefield's intensity.
"Your pressure means nothing to me now," Xuan Li declared, his voice steady and resolute.
The spectral swords merged seamlessly into his blade, which began to hum with an overwhelming surge of power. The weapon seemed alive, responding to the fierce determination and unyielding killing intent of its wielder.
The blood runes etched onto the blade pulsed menacingly, their crimson glow intensifying with each passing moment. It was as if the runes themselves resonated with Xuan Li's inner fury, amplifying the murderous aura that now permeated the air. The suffocating pressure spread outward, heavy and inescapable, filling the battlefield with a chilling intent that promised destruction to anything in its path.
Xuan Li dashed forward, his blade blazing with light. The strike was pure, devoid of hesitation or doubt.
The ensuing explosion of energy left the battlefield in ruins. As the light faded, Xuan Li's gaze fell on the Abyssal Warden. The formidable guardian had been forced back ten steps, a shallow sword mark etched across its chest.
A weary smile spread across Xuan Li's face. "Finally... I've dealt a blow. Next time, I'll defeat you completely."
With those final words, exhaustion overwhelmed him. His body crumpled to the ground as consciousness slipped away, leaving the battlefield silent once more.