Li Qiang stepped toward the shelf at the far end of the hall, his eyes scanning the row of carefully stored scrolls. He reached for one in particular, his fingers brushing over its surface with reverence.
He carefully unwrapped a scroll bound in aged, dark brown leather, its surface worn with time but still sturdy. The leather bore deep-set markings—ancient symbols of force, resistance, and endurance—etched into its surface with precision. Reinforced with steel clasps at both ends, the scroll's simple yet imposing appearance held an undeniable weight. As Li Qiang unrolled it slightly, Li Wei caught a glimpse of intricate geometric diagrams and powerful runes that seemed to hum with latent energy, promising a technique of unimaginable strength.
"This is a body-tempering technique," Li Qiang began, his voice carrying an almost ceremonial tone. "The Titanic Pulse Refinement Technique. Its grade is Advanced Aureate."
Li Wei's eyes widened at the name.
Li Qiang continued, "Body-tempering techniques like this have fewer requirements for one to start, but they are much harder to practice." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Unlike energy cultivation techniques or martial arts, body-tempering techniques aren't divided into the same classifications of mastery. Instead, they are judged by what stage or chapter of the technique you have completed."
He placed the scroll on the stone table, the symbols and diagrams shimmering faintly in the light. "Let's explore it in detail."
Titanic Pulse Refinement Technique
Grade: Advanced Aureate
Focus: Ultra-advanced body-tempering through gravitational resistance, micro-precise energy manipulation, and advanced physiological optimization, enhancing strength, resilience, and energy circulation at cellular and systemic levels.
The Titanic Pulse Refinement Technique utilizes escalating gravitational forces combined with increasingly precise energy control to catalyze profound physical and energetic evolution. It refines every aspect of the body, from bones and muscles to organs and cells, culminating in a superhuman form capable of withstanding extreme forces and energies. This process ultimately pushes the body to the very edge of human potential, enhancing strength, endurance, and regenerative capacity.
Technique Principles
Gravitational Resistance:
The practitioner progressively adapts to increasingly intense gravitational forces, forcing the body to undergo deep structural changes in bones, muscles, organs, and tissues. This enhances bone density, muscle strength, and vital system function, conditioning the body to handle pressures well beyond human norms.
Energy Channeling and Precision:
Energy is manipulated with growing precision, focusing on internal systems and external forces at the micrometer level. The ability to direct energy with such accuracy allows for the optimal functioning of all bodily systems, maintaining balance even under extreme stress.
Cellular and Systemic Optimization:
At higher stages, cellular stimulation intensifies, directing energy to activate rapid healing, tissue regeneration, and metabolic optimization. Each cell becomes more efficient at energy conversion, leading to overall vitality and longevity.
Stage Breakdown
Stage 1: Titan's Relentless Awakening
Gravitational Intensity: 20–100 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Establishing a resilient physical base by reinforcing muscles, bones, and tendons. Energy focus is on foundational strength and stability.
Methods:
Strength Building Movements: Basic bodyweight exercises under gravitational stress. Simple movements like squats, lunges, and push-ups, progressively adding resistance to develop muscular strength and joint stability.
Bone Reinforcement: Direct energy to stimulate osteogenesis, increasing bone density and resistance to injury. Energy pulses reinforce skeletal structures, making them denser and more durable.
Tendon and Ligament Strengthening: Use energy pulses to stimulate collagen production, enhancing the strength of connective tissues and improving flexibility and elasticity.
Scientific Backing:
Muscle Hypertrophy: Increased gravitational resistance accelerates muscle fiber recruitment and hypertrophy.
Osteogenesis: Energy-guided gravitational stress stimulates bone-forming cells (osteoblasts), increasing bone mass and density.
Stage 2: Titan Core Foundation
Gravitational Intensity: 100–250 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Building strength in the core, optimizing the Dantian (energy center) for improved energy storage and circulation. This stage focuses on deepening the internal energy foundation.
Methods:
Core-Strengthening Exercises: Engage in advanced core movements like deep squats, leg raises, and twists, performed under progressively higher gravitational stress.
Energy Channeling to the Dantian: Direct energy into the Dantian to expand its capacity for energy storage, fostering a deep internal reserve for more advanced stages.
Internal Meridian Activation: Focus energy along the major meridians (spine, legs, arms) to enhance circulation and improve energy flow.
Scientific Backing:
Core Muscle Optimization: The core is heavily engaged, reinforcing deep stabilizers for balance, control, and spinal health under gravitational stress.
Energy Storage Expansion: Enhanced circulation of energy to the Dantian increases overall vitality and provides a reservoir for intense energy demands.
Stage 3: Titan Meridian Fortification
Gravitational Intensity: 250–500 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Expanding and fortifying the body's meridian pathways to enhance energy throughput, allowing for smoother circulation and deeper energy penetration.
Methods:
Complex Movement Patterns: Incorporate dynamic stretching, Tai Chi, and complex movement sequences to open meridian channels.
Energy Precision for Meridian Fortification: Use energy pulses to fortify and expand meridian pathways, ensuring they can handle the increased energy flow required at higher intensities.
Meridian Synchronization with Gravity: Perform flowing movements like lunges and rotations to enhance the flow of energy through the meridians, ensuring the body's systems stay balanced under stress.
Scientific Backing:
Meridian Optimization: The application of gravity-induced stress on energy pathways forces them to widen and become more efficient, supporting greater energy circulation.
Neurovascular Efficiency: Greater energy flow through the meridians supports faster neural responses and improved circulatory efficiency.
Stage 4: Titan's Infernal Vitality
Gravitational Intensity: 500–1,000 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Maximizing mitochondrial efficiency and ATP production at the cellular level, allowing for explosive bursts of energy and rapid regeneration. Cellular stimulation is pushed to new limits, enhancing the body's natural recovery abilities.
Methods:
Explosive Movements: Engage in high-intensity movements like sprints, jumps, and lifts under extreme gravitational force, forcing the mitochondria to work at maximum capacity.
Cellular Energy Boosting: Focus energy on the mitochondria to optimize ATP production, improving muscle endurance and enabling the body to generate more energy for high-stress activities.
Regeneration Through Energy Activation: Focus energy pulses directly at the cellular level, enhancing rapid cellular repair and extending the lifespan of tissues.
Scientific Backing:
Mitochondrial Optimization: Cells work more efficiently, producing energy faster and with higher yields, resulting in increased stamina and vitality.
Cellular Repair: Energy pulses accelerate the regeneration of cells, allowing the body to recover quickly from exertion.
Stage 5: Titan's Celestial Surge
Gravitational Intensity: 1,000–5,000 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Achieving a balance between physical movement and energy flow, creating a harmonious system where physical output and energy output are synchronized. Cellular stimulation is maximized at this stage, enhancing the body's internal systems to their fullest potential.
Methods:
Slow, Controlled Energy Movements: Engage in Tai Chi or similar techniques, focusing on slow, deliberate movements that sync energy flow with every muscle contraction.
Energy-Physical Synergy: Use energy pulses to enhance physical movement, synchronizing each action to ensure that energy flows efficiently through the body without loss.
Cellular Synchronization: Direct energy to individual cells to enhance their efficiency in energy production, cellular repair, and overall function.
Scientific Backing:
Energy-Physical Harmony: The body and energy flow become seamlessly integrated, reducing inefficiencies and allowing for superior energy utilization.
Enhanced Cell Function: Cellular stimulation reaches its peak, accelerating both energy production and tissue repair, ensuring that all bodily systems work in perfect harmony.
Stage 6: Titan's Infinite Resilience
Gravitational Intensity: 5,000–25,000 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Extreme cellular stimulation, with an emphasis on reinforcing every bodily system to operate at peak levels under prolonged stress. This stage enhances the body's structural integrity and ensures that tissues and organs remain intact under the most extreme conditions.
Methods:
Extreme Power Movements: Execute macroscopic power strikes alongside microscopic precision movements, combining explosive body shifts with finely tuned, hyper-accurate muscle contractions under immense gravitational stress. This dual-level approach enhances both large-scale strength and the intricate energy control required for maximum endurance and regeneration.
Cellular Regeneration and Hyper-Repair: Focus energy on each cell to maximize tissue repair and prevent degradation under stress. Accelerate DNA repair processes to preserve cellular integrity.
Organ System Optimization: Focus on organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver to ensure optimal function under stress. Energy is used to enhance efficiency and performance of internal systems.
Scientific Backing:Hyper-Repair Mechanisms: Cells are constantly repaired, preventing breakdowns and allowing for sustained physical performance even under extreme strain.
Organ Resilience: Organ systems are optimized for endurance, ensuring the practitioner can sustain high-intensity output for longer durations.
Stage 7: Titan's Ascendant Fury
Gravitational Intensity: 25,000–100,000 times the practitioner's body weight.
Focus: Pushing the body to its maximum limit, optimizing both energy and physical output to survive extreme conditions. Cellular stimulation reaches its peak, ensuring that the body remains resilient and functional even under the highest levels of stress. This stage is the limit before complete exhaustion sets in.
Methods:
Ultimate Endurance Movements: Submit your body to the ultimate test of endurance under a crushing 25,000 to 100,000 times the force of gravity. Engage in earth-shattering, high-resistance movements that stretch the limits of human capability—each explosive jump defies the oppressive gravitational force, while resistance lifts push muscles and bones to the brink of destruction. The body is forced to adapt rapidly, with every motion an excruciating push against overwhelming pressure. The strain on each muscle fiber is unimaginable, triggering an intricate dance of energy flow, cellular regeneration, and muscle repair under duress. Every movement demands the full power of your body's energy stores, with mitochondria working overtime to produce the energy needed to fuel the next exertion. Despite the unimaginable forces, the body responds, evolving in real time to become an indestructible machine of power and endurance, able to withstand and thrive under extreme gravitational stress.
Cellular Resilience: Focus energy on hyper-repairing cells, boosting their regenerative capacity and ensuring they remain functional under the highest stress levels.
Energy Conversion Mastery: Achieve the highest energy conversion rate, allowing energy to be efficiently produced and distributed to all systems even under immense physical strain.
Scientific Backing:
Energy Production at Maximum Efficiency: The body's ability to convert and store energy reaches its peak, allowing for incredible bursts of strength and endurance.
Cellular and Structural Resilience: Cells regenerate rapidly, tissues remain intact, and the body can withstand extreme physical exertion for extended periods before exhaustion becomes inevitable.
The progression through these stages ensures that as practitioners advance, their internal systems, energy management, and physical capabilities are optimized with increasing precision.
Li Qiang stood, letting the weight of the technique settle in. His eyes softened slightly as he spoke again, his voice becoming more solemn.
"This technique," he said, glancing at Li Wei, "requires gravitational force. And that is something our family possesses in abundance. Our clan holds the Mount Celestia—an extraordinary treasure that has been passed down for generations. It's a place filled with intricate and complex gravitational formations and arrays. It is the key to unlocking the Titanic Pulse Refinement Technique fully."
Li Wei listened intently, his curiosity growing.
Li Qiang continued, "Mount Celestia has gravitational forces that can reach up to 10 million G. It's one of our clan's top five greatest treasures, created by our ancestors millennia ago. Its power, its potential… it is unmatched. Only by immersing oneself in such intense forces can the body-tempering process progress to its final stages."
Li Wei's breath caught in his throat. The sheer scale of the challenge was daunting, but the thought of gaining such power and knowledge exhilarated him.
Li Qiang's gaze sharpened. "But this technique isn't just about raw strength. It's about harmonizing the energy you've gathered with your body, your movement, and your martial arts. When the martial arts, body, and energy flow together, your power will be far greater than just strength alone. It's the balance of all three that will unlock your true potential."
Li Wei nodded, understanding the magnitude of what was being asked. "So it's not just about training the body, but about how everything works together?"
Li Qiang gave a small, approving nod. "Exactly. And to truly master this, you must also consider the flow of energy within. The energy cultivation technique you've chosen, the Harmonized Flow of the Eternal Phoenix, is designed to work with the form of energy you gather. It complements everything—the body, the martial arts, the energy. When all these elements align, it will magnify your power."
Li Wei listened carefully, grasping the complexity of the path ahead.
Li Qiang paused, then added, "Now, let's choose your martial arts. The technique you develop must complement the flow of energy and the physical refinement process. It's essential that your martial arts work in harmony with the energy you cultivate and the strength you build in your body. Together, they will form a seamless synergy."
Li Qiang unrolled the two scrolls, each releasing a distinct energy that seemed to ripple through the air. He laid them flat on the table in front of Li Wei.
"This first scroll," Li Qiang began, his fingers lightly brushing over the parchment, "contains the Void Resonance Strike. This is a Mid-Aureate martial arts technique. It focuses on harnessing energy through resonance, shockwaves, and plasma to deliver devastating strikes both up close and from a distance. The technique works by amplifying your body's movements with energy that disrupts the target's structure—perfect for breaking through defenses and causing internal damage. Its power lies in the precision of your energy control."
1. Martial Arts Technique:
Void Resonance Strike (VRS)Grade: Mid-Aureate
Theme: Harnessing biomechanical force and scientific energy principles (resonance, plasma, and electricity) for devastating close- and long-range attacks.
Stage Progression:
Stage 1: Resonant Fundamentals
Close Combat:
Energy amplifies muscle force by inducing micro-vibrations in the muscles and bones, tuned to the resonant frequency of the target. This enhances kinetic energy transfer while destabilizing the target's structural integrity.
Example: Punches generate small internal fractures or localized pressure damage (like sonic hammers) on impact, affecting the target's muscles and bones.
Long Range:
Energy is released as high-pressure soundwaves or shockwaves that propagate outward from the point of impact.
Example: A palm thrust sends a shockwave through the air, destabilizing the target's balance or causing blunt trauma from a distance.
Scientific Principle:
Resonance amplifies energy transfer efficiently, while air pressure changes allow wave propagation, utilizing physical principles of frequency and vibration.
Stage 2: Sonic Harmonics and Shockwave Amplification
Close Combat:
Practitioners generate harmonic resonance fields upon contact with the target, destabilizing the target's structural integrity and causing disruption.
Example: A strike causes a destructive ripple through energy barriers or dense materials, similar to seismic vibrations breaking apart solid foundations.
Long Range:
Energy manifests as focused shockwaves, capable of tearing through the air with enough force to create localized wind pressure that can launch debris or destabilize structures.
Example: A punch releases a short-range sonic boom, creating destructive air compression in a cone that damages nearby objects or causes disorientation.
Signature Move: Resonant Strike
A precision shockwave attack designed to vibrate an opponent's internal organs without causing external damage, destabilizing the opponent from the inside.
Scientific Principle:
Based on controlled soundwave propagation and shockwave physics, this attack manipulates resonance to affect the internal structure of the target.
Stage 3: Plasma Surge Creation
Close Combat:
Energy channels are refined to ionize the air upon release, generating high-energy plasma arcs around strikes. These arcs burn and destabilize targets on contact, causing both electrical and thermal damage.
Example: A punch crackles with plasma discharge, creating a scalding aura around the fist that burns upon impact.
Long Range:
Concentrated energy pulses ionize pathways through the atmosphere, producing electrically charged plasma bolts that travel at hypersonic speeds, capable of piercing through barriers and shields.
Example: A condensed plasma pulse punctures defenses, destabilizing barriers with extreme heat and electrical charge.
Signature Move: Plasma Shatterwave
A radial burst of shockwaves combined with plasma arcs, destroying nearby obstacles or enemies, disrupting the battlefield in a powerful explosion of energy.
Scientific Principle:
Plasma is generated by ionizing air molecules using high-energy discharges, with the arc of electricity creating intense localized heat and force.
Stage 4: Controlled Electrical Discharge and Advanced Plasma Fields
Close Combat:
Energy strikes emit controlled electrical discharges, disrupting an opponent's nervous system or energy circulation, incapacitating them with nerve damage or paralyzing pulses.
Example: A palm strike delivers a stunning electrical pulse capable of paralyzing the target's muscles and interfering with their energy flow.
Long Range:
High-energy plasma fields are shaped into projectiles or arcs, capable of causing severe thermal damage, overwhelming any energy shielding or defensive barriers.
Example: An energy orb explodes on contact, releasing lightning-like arcs and superheated plasma that discharges over a wide area.
Signature Move: Void Thunderclap
A powerful, plasma-enhanced shockwave attack with a wide radius of destruction. It delivers both a physical shockwave and electrical discharge, creating a localized storm of energy.
Scientific Principle:
Combines electromagnetic induction with shockwave and plasma physics, where the electromagnetic energy is utilized to both disrupt and destabilize through heat and electrical discharge.
He moved to the second scroll, which glowed with a faint jade hue.
"This one is the Phantasmal Steps of Shifting Jade, also Mid-Aureate. It's a movement technique rather than a direct combat art. It manipulates the air and electromagnetic fields around you to enhance your speed and agility. You'll be able to move with near-instantaneous velocity, evade attacks effortlessly, and use the environment to your advantage. It's about shifting through the air, moving faster than the eye can follow, and turning the very elements into your ally."
2. Movement Art:
Phantasmal Steps of Shifting Jade (PSSJ)Grade: Mid-Aureate
Theme: Evasive and high-speed traversal using air manipulation, drag reduction, and controlled electromagnetic fields to enable near-instantaneous movement and aerial maneuvering.
Stage Progression:Stage 1: Evasive Airflow Manipulation
Mechanics:
Energy is directed to manipulate airflow around the body, reducing air drag and enhancing speed. This creates laminar flow around the body, boosting movement efficiency and reducing fatigue.
Example: Zigzagging movements leave faint air ripples in their wake, making the practitioner harder to target due to rapid and unpredictable motion.
Scientific Principle:
Inspired by aerodynamics, the energy creates pressure zones that push air aside, allowing the practitioner to move faster with less resistance, similar to the way modern aircraft reduce drag.
Stage 2: Sonic Acceleration
Mechanics:
Energy generates small bursts of sound for rapid acceleration or deceleration. These sonic pulses can be used to instantly change direction or evade attacks, enabling rapid, fluid movements.
Example: Each step produces a sonic pop that disorients opponents, masking the true direction of the practitioner's movement.
High-Speed Travel:
Sustained bursts of soundwaves create propulsion-like effects, enabling near-supersonic ground speed, allowing the practitioner to cover vast distances in seconds.
Example: The practitioner moves at incredible speeds, leaving behind only a blur and a shockwave, making them difficult to track or intercept.
Scientific Principle:
Energy waves mimic jet propulsion principles, where sound and air pressure manipulation generate thrust, allowing for near-instantaneous movement and acceleration.
Stage 3: Semi-Aerial Footholds
Mechanics:
Energy generates localized air currents beneath the practitioner's feet, forming temporary platforms that allow for brief aerial movement. This enables high-speed traversal and combat over obstacles.
Example: Mid-air steps produce faint air ripples, allowing the practitioner to leap across gaps or evade attacks by traveling through the air for short bursts.
Evasion:
Practitioners generate disruptive air currents or shockwaves to deflect incoming projectiles or destabilize opponents, creating defensive air shields or force fields.
Example: A spinning maneuver creates a mini-tornado that redirects incoming attacks, throwing enemies off balance and protecting the practitioner from harm.
Scientific Principle:
The air footholds are created by manipulating pressure zones around the practitioner, pushing air aside to form a stable, temporary platform. Shockwave deflection is achieved by directing air pressure to redirect attacks or destabilize opponents.
Stage 4: Advanced Electromagnetic Maneuvering
Mechanics:
Practitioners manipulate the air's electromagnetic fields to produce magnetohydrodynamic effects, enabling sustained levitation or rapid changes in speed and direction. This technique allows for near-perfect evasion and agility.
Example: A practitioner generates a plasma sheath that envelops their body, making them nearly untouchable and allowing them to rapidly change direction in mid-air.
Signature Move: Jade Lightning Waltz
A dazzling combination of electromagnetic bursts and air manipulation, creating a streak of lightning-like movement that stuns enemies and disrupts their energy fields, leaving them defenseless.
Scientific Principle:
Magnetohydrodynamics controls charged particles in plasma, enabling sustained mobility and aerial agility. This effect uses the manipulation of the plasma sheath to enhance the practitioner's speed and flexibility, while electromagnetic bursts disrupt nearby enemies.
Li Qiang paused, looking at Li Wei, his expression serious.
"Both are Mid-Aureate—each offering immense power. The Void Resonance Strike will give you the strength to overwhelm your enemies, while the Phantasmal Steps of Shifting Jade will grant you the speed to avoid them. Together, they complement each other perfectly, making you a balanced and deadly force."
Finally Li Qiang handed Li Wei a third scroll, this one simple and unadorned. There was no mystic glow or complex symbols, just clean, straightforward markings.
"This scroll contains the Fundamentals of combat a series of ungraded techniques," Li Qiang explained, his tone calm. "They are the most basic and fundamental movements you'll need to master first. Boxing, kicking, and traditional martial arts forms—these are grounded in real-life combat. They form the foundation of any fighting style."
He met Li Wei's gaze, his expression serious. "Before you attempt the advanced techniques—the Void Resonance Strike or the Phantasmal Steps of Shifting Jade—you must first develop control over your own body. The fundamentals will teach you proper form, balance, and timing. Without these, you won't be able to harness the more powerful techniques effectively."
Li Wei took the scroll, understanding that he had to focus on these basic movements and skills before advancing any further.
Li Qiang nodded in approval. "Practice these until they become second nature. Once you're comfortable with the basics, then and only then should you begin mastering the other techniques. It's the foundation that will allow you to truly unlock your potential."