The relentless training that Li Wei had endured was far from easy. As he stood now, bloodied and bruised after his victory over the puppet, his thoughts drifted back to the beginning—those first few days of excruciating training.
Flashback to Two Years Ago:
Li Qiang stood in the Technique Hall, the sound of his calm, authoritative voice filling the air. Li Wei stood before him, the weight of the moment settling in his chest.
"Your training will push you to your limits, so listen carefully," Li Qiang began, his tone steady yet unyielding. "As you have previously done, you'll spend two hours each day studying using the Arcane Prism. It will not only hone your fundamentals but also expand your understanding of science, mathematics, and physics. Your mother will continue to guide you during this time."
"Next, you'll dedicate four hours to cultivating energy using the Harmonized Flow of the Eternal Phoenix. You're just beginning the first chapter—Azure Breath of the Phoenix, so take your time mastering its intricacies. Pair it with the Breath Nourishing Elixir before each session to smooth the flow of energy and strengthen your channels."
"I'll make steady progress," Li Wei vowed.
"Good," Li Qiang replied, his eyes softening only for a moment before returning to their usual steely focus. He gestured toward a table lined with various pills and elixirs. "Your body training will be split into two phases. For the first, you'll train under evenly distributed high-gravity conditions using the Titanic Pulse Refinement technique. It will enhance your overall resilience, coordination, and adaptability. Drink the Azure Vital Essence before starting; it will stimulate bone and muscle growth, fortify your energy pathways, and protect against overexertion."
"For the second phase," Li Qiang continued, holding up a black-and-red pill, "you'll expose only your muscular and skeletal systems to even greater gravitational forces. The Steelheart Protector Pill will shield your internal organs, brain, and energy network during this phase. Focus on bone density, muscle strength, and tendon elasticity. Afterward, take the Verdant Renewal Elixir to recover fully."
Finally, Li Qiang's voice took on an even more commanding tone. "Your combat training and practice of the fundamentals of combat will take up the final four hours of your day. You'll face the puppet every day. It will not go easy on you, nor should you expect it to. Every second will be a test of your skill and resolve."
Li Wei's fists clenched at the thought of the puppet, a relentless machine that would not show mercy.
"See that you are ready," Li Qiang concluded, his eyes locking onto Li Wei's with a quiet intensity. "Your routine begins tomorrow. Prepare well."
Li Wei bowed deeply, the weight of his father's words sinking in as he left the hall, knowing that every day would demand more of him than the last.
Now back to the present:
Li Wei cleaned his bloodied hands and face with a damp cloth, the sting of his wounds a familiar sensation. The battlefield in the training hall bore the marks of his grueling fight: craters, shattered stones, and gouges in the ground left by his relentless battle against the puppet. He retrieved a small jade vial from his belt, uncorking it carefully. The Verdant Renewal Elixir shimmered in the dim light, its emerald liquid brimming with vitality.
Drinking it in one fluid motion, he sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his energy. The warmth of the elixir spread through his body, mending torn muscles, soothing his battered energy channels, and revitalizing his weary spirit. His breathing slowed as the familiar rhythm of the Harmonized Flow of the Eternal Phoenix took over.
The puppet's overwhelming speed, its unyielding precision, had shattered his limits, both physically and mentally. Yet the pain—the unrelenting barrage of strikes—had taught him something crucial: resilience. That relentless training, no matter how brutal, was worth it.
Now, standing victorious, Li Wei reflected on his growth. His mastery of the Fundamentals of Combat had reached the Advancement Stage, making him far more capable than when he had first begun. After years of diligently practicing the Harmonized Flow of the Eternal Phoenix, his dantian's energy capacity had significantly increased, and the regeneration process had become smoother. He had achieved 60% mastery of the first chapter, Azure Breath of the Phoenix.
His physical body, tempered through the Titanic Pulse Refinement Technique, had grown to withstand up to 40 G-force, and his progress in the first stage—Titan's Relentless Awakening—stood at 25%. At only five years old, Li Wei's stature rivaled that of a thirteen-year-old, standing 5'3" tall and weighing 45 kilograms. His cultivation base had advanced significantly, a testament to his dedication and the resources available to him.
Li Wei rose from his seated position, stepping out of the training hall on Mount Celestia's fifteenth level and heading toward his residence. His thoughts turned to the cultivation path ahead, each stage a monumental challenge.
The First Great Realm, the Transcendent Mortal Realm, marked the bridge from mortality to transcendence. It refined body, energy, and spirit to prepare for higher realms. Within it were five sub-realms:
Essence Flow
Force Tempering
Vital Refinement
Energy Refinement
Absolute Realm
Each sub-realm was further divided into substages, each requiring precise criteria to advance. The disparity between levels was absolute. For someone at the peak of Vital Refinement, a newcomer to the stage was as insignificant as an ant. Yet, the difference between the peak of Force Tempering and the start of Vital Refinement was almost negligible. Progress was linear, not exponential.
The Essence Flow Realm, the foundational stage, involved gathering inner essence and strengthening the body. The dantian synthesized Cultivator's Bio-Energy Molecules (CBEM), stable compounds that stored immense energy in compact forms called inner essence drops each drop is equivalent to 1000 joules. This energy evolved with cultivation, becoming more potent in higher realms.
The Essence Flow Realm was divided into four substages:
Essence Weave
Essence Pulse
Essence Stream
Essence Surge
Each stage required specific physical capabilities and amounts of inner essence:
Essence Weave: 5,000 Newtons punch force, 10 m/s speed, 100 ms reaction time, 100 drops of essence.
Essence Pulse: 10,000 Newtons punch force, 12 m/s speed, 80 ms reaction time, 200 drops of essence.
Essence Stream: 30,000 Newtons punch force, 15 m/s speed, 60 ms reaction time, 500 drops of essence.
Essence Surge: 80,000 Newtons punch force, 25 m/s speed, 40 ms reaction time, 3,000 drops of essence.
Li Wei sighed, thinking about the brutality of his training and the world he lived in. Despite retaining memories from his past life, he was still a child. Yet, he couldn't deny his satisfaction at his progress. In just two years, he had advanced from the entry-level Essence Weave stage to the Essence Surge stage.
As he walked, he casually crushed a stone in his hand, the debris scattering like sand. Stopping by a boulder, he raised a fist and struck, splitting it cleanly in half. A single step forward left a crater where his foot landed, demonstrating his incredible strength.
His current capabilities were astounding:
Punch Force: 120,000 Newtons
Movement Speed: 35 meters per second
Reaction Time: 20 milliseconds
Skin Toughness: Ten times that of a normal adult
Energy capacity and Regeneration: 5000 drops , 0.1% (5 drops) per second
Stamina: easily running 300 km (180 mile) without exhaustion in a single instance, 30 minutes of peak combat, 4–5 hours at 60% effort.
Even with just his physical strength, he could pulverize concrete walls, crush rocks, and leap over buildings. Against a normal human, even one with a weapon, his skin would only suffer superficial scratches. From nearly 30 feet ( 9 meter ) away, he could instantly move and decapitate a normal adult with his bare hands before they even realized it.
Li Wei clenched his fists, the air around him crackling with suppressed energy. The Energy Pulse Technique a Intermediate innate grade Technique used by everyone through out the kingdom , which allowed him to channel energy into specific parts of his body to enhance muscles contraction, Reinforcing Bone Structure, Connective Tissue Strengthening and etc, had reached the Proficiency Stage. Coupled with his current physical capabilities he could direct 65,000 joules of energy / 65 drops of inner essence to enhance his punches to 180,000 Newtons of force not only that he could also significantly enhance his other capabilities as well. However, his energy capacity and regeneration limited him to five minutes of such output in combat. By moderating it, he could extend his fighting duration significantly to even several hours.
With a deep breath, he raised his fist and struck the ground with full force, augmented by the Energy Pulse Technique.
The impact was devastating.
The ground beneath him cracked and buckled, a loud boom echoing through the air. Dust and debris flew outward as a crater formed at the point of contact. Li Wei stood in the center, his fist resting in the pulverized earth.
Li Wei stood back, observing the crater with satisfaction. The depression spanned over 1.3 meters ( 4.3 feet) in diameter and 0.3 meter (1 foot) in depth, its jagged edges a testament to his immense strength. The ground around it bore fractures radiating outward, showing the extent of the energy transfer. Dust settled slowly, and Li Wei flexed his fingers, the gap between him and ordinary mortals felt insurmountable.
He thought, "If just my physical strength, enhanced with energy, can do this, what could I achieve with more advanced techniques?"
As he neared his home, Li Wei paused and looked at the sky. He felt gratitude for the Li Clan, despite the hardships of his training. Without the clan's resources, techniques, and medicines, his progress would have been impossible.
He also understood the harshness of this world. Powerhouses roamed, bound only by strength, not morality. Without his lineage, he would likely have been trampled underfoot long before he could dream of growing strong.
Smiling faintly, he pushed open the door to his home, determined to continue climbing the path of cultivation.