Taking a deep breath, the Empress looked at her new disciple.
"Kai, you seem to be trying to build a solid foundation in body training. How close do you think you are to completing this stage?" she asked, awaiting his response.
"I'm not sure, but I feel like my body is already at its limit."
The Empress shook her head, indicating he was far from it.
"Disciple, don't focus solely on the density of your bones. Body training is the refinement of the entire body. Enhance everything: skin, bones, blood, organs… everything.
As your first gift, I'll give you the Body Refinement Technique. Use the pressure of something that can destroy your body."
"What?" Tian Kai was confused, raising his eyes to his master, who smiled in a slightly… sadistic manner.
"Master… I'm not afraid of pain, but I am afraid of death. I won't risk my life like that…"
"Don't you want to be immortal? To go far in cultivation, you must experience life and death situations. Refinement is only the first step… Come, disciple."
Hearing this encouragement, which sounded almost malevolent, Tian Kai took a deep breath.
All for immortality…
Let's build the best foundation for the future…
"Master, I know of a waterfall that exerts great pressure. Surviving beneath it is nearly impossible. Will that do?"
"Yes, that's useful."
Hearing her approval, Tian Kai looked at her for a few seconds before speaking:
"Master, can you return to the mansion? I'd like to change into more suitable attire. I'm not an exhibitionist."
The Empress smiled slightly. "Your master doesn't mind. To me, you're like a newborn baby. But I'll respect your privacy." And with that, she returned to the mansion.
Now alone, Tian Kai sighed in relief. With a smile, he removed his clothes and, from his spatial ring of nearly a thousand cubic meters, retrieved a black robe and a hair tie.
After tying his hair into a ponytail and donning the robe, he looked at his reflection in a mirror.
Seeing his own image, he couldn't help but smile. He was, indeed, very handsome…
And it reminded him of his younger brother.
"I wonder how that guy is doing now that he has a master?" he thought. He hoped his brother wouldn't become too arrogant.
Tian Kai didn't mind being treated as a villain, if necessary. Perhaps, in the past, he could have relied on "grandfather" to help him, like in the novels.
But now…
With the system he possessed, which doubled the plot armor of Heaven's children, his path was destined to be unmatched among his peers.
Even so, he didn't care about meaningless fights between youths.
His only desire was to be eternal.
The rest he'd leave to his brother—the fights, the treasure battles.
With a calm heart and unwavering mind, he left his room and headed for the mansion's exit.
Outside, he was greeted by members of the Tian family. He simply smiled politely at them.
Then, he went to the Tian Family's main hall.
Arriving at the majestic three-story hall, made of gold to flaunt wealth, he entered and headed straight to the first floor.
At the counter, a fat man was soundly sleeping, but upon hearing Tian Kai's footsteps, he opened his eyes. Recognizing who stood before him, he trembled.
"Young master! I wasn't sleeping! This is my cultivation method!" he said, bowing his head respectfully.
"Fatty, give me some Bigu Pills. I'll be leaving the family for an indefinite period."
The fat man was slightly surprised, but remembering the young master was a genius, he didn't argue and handed him twenty pills—a considerable amount, meant to please him.
"Thank you."
With the pills in hand, Tian Kai headed to the beast pavilion. There, he took the white eagle, a level-three spiritual beast, extremely fast and rare. Only the most talented had the right to ride it. As the number one genius, this beast had been assigned to him.
Mounting the eagle, Tian Kai flew off, leaving the Tian family estate, located on Green Mountain, and headed for the Yellow River.
The river got its name from the yellowish hue of its waters.
"Why?"
Tian Kai didn't know, nor did he care. After all, he was in a fantasy world.
And compared to the absence of the moon, this wasn't even that strange.
Flying for two hours, crossing the Green Mountain Range—which, as its name suggested, was almost entirely covered in vegetation. Tian Kai admired the scenery from above. It was beautiful to observe the vast, green landscape.
The Lower Realm is so incredible…
Tian Kai thought as the wind brushed against his face.
During the journey, his master had left the mansion and accompanied him in silence. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to talk, he decided to ask a question:
"Master, what was the Domain of the Nine Heavens like in your era?"
The Heavenly Empress, who seemed distracted by her own thoughts, sighed before answering:
"The Desolate Era was like a scorching desert. The entire Domain of the Nine Heavens was the same, even in the highest heavens. There wasn't enough Spiritual Energy to sustain creation. Almost everything was destroyed… My era was one of the worst this universe has ever witnessed."
When she finished, her expression briefly showed deep pain.
"Seeing this current world is truly beautiful. At the same time, it's impossible to estimate how much time has passed."
A billion years? Or more?
The Empress once again delved into her thoughts.
What happened while I slept? That madness we carried out in the past… did it work?
Finally, she smiled faintly, as if only the strongest of that time knew the conclusion of her era.
Tian Kai, hearing all of this, felt pity for his master. Just imagining living in such a desolate world made him feel uncomfortable.