A warm energy coursed through his limbs, and his breath gradually steadied.
'Hm… This should be the Minor Achievement stage of the Nine Blood Transformation Art. My strength has likely risen sharply.'
He had cultivated to this level without any teacher or precious pills. Upon stepping into this stage, a vibrant vitality surged within his body.
According to the description within the Nine Blood Transformation Art, each blood transformation was divided into Entry Level, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, and Perfection.
He slowly opened his eyes. The soft light of morning filtered through the cracks in the wooden walls, casting faint shadows on the bamboo mat beneath him.
Rising to his feet, he stretched his limbs. Each motion felt heavier and denser than before. The blood coursing through his veins carried a subtle weight.
"Sun Li!"
A loud voice snapped him from his thoughts.
As he looked outside, a skinny boy stood in the doorway, eyes wide and bright with excitement. It was Sun Hao.
Sun Hao was already eleven years old this year. For most boys his age, it would be time to start cultivation, but he had always been slightly malnourished. His body remained thin and frail, and his skin had a faint and sallow tone.
"I knew I sensed something!" Sun Hao grinned. "You broke through again, didn't you?"
Sun Li nodded slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"We've lived next to each other for years, you know. If I couldn't even tell when my neighbor makes a breakthrough, what kind of friend would I be?" Sun Hao chuckled, then his tone shifted with excitement. "With that strength, you should be able to rank well in the upcoming tournament!"
Sun Li blinked, as if the thought had just struck him.
"Oh, right," he said, scratching his head with a sheepish expression. "I forgot that's coming up."
Sun Hao stared at him like he'd grown two heads. "You forgot? Seriously? You've been training like a hermit locked in a cave!"
"I was just… focused." Sun Li shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.
"Well, this is the year to shine!" Sun Hao said, stepping fully inside. "They say Sun Hua from the main branch is already at Major Achievement. And Sun Jian too — he has a bad temperment, but his strength is the real deal."
Sun Hua might be a young girl, but she wasn't someone to underestimate. As the heir and daughter of the clan leader, she had already reached a high level in the True Body Art. As for Sun Jian, the collateral line's greatest hope, he had been given enough resources to raise multiple people to the Perfection stage.
"And what about Sun Lei?" Sun Li asked, with a serious tone.
Sun Hao faltered for a moment. "Sun Lei… yeah, he's something else. A genius, even among the main line. They say he's aiming for body perfection before the tournament."
To narrow that gap, Sun Li had been relying on everything within reach. One of his secret weapons was demonic beast meat. Rich in blood essence, it strengthened the body and stimulated Qi concentration.
One of the few people helping him stay on that path was none other than Sun Hao. The boy had a knack for finding quality resources, selling them far below market price.
Sun Hao grinned, as if reading Sun Li's thoughts. "I see that look. You probably want more demonic beast meat, right?"
Sun Li nodded. "You've got something new?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Sun Hao's eyes gleamed as he pulled a cloth-wrapped bundle from his storage pouch. "Blue-Spined Water Lizard. Early-stage lesser demon. Slippery bastard, hard to catch—but full of blood essence."
"How much?"
"Normally? At least twenty spirit stones. But for you… I'll do fifteen."
Sun Li raised a brow. "That's too generous."
He looked down at his hands. The long sleepless nights, the torn knuckles, the silent pain, they all echoed in his bones. Each scar was a promise, for a better future.
He clenched his fists.
"I was born without a name worth remembering… so I'll carve one with these fists."
Hao blinked, then grinned wide. "Now that's the Sun Li I know."
A faint light flashed in his eyes and his panel surfaced quietly at the edge of his vision.
[Martial Art: Nine Blood Transformation (First Transformation) – 50%]
...
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, five months had passed.
In this five months, apart from eating and sleeping, Sun Li devoted almost all of his time to the practice of the Nine Blood Transformation Art.
Day and night, Sun Li trained relentlessly. From unbearable pain to silent breakthroughs, he honed his craft as the seasons shifted around him.
Even though the panel didn't change much, its true value lay in efficiency. It allowed Sun Li to retain every drop of energy from items he consumed. From demonic beast meat to spirit fruits—even secret clan potions—the panel absorbed everything like a sealed vessel, wasting nothing.
Though the panel's progress seemed slow, every drop of sweat marked genuine growth—one step closer to perfection.
Finally.
That afternoon, as Sun Li practiced in silence, sweat poured from every pore of his body. With a final breath, the familiar pulse of warmth surged through his limbs—and a soft chime echoed in his mind.
The panel flickered.
[Martial Art: Nine Blood Transformation – Second Transformation (1%)]
A small grin crept onto Sun Li's face.
"One year since I awakened the panel… and it finally pushed me through an entire realm."
He clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging slightly along his arms.
"After this breakthrough, I'll definitely secure a spot in the top ten during the tournament."
Without hesitation, he took a step forward and unleashed the second form of the Blood Transformation Art.
His fist roared through the air.
Muscles coiled, legs rooted deep, abdomen locked in—every motion came together with terrifying precision.
"There was no hesitation, no flawless balance—only raw momentum and force."
A sharp whoosh cut through the courtyard.
"…Vastly different from before," Sun Li muttered, lowering his fist and exhaling slowly.
Even a single movement now carried the strength of ten oxen.
And this was only the beginning.
"If I can fully master the nine transformations… even the Patriarch might struggle against me."