Back in his hut, the soft glow of the moon spilled across the wooden floorboards.
Wan Long set down his mask, careful not to disturb the faint scent of herbs lingering from the market.
He opened the system panel and took stock of his recent gains:
Spiritual Energy: 9,400 days
Recycle Points (RP): 14,000
A slow smile curved across his lips.
"First things first…" he murmured, tapping the screen.
"Moon Breathing Technique — upgrade."
The system responded instantly:
[Upgrade: Moon Breathing Technique — Low Purple → Mid Purple]
[Cost: 10,000 RP]
[Upgrade Successful]
The air in the hut shifted. A faint, silver glow surrounded him as the moonlight seemed to resonate with the technique he had just enhanced.
Wan Long closed his eyes and focused, pouring 1,000 days of spiritual energy into cultivating.
He felt the difference immediately.
The mid-grade Purple Moon Breathing Technique was… unlike anything he had experienced before.
Each inhalation of spiritual qi was smoother, purer, and more coherent. The chaotic feedback that had plagued him with his mixed-element roots now seemed easier to guide.
His body, which had once struggled to circulate even a fraction of energy, now responded like a vessel perfectly shaped to channel the moon's rhythm.
Breathe in… draw the qi… let it settle…
The silver light within his meridians pulsed in harmony with his breaths.
For the first time, he could feel the full potential of the Moon Breathing Technique, the way it intertwined with his body and mind, subtly guiding his veins to strengthen themselves.
Then, almost imperceptibly at first, he felt his body tempering level shift.
[Body Tempering — 5th Level]
[Body Tempering — 6th Level]
[Body Tempering — 7th Level]
"So… fast?"
He opened his eyes, astonished.
The system panel confirmed it:
[Cultivation Realm: Body Tempering — 8th Level]
Eight levels.
He had broken through four levels in a matter of minutes.
The low-level Purple technique had been strong, but now… this mid-grade Purple Moon Breathing Technique was a catapult, accelerating the body's absorption and distribution of spiritual energy.
Wan Long flexed his fingers, feeling the raw vitality coursing through every vein, every muscle, every tendon.
The aches from the day's labor had vanished, replaced by an almost intoxicating sense of energy and coordination.
He leaned back, closing his eyes once more, letting the silver qi swirl around him.
"This… this is incredible," he whispered to himself.
"With this, I can finally cultivate at a pace like those inner sect disciples."
A faint thrill ran through him.
If he continued at this rate, he could soon reach the first level of Qi Cultivation — and the possibilities beyond that…
And somewhere deep in the back of his mind, a dangerous thought took root:
"If this is just the start… what happens when I start recycling Tier 3, Tier 4 pills?"
He smiled faintly beneath the moonlight, the glow reflecting off his sharpened eyes.
Tonight, he had taken the first real step toward becoming more than mortal.
.....
Wan Long's eyes flickered as he recalled the advice from countless cultivation texts: before breaking into Qi Cultivation, one must wash the marrow during the Body Tempering stage.
High-grade Marrow Tempering Pills were rare treasures — only two were normally enough to fully cleanse a disciple's marrow.
But Wan Long wasn't just any disciple.
He uncorked a vial and swallowed ten high-grade Marrow Tempering Pills at once.
Almost instantly, agony tore through him like a living blade.
It felt as if his bones were being scraped from the inside, marrow melting and reshaping under fire.
Sweat poured down his face, veins bulging violently, and a sharp metallic taste filled his mouth.
This is insane…
His consciousness wavered. His body screamed as if it were being skinned alive.
But deep in his mind, a calm voice reminded him: He had a System… he can recycle if necessary.
He gritted his teeth, forcing his body to endure.
Every nerve, every tendon, every pore seemed to burn.
Blood oozed from small openings — corners of his eyes, his mouth, even his ears — but his mind stayed razor-sharp.
Minutes passed in unrelenting torment.
Yet gradually, the searing pain began to dull, replaced by a sense of clarity.
He could feel his bones being purified, his marrow refined, the impurities that had built up over both lifetimes slowly dissolving.
Every cell seemed lighter, sharper, stronger.
Finally, he gave the mental command:
"System… recycle."
The remaining effects of the pills were drawn inward, transformed into pure, usable energy.
[Recycling complete.]
[Obtained: 400 Days of Spiritual Energy.]
Wan Long gasped, staggering back slightly but smiling through the sweat and blood.
Four hundred days of spiritual energy — from ten pills at once.
He realized that even taking only five pills would have been enough for this much.
But this reckless approach… it had accelerated his progress beyond anything normal disciples could imagine.
He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the steady, vital pulse within.
His body was no longer weighed down by impurities.
His marrow, his blood, his very bones felt fresh, clean, and ready.
"This… this is power," he whispered.
For the first time, the danger, the pain, and the bloodshed didn't frighten him.
They were merely tools — steps on a path only he could see.
Wan Long sank to the floor, exhausted but alive, a faint silver glow of Moon Breathing qi pulsating around him.
The system panel flickered softly before his eyes:
[Spiritual Energy: 8,800 Days]
[Recycle Points: 4,000]
He smiled faintly through his labored breathing.
The path ahead was still long… but for the first time, it felt truly possible.
...
He exhaled slowly, feeling a tremendous shift inside his body.
The marrow cleansing had worked wonders.
Where he had once struggled to circulate spiritual qi, his veins now hummed like fine-tuned channels.
Each meridian felt open and unobstructed, his bones resonating faintly with energy.
He raised a hand and flexed it experimentally.
Even the tiniest movements sent subtle vibrations through his limbs — a sign of the renewed vitality in his marrow.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the spiritual qi lingering in the room.
He could feel every stray current, faint yet distinct.
The subtle whispers of energy in the walls, the floor, the air — even the tiniest pulse from a disciple walking far away reached him like a murmur.
Incredible… he murmured.
I can hear even the smallest fluctuations in qi.
With renewed vigor, he directed 500 days of spiritual energy into his Body Tempering cultivation.
The process was smooth and almost effortless now; the marrow was cleansed, the technique refined, and his channels attuned.
Within a short while, the system confirmed the breakthrough:
[Body Tempering – Peak 9th Level Achieved]
Wan Long opened his eyes, feeling the full weight and clarity of his body.
The exhaustion of the past days seemed distant, replaced with a lightness and precision that made every movement feel sharper.
He let out a long breath and stopped.
Breaking through to Qi Cultivation was tempting — after all, that was the next step toward true power.
But he remembered the countless web novels he had read back on Earth.
The layers above the ninth level of Body Tempering often hid secrets not taught freely, requiring careful study, hidden manuals, or rare techniques found in sect libraries or forbidden archives.
"I'll stop here… for now," he whispered.
"No need to rush into Qi Cultivation. I have the tools, I have the system, and I have time."
The faint glow of the Moon Breathing Technique pulsed around him, mingling with the silver sheen of his newly purified marrow.
For the first time, Wan Long felt the combination of raw strength and precision — not just survival, but real potential.
And somewhere deep inside, a small, calculating part of his mind whispered:
"The higher realms… they can wait. First, I need a foundation that will make even the elders blink."
He leaned back, letting the silver energy settle within him, feeling more alive — more ready for the world beyond the servant quarters — than he had ever been in both lives.