The week that followed was a blur of relentless motion and pain. Each morning, as dawn broke over the training courtyard, Li Wei would face a new rotation of guards, each more specialized than the last.
On the second day, he fought three Qi Condensation cultivators at once—a fourth-stage, a third-stage, and a second-stage. They came at him from different angles, forcing him to split his attention, his Shadow Serpent Steps weaving a complex pattern of evasion and counter-attack. He won, but not without cost; a shallow cut on his arm served as a reminder that numbers could overwhelm even superior skill.
On the third day, the training shifted to the dense woods behind the clan estate. Here, the guards used the terrain, attacking from cover, forcing Li Wei to rely on his senses as much as his sight. The rustle of leaves, the shift of a branch—these became his warnings. He learned to fight not just opponents, but the environment itself.
By the fourth day, he faced a seventh-stage Qi Condensation expert, a woman named Captain Lan who specialized in swift, precise strikes. The fight was brutal, pushing Li Wei to his absolute limit. His sword arm screamed in protest with every block, his Qi reserves draining rapidly to fuel the blood-red aura of the Asura's Heavenly Sword Art. He won by the slimmest of margins, using a feint to create an opening for a decisive blow that left them both panting on the ground.
That evening, in his private chamber, he analyzed the day's failure. *I cannot win against an eighth-stage like this. The gap in Qi density is too great.*
His schedule became a grind: brutal spars in the morning, followed by hours of solitary practice in the evening, refining the Shadow Serpent Steps, trying to push them from Novice toward Adept. He could feel the technique straining at its limits, begging for the refined control that only Qi Condensation could provide.
After a week of this, a clear ceiling had been reached. He could barely defeat a seventh-stage expert, and an eighth-stage was currently beyond him. The assembly would be filled with such talents, perhaps even those who could challenge ninth-stage experts. The thought was both daunting and exhilarating.
'Mei,' he said one evening, his voice raspy from exertion. 'Bring me the pills for breaking through to Qi Condensation. The highest quality available!'
Mei, who had been observing his progress, bowed. 'At once, Young Master. I will procure the Sun-Gathering Pills which are the most potent for this purpose.'
She returned within the hour, presenting a small jade box. Inside, three pills glowed with a soft, golden light, radiating dense spiritual energy.
Li Wei took them without another word and entered his cultivation chamber. The energy of the pills was torrential, a raging river of Qi that threatened to tear his meridians apart. The Heavenly Tyrant's Dominion Scripture roared to life within his dantian, seizing the foreign energy, dominating it, and refining it into his own.
His progress through the final stages of Body Tempering was shockingly fast. The monstrous foundation he had built, combined with the supreme technique and the potent pills, allowed him to shatter through the ninth stage in just two days, his body reaching its absolute peak, every muscle fiber, every drop of marrow, saturated with power. He stood at the very precipice.
The true bottleneck was the realm barrier itself. For the next three days, he sat motionless, the air around him crackling with suppressed energy. He focused all his will, all his comprehension, on that single, intangible wall separating the physical from the spiritual.
On the evening of the third day, a silent detonation of energy erupted from his chamber. The Qi in the entire Jade Dragon Pavilion shuddered. When the energy settled, Li Wei opened his eyes. A new, subtle pressure emanated from him—the distinct, ethereal signature of the Qi Condensation Realm.
He stood, feeling the world in a new way. He could sense the flow of energy in the air, the latent Qi in the stones. His senses were sharper, his mind clearer. The world of pure physicality was behind him. He had taken the first true step on the path of cultivation. Now, he is confident in facing experts of seventh or eighth stage of Qi Condensation Realm.