Among the expansive grounds of the Huang estate, there existed a cultivation chamber hidden away behind two stubborn stone doors. The reverberation of a slight hum permeated the chamber as the spiritual energy in the room converged to a fixed point.
Huang Lei, in the central position, sat cross-legged, his stance unbending and his breathing slow and measured. Ripples of spiritual energy swirled around him, merging with his body as his aura grew to an increasingly higher and more daunting plane.
Then, without warning, the balance was broken.
A fierce burst exploded outwards, beating the walls of the chamber with an insistent drumming. The accumulated spiritual power burst in, an overwhelming tide that flooded the meridians in Huang Lei's body as though a dam had broken.
His eyes snapped open.
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it had manifested itself, leaving in its wake a cutting, crystalline clarity. Huang Lei let his breath out in a measured, deep sigh, his chest expanding with the movement as his aura settled into a completely novel equilibrium.
Qi Refinement level four.
For a moment, he just sat there in stunned shock from the unfolding events. Then a smile began to spread across his face.
"Success"
The word slipped out of his mouth in a soft, almost reverent whisper, laced with a sense of awe that could not be denied. Less than a month ago, he had only just advanced to level two for Qi Refinement. Even after awakening the saintly physique within him, he hadn't dared to hope for advancement at this pace.
Climbing two whole levels in so short an interval was almost impossible to believe.
His eyes wandered to his hands. They remained unchanged, but he sensed that his hands were imbued with an extraordinary power, finer, denser, harder, as if his body itself was remade from the inside out.
Memories began to surface without invitation.
Barely a month ago, in the depths of Paleborne Forest, he found himself in a life-or-death fight for survival.
He was badly injured, his qi depleted. Surrounded by two Cloud Verdant Sect disciples, there had been no hope of escaping. He was no match for them in terms of skill or experience.
He ought to have died there.
Yet, at the end of life, something in him came alive.
A burning heat coursed through his veins, banishing any sense of pain or exhaustion. His shattered meridians healed themselves before his very eyes, his damaged flesh knitting itself back together. Power he had never before known coursed through his limbs.
His body came alive in that instant.
Barbaric Dominator Body.
Even now, just thinking about it caused a small shudder to occur in his heart. He still had not fully comprehended the manner by which it had happened. He had not consumed any rare treasure beforehand, nor had he learned by forbidden means.
And yet, fate had chosen him.
Capitalising on this awakening, he had managed to turn the tide of the battle around. The two disciples of Cloud Verdant Sect, who had been pushing him to the point of death, were no match for him after his counterattack.
When it was all over, Huang Lei was left alone in the forest, surrounded by silence and blood, barely believing he was alive.
He shook his head slightly as he pulled himself back into the present.
Whatever the reason was, the result was obvious. His rate of cultivation had undergone a complete transformation. What took years before can now be accomplished in weeks.
More importantly, his confidence had changed.
Previously, reaching Foundation Establishment would have seemed like a distant dream, an accomplishment that required meticulous planning and substantial resources. He has even searched for items such as a Tier Two Beast Core, because he felt it would be his sole hope for obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Now, everything seemed different.
Without having to depend on any pills, he knew that he could achieve that domain on his own.
The stone doors of the chamber opened noiselessly.
"Uncle Fang"
Huang Lei stood up, a beaming smile spreading across his face as he turned towards the entrance.
Huang Fang entered the room, his eyes scanning the area and immediately landing on a smiling Huang Lei. He could detect a balanced power emanating from the room, and a flash of surprise on his face gave way to warmth.
"You broke through again," Huang Fang said with calm but obvious satisfaction.
Huang Lei scratched his head, and his smile could not be hidden.
Although the Huang family had never wronged him, life had always been a tough teacher. His talent level was only average, and the resources for cultivation were always allotted first to those who had more talent. He never begrudged this; this was just the way of cultivating families.
However, it was Huang Fang who was always by his side. While others considered him an imprudent investment, Huang Fang encouraged him in every way and even used his earnings to purchase medicines, furthering his cultivation as Huang Lei.
However, even with all that assistance, Huang Lei took three years to attain level two in Qi Refinement.
The differences in his current progress felt positively surreal.
Huang Fang studied him for a moment longer, then nodded in quiet satisfaction.
"It seems the engagement did not affect you as much as I feared," he said.
But after a moment, Huang Lei shook his head.
"It was quite disconcerting at first," he admitted. "But in hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Otherwise, I would not be in the position that I am in today."
Huang Fang murmured a quiet laugh.
"Then it seems I worried for nothing."
The two continued talking for a bit longer, discussing issues related to Huang Lei's training and changes he would need to make in the future. Huang Lei's face gradually turned serious.
"There is something I wanted to ask you about, Uncle Fang." Huang Fang nodded, waving for him to go on. "I recently acquired a beast core from tier two," Huang Lei stated. "I plan to submit it to the clan."