Part I — The Price of Assumption
BAM!!
My fist crashed into the white tiger's jaw.
The impact echoed throughout the gravity chamber.
Before the construct could recover—
BAM!!
A second punch slammed into its ribs.
Its body twisted under the force.
Yet its Azure eyes remained calm.
Emotionless.
Watching.
Learning.
I smiled.
Finally...
Something worth fighting.
The tiger recovered instantly.
Without retreating.
Without hesitation.
Its body shifted like flowing water.
Its hind leg swept low.
SWISH!!
I lifted my foot just enough to avoid the kick.
The instant it missed—
Its body rotated.
The missed kick transformed seamlessly into an upward strike.
BAM!!
My forearms crossed.
The impact travelled through my bones.
Heavy.
Controlled.
The tiger didn't rely on overwhelming strength.
Every strike carried exactly enough force.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Perfect efficiency.
Interesting...
Very interesting.
I stepped forward.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
If it wished to teach me...
Then I would force it to teach faster.
BOOM!!
Divine energy surged through my limbs.
My body exploded into motion.
One punch.
Then another.
Then another.
The chamber echoed with rapid collisions.
BAM!!
Neck.
BAM!!
Chest.
BAM!!
Jaw.
BAM!!
Solar plexus.
Each strike targeted a vital point.
Each flowed naturally into the next.
The white tiger retreated.
Not from fear.
From calculation.
Its movements became increasingly precise.
Every dodge shortened.
Every counter became sharper.
Then—
Its claws flashed.
SHRRRK!!
I leaned sideways.
Silver claws sliced through the air beside my face.
Close.
Far closer than before.
It was adapting.
No...
It was evolving.
Every exchange refined its movements.
Every successful dodge revealed another habit.
Another rhythm.
Another pattern.
"So that's your game..."
I whispered.
"You're learning me."
The tiger answered with another attack.
Faster.
Its shoulder collided toward my chest.
I shifted.
Its tail whipped toward my legs.
I jumped.
Its jaws lunged for my throat before my feet touched the ground.
I twisted.
Its fangs snapped shut inches from my neck.
A flawless sequence.
No pauses.
No openings.
No wasted motion.
Across the chamber—
The battles had reached their conclusion.
One after another...
The energy beasts dissolved into streams of light.
Several prodigies remained standing.
Breathing heavily.
Others knelt on one knee.
Completely exhausted.
A few still lay flat on the alloy floor.
Unable to rise beneath the crushing gravity.
No one complained.
No one dared.
Every pair of eyes slowly turned.
Toward us.
Only one battle remained.
Mine.
The white tiger circled quietly.
Patient.
Its Azure eyes never left me.
Neither did my blue eyes leave it.
The gravity pressing upon my body faded into the background.
Every breath became steady.
Every heartbeat clear.
The world narrowed.
Nothing existed beyond this battle.
The tiger lunged.
SWISH!!
I met it head-on.
Our fists collided.
BOOOOOOM!!
The explosion of force rippled across the chamber.
The heavy gravity distorted around us.
Several nearby trainees instinctively stepped backwards.
The tiger slid.
I slid.
Neither gained an advantage.
For a brief instant...
Silence.
Then—
The tiger disappeared.
Fast.
Too fast.
My instincts screamed.
Behind.
I turned—
Too late.
BAM!!!
A fist buried itself into my abdomen.
Air exploded from my lungs.
My feet left the ground.
I shot backwards like a cannonball.
BOOOOM!!
My back slammed into the black alloy wall.
Cracks spread beneath the impact.
Pain surged through my body.
Yet before I could recover—
The tiger was already moving.
No celebration.
No hesitation.
No wasted opportunity.
It understood something many cultivators never did.
A successful strike wasn't victory.
It was merely the beginning of the next attack.
Good.
That's exactly how it should be.
The tiger closed the distance instantly.
Its claws descended.
I raised one hand.
GRAB!!
Its wrist stopped.
For the first time...
The construct's movement halted completely.
My grip tightened.
The muscles in my arm bulged beneath the crushing gravity.
At the same moment—
Azure spiritual energy condensed within my free hand.
Thin.
Compressed.
Sharper than steel.
An energy blade.
Without hesitation—
SLASH!!
The blade swept toward the tiger's neck.
The construct twisted.
The strike missed by the smallest margin.
Instead—
Its elbow shot toward my temple.
I caught that arm as well.
Now—
Both of its forelimbs were trapped.
The tiger struggled.
I smiled.
"Got you."
But...
Something felt wrong.
Too easy.
Far too easy.
The tiger stopped resisting.
Its Azure eyes met mine.
Calm.
Silent.
Almost...
Satisfied.
My instincts erupted.
Danger.
Every nerve in my body screamed.
Not from the tiger's claws.
Not from its jaws.
From...
The construct itself.
Its body began shrinking.
Not physically.
Its energy.
Every strand of spiritual energy condensed inward.
Compressing.
Collapsing.
My pupils narrowed.
Blue light flashed across my irises.
"No..."
The realization came a heartbeat too late.
This wasn't surrender.
It was preparing something far worse.
A smile slowly spread across the tiger's face.
Then—
Its body folded into a single point of blinding white light.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
— End of Part I —