Chapter 2: Breaking the Chains
Mist Cloud City. Myriad Treasure Pavilion.
Private Training Grounds.
Whoosh! Bang!
A figure moved like a blur across the training field. His fist struck a heavy iron-wood dummy, shattering the solid wood into splinters with a single blow.
Jiang Yi retracted his fist, looking at his own hands in disbelief.
"Incredible..."
In the past, his talent was mediocre at best. Even with the Pavilion's massive wealth piling resources onto him, he had barely scraped his way to the Late Earth Spirit Realm by age twenty. He was weaker than his younger sister, Jiang Linger.
But now? Everything was different.
The System Reward: Peak Comprehension turned his brain into a supercomputer for martial arts.
"I spent ten years trying to learn the 'Rolling Thunder Fist' and only reached the Beginner stage. Now? I mastered it to Perfection in ten minutes."
Jiang Yi took a deep breath. He began to run through every technique he had ever learned.
* Tier 1 Art: Iron Back Fist—Mastered!
* Tier 3 Art: Surging Wave Palm—Mastered!
* Tier 3 Art: Lightning Steps—Mastered!
* Tier 4 Art: Gale Wind Sword—Mastered!
In the training yard, sword light flashed and thunder roared. Techniques that usually took geniuses years to understand were being broken down and reconstructed by Jiang Yi in mere seconds.
"So this is what it feels like to be a genius?"
A confident smile spread across his face. "With this comprehension and my new Primal Chaos Yang Body, mastering the martial dao is as easy as drinking water."
...
Three Days Later. Dusk.
The setting sun painted the courtyard in hues of orange and gold.
Jiang Yi sat cross-legged in the center of the yard, his breathing heavy.
"I've hit a wall."
Despite his rapid progress, the barrier between the Earth Spirit Realm and the Sky Spirit Realm was thick. His body was ready, but he lacked the massive amount of energy needed to smash through the bottleneck.
Creak.
The courtyard gate opened.
Lady Ruoyan walked in. She looked exhausted, her usually pristine auctioneer robes slightly dusted with travel wear. But when she saw Jiang Yi, her eyes lit up.
"Husband," she smiled, walking over. "I heard from the servants you've been acting like a martial arts maniac these past three days. Don't push yourself too hard."
Jiang Yi stood up and took her hands. "I'm fine. But you look tired. Did the auction house give you trouble?"
"No trouble," Ruoyan said mysteriously. She moved her hand from behind her back, revealing a jade box. "Look what I found for you."
She opened the box.
Instantly, a rich, spicy aroma filled the courtyard. Inside sat a fist-sized red fruit, glowing with intense heat.
"A Tier 5 Spirit Herb... the Sun Spirit Fruit?" Jiang Yi gasped.
In Mist Cloud City, Tier 5 herbs were priceless. They were usually reserved for the City Lord or the Clan Heads.
"A merchant caravan passed through today. I used my private savings to secure it before it hit the auction block," Ruoyan said softly, fixing his collar. "You've been stuck at the peak of Earth Spirit for three years. I thought... maybe this would help."
Jiang Yi's heart warmed. He knew how much this must have cost her—likely her entire year's bonus. Even when everyone called him trash, she invested in him.
"Sister Ruoyan... you are too good to me."
He pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. This fruit won't go to waste. I will become a Sky Spirit expert tonight!"
Ruoyan chuckled, patting his chest. "Go on, then. I'll guard the door for you."
Jiang Yi didn't hesitate. He took the fruit, sat down, and swallowed it whole.
BOOM!
The medicinal energy exploded in his stomach like a volcano.
For a normal cultivator, eating a Tier 5 fruit raw would be suicide—they would explode from the energy. But Jiang Yi possessed the Primal Chaos Yang Body.
His cells roared with hunger, devouring the violent energy instantly.
"Break for me!" Jiang Yi roared internally.
The bottleneck that had held him back for three years shattered like glass.
Buzz—!
A terrifying suction force erupted from Jiang Yi's body. The spiritual Qi of heaven and earth rushed toward him, forming a visible tornado of energy in the courtyard. Leaves, dust, and gravel swirled around him as a golden aura erupted from his skin.
Ruoyan, standing by the door, covered her mouth in shock. "Such a violent breakthrough... is this really my husband?"
...
Meanwhile, in the Main Hall.
"What is that disturbance?!"
Old master su, the Pavilion Master, slammed his teacup down. He sensed a massive fluctuation of Qi from the backyard.
"Someone is breaking through to the Sky Spirit Realm! And it's a powerful one!"
Beside him, a teenage girl in yellow robes stood up, her eyes wide. This was Jiang Linger, the genius of the family. "Father, that direction... it's Brother's in law courtyard!"
"Yi-er?" Old master su frowned. "Impossible. He's been stuck for years. Come, let's look!"
The two of them turned into blurs, rushing toward the backyard.
When they arrived at the moon gate, they froze.
In the center of the yard, the vortex of Qi was slowly dissipating. Jiang Yi stood up, his skin glowing with a faint golden luster. His aura was steady, heavy, and undeniably powerful.
Sky Spirit Realm!
Jiang Yi clenched his fist, feeling the liquid energy (True Qi) flowing through his dantian. It was ten times denser than before.
"So this is the Sky Spirit Realm?" he muttered.
"Brother!"
Jiang Linger ran over, grabbing his arm. "You actually broke through? And you made such a huge commotion? I thought an Elder was advancing!"
Old master su walked up, stroking his beard, his face flushed with pride. "Good! Good! My son in law finally awakened! Hahaha!"
Jiang Yi smiled. "It was mostly luck. And..." He looked at Ruoyan. "...thanks to my wife."
Jiang Linger grinned, looking between the two. "Brother in law, you were stuck for three years. But three days after marrying Sister you break through? I think Sister isn't just a beauty; she's your Lucky Star!"
"Indeed," Jiang Wanshan nodded approvingly. "Ruoyan, you have brought merit to the su family."
Ruoyan's face turned a lovely shade of pink. "Father is too kind. It was Husband's own hard work."
Jiang Yi wrapped an arm around Ruoyan's waist, pulling her close in front of his father and sister.
"Alright, the show is over. Father in law, Linger, you should go back. I need to... stabilize my cultivation with my wife."
Jiang Linger stuck out her tongue. "Shameless! Come on, Father, let's not disturb them."
As the family left, Ruoyan looked up at Jiang Yi, her eyes shimmering. She could feel the heat radiating from his body—the aftereffects of the breakthrough.
"Husband... you really are different now," she whispered. "More domineering."
Jiang Yi scooped her up into a princess carry, walking back into the bedroom.
"Different? Sister, I've barely started."
"The System gave me a technique called the Celestial Yin-Yang Scripture. It requires two people to practice. Since I just leveled up... I think we need to cultivate all night to verify the results."
"Bad man..." Ruoyan buried her face in his chest, her voice trembling with anticipation.
The door closed, shutting out the world, as the dragon and phoenix entangled once more.