"Do you know if there are many powerful heritages in that place?" Li Yi asked.
"I don't know," Leng Lubai replied. "I only know that valuable resources, spiritual herbs, and earthly treasures abound. There are also ancient constructions where you can find powerful techniques and weapons; that's what I've heard, since I've never entered."
Hearing this, Li Yi's curiosity was piqued.
"One question, Fellow Leng: how old are you?"
Leng Lubai smiled with pride.
"I am seventy-seven years old. Actually, I am the great genius who emerged from this town, and thanks to my excellent foundation, I managed to enter this school."
"Oh, so Director Leng is a cultivation genius who even became the strongest person in this place."
Upon hearing this, Leng Lubai's face twisted into a grimace. He remembered that standing before him was a cultivation monster—an unheard-of and practically incomparable being.
"Well, let's set that aside. What's important now is that you return to your cultivation and enter the Warrior Realm as quickly as possible, in case any enemy perceived your sword strike," Leng Lubai said seriously.
"Agreed," Li Yi replied with a smile. "I'm very curious to see what the ruins of that ancient sect will be like and if I can find good things. I hope you recover soon; when I reach the Warrior Realm, I want to practice with you a bit," he added before rising from his throne and leaving the palace.
When those words reached Leng Lubai's ears, a chill ran through his body. He thought that if a previous attack had already left him wounded, once the young man entered a new realm, a single blow would kill him outright.
"You say that just to mock me. I hope cultivators from other cities come and give you a beating so you lose that arrogance!" Leng Lubai shouted back, laughing.
Li Yi turned a deaf ear and left. Arriving at his own palace, he immediately began to cultivate.
He had already read the manual regarding the Warrior Realm: one must forge the bones, muscles, and internal organs. Although his body already possessed enormous amounts of energy and was as strong as a Master's, he wondered how powerful he would be after forging it all. Furthermore, if he obtained a body-refining technique, his strength would multiply.
Manuals in hand, he read the first one, which explained how to forge bones. After a few minutes, he began the process. He covered a finger bone of his right hand with energy and, following the technique, began the forging.
Intense pain appeared, as if his bone were being hammered with a rock. The sharp discomfort spread through his entire arm, and the crunching of bones could be heard as they became stronger.
After a couple of hours, he stopped to observe his finger. Although it felt more solid and resistant, there wasn't too much difference from the others. He had tried to fuse a large amount of energy during the forge, but it became chaotic and dispersed quickly, unable to withstand such a load.
He had previously thought cultivation would be simple due to his exaggerated energy reserves, but now he understood that without the correct methods, it would be extremely complicated.
After reflecting for a moment, he remembered he could use his energy attributes. Quickly, he activated the three types of energy and made them flow with the technique, adding his Sword Intent as well.
Li Yi let out a cry of pain, as the suffering intensified several times over. He gritted his teeth and resisted with all his might. After several minutes, his arm went numb and grew accustomed to the sensation. He continued like this for three hours until, suddenly, a slight glow emanated from his hand. At that instant, he felt the refinement progressing, though it was much slower than with his normal energy.
He checked the bone and noticed it had already been completely refined. The difference was clear: the color had turned slightly dark, with a small light highlighting it. Now, that bone was at least six times stronger than a normal one.
He stopped examining his hand and began refining another bone. Again he felt the pain, but he resisted; he knew he wouldn't have much time before potential enemies arrived.
The second time was much easier and faster, lasting just over two hours. As he refined one bone after another, the time shortened, eventually completing each one in just twenty minutes.
After three days in seclusion, Li Yi managed to forge all the bones in his body. He stepped out for a few minutes to get some air, and as he walked through the halls, he thought about how no one had appeared yet.
"Well, the cities are so far apart that it would be very bad luck for someone to notice that strike. Most likely, it extended through uninhabited lands and dispersed; that would be for the best," he thought. After all, he didn't want to fight there; if someone came, they wouldn't be nobodies, and a battle of that level would cause too much collateral damage.
At that moment, he saw Shen Shinyu passing by. He moved with speed and appeared at his sister's side. She, noticing someone approaching without her being able to perceive them, threw a punch by reflex. Li Yi moved his hand and caught her fist gently. Seeing his face, Shen Shinyu was surprised and showed a huge smile.
"Brother Li Yi, how have you been? You've spent all these days cultivating, and we haven't seen you anywhere," she asked.
"Yes, I was in seclusion and just came out for some air. Tell me, how is your cultivation going?" Li Yi replied with a smile.
"We've improved little by little. Brother Zang Li managed to raise his cultivation base to a good level, and the others are striving in their own phases. For now, what has increased the most is our energy thanks to the martial techniques," Shen Shinyu explained, though a bit of discouragement could be seen in her eyes.
"Just keep improving," Li Yi said. "The steadier your steps, the further you will go. The path is infinite; neglecting cultivation because of negative thoughts will lead nowhere. Follow your own path; I will be here to support you."
With that, he patted her on the head—a gesture that seemed strange since Li Yi was younger than her.
"I'm going back to cultivate; say hello to the brothers for me."
"Won't you go visit them?" Shen Shinyu asked.
"I will finish my cultivation and then go see them."
Li Yi took a leap and flew away. Shen Shinyu stood watching him leave, his words resonating in her mind. A firm look appeared in her eyes as she walked toward her room.
Li Yi returned to his palace and secluded himself once more to begin the refinement of his muscles and internal organs.
In a very distant place, many cultivators advanced in warships. On the deck of one of them, several were observing the trail left by the cut that guided them.
"How far will this cut extend? We've been traveling at maximum speed for three days and we still haven't seen even a village," commented Chao Gang, a cultivator from the Black Iron Sect.
"Brother Wu Qiang, how powerful do you think the cultivator who did this is? This mark is immense; if it were a God Realm attack, it would split the Cang Lan Realm in half."
Wu Qiang, a powerful high-level Emperor Realm cultivator in charge of the mission, replied:
"I really don't know their level, but it's estimated to be at least in the Master Realm. If we obtain the technique, the sect will reward us enormously. We shouldn't worry about strength; besides our sixth-level vessel, the other four most powerful sects of the City of a Thousand Petals also sent teams. Even a large city would be destroyed by us."
The other cultivators showed looks of excitement, anxious to reach that place rumored to possess countless resources.
After two full days of seclusion, Li Yi finally finished refining his muscles and organs. He was now in perfect condition to enter the Warrior Realm. He concentrated and urged his base to absorb all the energy from the environment. He began to produce large quantities of his special energies until they covered his entire body. In a second, he obtained the energy necessary for the advancement.
BOOM!
A thunderous sound shook a large part of the town, and the palace exploded, left in ruins. Li Yi floated in the air while his body transformed. His overwhelming presence spread throughout the school. Martial Realm cultivators found it difficult to breathe, and those of lower levels turned purple from suffocation.
At that instant, a mental power emerged from the main palace to protect the people. Leng Lubai flew out and quickly approached where Li Yi was.