Chapter 102: Power Increase
The once-clear sky gradually grew hazy as dark clouds gathered once more overhead. In the center of a vast, dome-shaped crater on the ground lay the unconscious Franklin.
As the dark clouds slowly dispersed, a faint golden cloud emerged out of thin air. Golden light poured down, and Franklin's body, lying at the bottom of the pit, began to float upward.
His shattered body rapidly healed as the power of law surfaced around him. A faint golden glow radiated from his form, and during this process, his aura surged uncontrollably.
Three kilometers away, Son Goku, who had been watching Franklin closely, widened his eyes.
Sensing the aura within Franklin's body—one that far surpassed his own by countless times—Son Goku clenched his fists in silent resolve, determined to catch up.
Within the golden sea of consciousness, Franklin's soul appeared. You Wange appeared before him, sensing that his soul had become several times stronger than before. She nodded slightly with a touch of emotion.
"You've finally taken your first step toward becoming a true powerhouse. How do you feel now?"
Franklin nodded calmly. "Not bad. I can feel myself getting stronger. But this isn't the time to relax yet. Until my combat power reaches five digits, I can't afford to slack off."
Sensing the deep urgency and crisis buried within his heart, You Wange stepped closer and rubbed his head gently.
"It's good to have a sense of urgency, but too much of it can be harmful. Spend more time with the girls beside you. Relax a little.
Don't be like me—ending up the strongest on the continent, only to die alone in solitude."
Just as his injuries had fully healed, Franklin noticed You Wange's expression dim. He hurriedly changed the subject, helplessly saying, "There's something you still haven't explained. During the tribulation of my physical body, why did you tell me not to move at all?"
You Wange was drawn out of her melancholy by his question and gradually refocused.
"It's quite simple. During your first tribulation of spiritual cultivation, Heaven tests whether your body is worthy to break through to the Core Formation Stage.
For the first tribulation of physical cultivation, Heaven tests your heart—to see if you are qualified to control such a powerful body. That tribulation is a test of your state of mind.
If you run away out of fear or hesitation, Heaven will judge your breakthrough a failure. In the best case, your cultivation will regress; in the worst, you'll lose all your power and end up on the brink of death."
Franklin had only wanted to keep her from sinking back into painful memories, but after hearing her explanation, cold sweat covered his forehead.
"Thank you…"
After a moment of thought, Franklin added, "Thank you, Sister Wange, for the warning. Otherwise, I doubt I'd have the strength I do now. If possible, I'll be counting on you again in the future."
Hearing the way he addressed her, You Wange was momentarily stunned, then let out a soft laugh. Her breathtaking smile left Franklin staring blankly for a moment.
"Since you put it that way, Lin, your Sister Wange will call you her little brother from now on. And since you're my little brother, you'll naturally get your share of benefits."
She lightly tapped a finger to Franklin's forehead, and in the next instant, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind.
He saw a swordsman—his sword strikes effortlessly shattered by a giant beast. Each slash of his blade was easily deflected by the creature's body.
But then, as the sword in his hand became enveloped in a white glow, a single gentle swing sliced through the beast's supposedly indestructible flesh.
Its massive body split open, even its white bones were cut clean through—but in the next instant, the wounds closed, completely healed.
Franklin snapped back from the mysterious memory, the image of that sword lingering in his mind. He couldn't calm himself for a long while.
"This is the realm after Sword Qi—the Sword Radiance Realm?"
You Wange nodded lightly. "That's right, Lin. What you saw was a swordsman's first battle after breaking through to the Sword Radiance Realm. How does it feel?"
Taking a deep breath, Franklin's expression turned serious. "Incredible. From what I saw, the Sword Radiance Realm seems to greatly enhance the sharpness of the sword itself.
That beast's physical body was at least one major realm stronger than the swordsman's, yet it was still cut apart. Just watching it made me feel the terrifying power of that realm."
You Wange nodded softly. "You're half right. The Sword Radiance Realm does increase a sword's sharpness—but it's more than that. It's also a realm of the heart.
It requires the swordsman to believe, with absolute conviction, in their sword—to believe it can cut through anything. The stronger that conviction, the closer one draws to the realm of cutting all things."
Listening to her detailed explanation, Franklin fell into thought. But You Wange didn't let him dwell on it—she reached out and rubbed his head again, pulling his attention back.
"Don't overthink it. The more you think, the farther you'll be from breaking through to the Sword Radiance Realm. It's not about logic—it's about faith, born from the heart.
In my eyes, since you were able to climb to the top of korin Tower through sheer perseverance, and face a thunder tribulation capable of annihilating you without fleeing, you've already found your direction.
All you're missing now is the right opportunity."
After being pushed out of the sea of consciousness, Franklin slowly regained focus. Looking around at his surroundings, he steadied himself and cleared his mind of thoughts about the Sword Radiance Realm.
Seeing Son Goku flying over on his Somersault Cloud, Franklin smiled and waved before turning his attention to the basic information displayed on his Dimensional Tome.
Name: Franklin
Age: 29 / 1372
Race: Human (Saiyan)
Bloodline: Human (primary) / Saiyan (refined essence, impurities removed)
Spiritual Cultivation: Early Core Formation (Core Condensation: 2%)
Core Formation Stage: Beginner Spiritual Control
(Within the range of divine sense, all surrounding spiritual energy can be controlled—though weakly and inefficiently.)
Physical Cultivation: Early Wandering Stage (Able to travel upon spiritual energy, journey ten thousand miles a day; cultivation speed increased.)
Mental Cultivation: Selfless Realm (All thoughts focused on the goal; even when body fails, willpower endures; combat power +30%.)
Sword Dao: Human Realm — Sword Qi Stage
Life-Bound Artifacts: [Sword of Protection], [Yang Lightning], [Yin Water]
Techniques: Spatial Overlord Body Art (Incomplete)
Spells: [Eye of True Sight — Beginner], [Basic Five Element Spells], [Close Combat D-Rank], [Immortal Ninjutsu], [Life Burn]
Innate Gifts: [Dimensional Tome], [Lightning Manipulation]
Dimensional Tome: [Dimensional Summon], [Dimensional Space], [Dimensional Travel], [Mission Tab], [Phantom], [Bloodline Fusion Pill (7/10)]
Total Combat Power: 1500 → 4160
(Core Formation breakthrough: +1000 power. Wandering Stage breakthrough: +1000 power.)
(Mental cultivation improvement: power enhancement from 5%–20% → 30%.)
(Maximum combat power: Life Burn increases combat strength tenfold.)
[Combat power is for reference only. Overall combat strength represents a quantifiable value; actual performance may vary depending on skill, talent, spells, and techniques. Please judge based on your own awakened abilities.]