As usual, the first sensation to wash over Xiang Yu was his enlightenment doubling. The experience grew more intense with each cycle, a cascade of revelations flooding his consciousness like a mental tidal wave. New insights materialized within his mind, connections forming between concepts he'd previously seen as disparate. The sensation persisted, a symphony of understanding playing throughout his awareness before gradually subsiding into a contented hum.
Following this was the doubling of his cooking experience. Culinary knowledge blossomed in his mind—flavor combinations, heat control techniques, ingredient preparations he hadn't considered before. The insights arrived like scattered puzzle pieces slotting perfectly into place, enhancing his already considerable skill. When the feeling suddenly seized, he recognized that his cooking abilities teetered on the precipice of advancement. Though slightly disappointed he couldn't immediately cross this threshold, he accepted that the next doubling would likely trigger this breakthrough.
Shifting his awareness to battle instinct, Xiang Yu noted with mild frustration that the day's rigorous training had also yielded no perceptible improvement to the stat. The metric remained stubborn, resisting conventional advancement methods. Still, he took comfort in his system's inevitable progression—even without personal improvement, the doubling effect didn't let him down.
His attention moved to the Mountain Heart Scripture. While it had accumulated additional points, they hardly mattered given its position past the halfway mark. More significantly, the system's doubling had propelled him beyond the threshold, breaking through to the scripture's fourth layer. This advancement corresponded directly to his body cultivation, elevating him to the Body Refining 4th Layer. He could feel newfound strength coursing through his muscles and bones, though he couldn't tell by how much exactly his strength had increased, he knew that he was still leagues behind his prodigious junior sister. The gap between them remained a chasm, albeit a slightly narrower one.
Examining his other techniques, he noted the Iron Body had likewise crossed its halfway point. After doubling, it had advanced to the Intermediate stage, with immediate physical manifestations. His skin had hardened perceptibly—not quite achieving genuine iron-like properties, but impressive nonetheless. Running his fingers across his forearm, he could feel the subtle difference.
His knife technique had improved by twenty points—less than usual, but expected given its recent advancement to Completion stage. As cultivators often noted, mastering a technique through the Beginner to Completion stages represented only the foundation. Beyond that lay the arduous path of refinement and perfection, where progress naturally slowed.
Meanwhile, his sword technique, already beyond its halfway mark, had leaped forward to Major Success after doubling. The rapid advancement didn't surprise him—the shared principles between knife and sword techniques created a natural synergy, allowing insights from one to accelerate progress in the other.
As for the mid-grade movement technique, Xiang Yu had yet to make concrete progress, though he sensed he was drawing closer to comprehension. A few more cycles of Enlightenment doubling might finally grant him the breakthrough needed to grasp this elusive skill.
After meticulously examining the day's improvements, Xiang Yu called up his complete status:
[Name: Xiang Yu]
[Realm: Body Refining 4th Layer]
[Species: Human]
[Spiritual Root: null]
[Enlightenment: Low (24/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (8/100,000)]
[Professions: Cook: 9th Grade (90/100)]
[Techniques: Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Intermediate (0/300); Basic Knife Technique: Completion (40/500); Basic Sword Technique: Major Success (0/400)]
[Scriptures: Mountain Heart Scripture: 4th Layer (2/400)]
[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs)]
First, he observed that the scripture's exchange rate had reverted to ten-to-one—not ideal, but at least there was measurable progress. Turning his attention to his techniques, he noted both Iron Body and Sword techniques had reset to zero after their respective advancements. The Iron Body technique caused him little concern; he could continue developing it passively by wearing weighted clothing during his daily activities.
The sword technique, however, required more deliberate consideration. With both sword and knife techniques needing substantial development, he briefly contemplated dividing his training day between the two weapons as he had previously. But after careful deliberation, he decided against this approach. While effective for accelerating progress, weapon-switching disrupted his momentum, making him achieve less in both techniques. Better to dedicate the entire day to sword training, allowing complete focus and deeper immersion. The knife technique already possessed a foundation for doubling, so this approach wouldn't significantly impede his overall advancement.
With his training strategy settled, Xiang Yu closed his eyes, mentally preparing for tomorrow's intensive sword practice.
...
In her chamber, Li Yao sat in a lotus position as she immersed herself in cultivation. Visible tendrils of qi swirled through the air around her, luminous wisps spiraling toward her body before being absorbed. The ethereal energy flowed into her meridians, circulating through her pathways before finally settling in her core, enriching the concentrated power stored there.
This rhythmic dance of energy continued uninterrupted throughout the night, the soft glow of qi illuminating her serene features as she remained utterly still, lost in meditative communion with the world's essence. Only when morning light filtered through her window did she finally stir, her eyes opening with measured control.
Li Yao rose gracefully, stretching muscles that had remained motionless for hours. She reached for her weapon with practiced familiarity, her fingers wrapping around the hilt with anticipation. The sparring sessions with her senior brother had become a highlight of her daily routine—especially now that he displayed such remarkable progression. Each day brought noticeable improvements, as if he transformed overnight. She found herself genuinely curious about how much he might have advanced since yesterday's training.
When they met at their usual training ground, Li Yao immediately noticed the sword in Xiang Yu's grip rather than the knife he'd used the day before.
"So it's the sword today," she thought with interest as she charged forward, her own blade describing a deadly arc through the morning air. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
From his private chamber overlooking the training grounds, Elder Guo observed his disciples with pride. The elder stroked his long beard contemplatively, his experienced eyes narrowing as he tracked Xiang Yu's movements. Was he seeing correctly? The boy's swordsmanship displayed signs of having reached the Major Success stage.
The elder shook his head in quiet amazement. Xiang Yu had begun practicing the sword technique mere days ago, yet his progress defied conventional expectations. Perhaps his junior sister wasn't merely indulging in fanciful theories—the boy might indeed possess the potential to unlock that ancient physique she was so enthusiastic about.
As the sparring intensified, Elder Guo noted another promising development. Xiang Yu's battle awareness had notably sharpened, his defensive movements and positioning reflecting growing tactical acumen. With each passing day, he seemed to embody more qualities of a true fighter, his instincts refining themselves through these repeated encounters.
Yet one disappointing trait persisted. Even when presented with clear counterattack opportunities, Xiang Yu remained reluctant to press his advantage, preferring defensive maneuvers over offensive strikes. The elder sighed deeply—it seemed the disciple's cautious, some might say cowardly, nature remained deeply ingrained, resistant to change despite his technical improvements.
With a subtle gesture, Elder Guo reached toward his spatial ring. A flash of light preceded the appearance of a weathered manual in his palm, its edges frayed and its cover worn by the passage of countless years.
"It seems I'll have to use this," he thought, examining the ancient text with contemplative eyes. "I don't know if the boy can learn it though."
The clash of steel against steel echoed across the training ground as Xiang Yu and Li Yao engaged in their daily sparring session. Unlike previous days, Xiang Yu felt a profound difference in his combat awareness—the doubling of his battle instinct had manifested in tangible improvements. Where once he perceived only vague shadows of incoming attacks, now he could discern clearer trajectories. The blurry prediction lines that had guided his defenses before had sharpened, becoming thinner and more defined, allowing for precision that had previously been impossible.
Each feint from Li Yao registered in his mind with newfound clarity. Traps that would have ensnared him yesterday now seemed transparent, their purpose revealing itself before they could be sprung. His eyes tracked her movements with heightened accuracy, body responding with improved synchronization.
Li Yao, for her part, noticed the transformation immediately. This wasn't the same senior brother she had sparred with just a few hours ago—his combat awareness had undergone a startling evolution, as though years of training had been compressed into a single night. Though still far from matching her formidable skills, he was undeniably closing the gap in battle awareness with alarming speed.
Their blades met in a fierce collision, sparks cascading around them before they separated, creating distance between them. Li Yao couldn't help but furrow her brow slightly. That last impact had carried more force than expected. While she had already deduced that her senior brother wasn't the first-layer cultivator he pretended to be, the strength behind his strikes seemed to be getting greater with each day. And now, she felt that he seemed to have had a breakthrough. Although she couldn't tell his exact level, she could tell from the force behind his strikes that he was at least at the 5th layer of Body Refining.
She refrained from questioning him about it. After all, she too concealed her true cultivation level. Instead, she quietly adjusted her approach, gradually increasing the intensity of her attacks. Holding back too much would only hinder his growth; she needed to provide the right level of challenge to continue pushing his capabilities.
Xiang Yu braced himself as another powerful strike landed against his blade, his feet digging into the earth beneath him. Confusion flickered across his features momentarily. Despite breaking through to the fourth layer, the pressure hadn't diminished—if anything, it had intensified. His junior sister was clearly matching his advancement with increased force of her own.
Still, he embraced the challenge without complaint. Better to face overwhelming pressure here, in controlled conditions, than to encounter it unprepared outside the sect where the consequence would be a lonely death without proper burial.
He pressed forward with renewed determination, continuing his offensive despite the punishing counterattacks. His improved battle instinct helped him adapt to Li Yao's increased speed, gradually making the exchanges feel less one-sided. Yet one frustrating limitation remained: though his mind could now recognize opportunities, his body often lacked the physical capability to capitalize on them. His awareness might identify the perfect counterattack, but his muscles couldn't execute it with sufficient speed or power.
Xiang Yu accepted this temporary limitation for now. His system's exponential growth promised rapid improvement. At his current rate of advancement, who could say where his strength might reach in just a month's time? The gap between mind and body would eventually close.
As the sun reached its zenith, both disciples seemed to recognize the time simultaneously. With practiced movements, they sheathed their weapons in perfect synchronization, a silent agreement passing between them. Training could wait—lunchtime had arrived.
...
The dining area fell into a reverent silence as everyone focused entirely on their meals, savoring each exquisite bite with undivided attention. Elder Guo and Elder Huang found themselves particularly captivated by the extraordinary flavors dancing across their palates. They could discern that Xiang Yu's cooking stood at the precipice of becoming true spirit cuisine—the subtle gathering of ambient qi around the dishes created a refreshing sensation with each mouthful.
Elder Guo contemplated this phenomenon with growing appreciation. In his estimation, Xiang Yu's culinary skills had clearly ascended to professional levels. If only the boy possessed spiritual roots, he would undoubtedly be capable of producing genuine spiritual foods. The elder couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment.
Yet, almost immediately, he caught himself. There remained hope. His gaze shifted toward his junior sister. He wondered when she would finally help Xiang Yu unlock his theoretical martial physique, potentially granting him the ability to infuse his creations with qi. The thought sent a pleasant shiver down Elder Guo's spine. If Xiang Yu's cooking could be this good even without spiritual infusion, just how good would it be once it contained genuine qi? Wouldn't he ascend instantly?
Across the table, Elder Huang noticed her senior brother's penetrating stare with mounting alarm. Though she admitted the food was exceptional, surely he wouldn't stoop so low as to try claiming her portion? True, she occasionally teased him, but did that warrant such treatment? No matter his seniority or ownership of the pavilion, she refused to relinquish her meal.
In a sudden, decisive movement, she opened her mouth and channeled her qi, creating a vacuum-like force that pulled her entire portion inside in one swift motion. The hasty action left her regretting the loss of slowly savoring each bite, but at least she had secured her food from potential theft. With her mission accomplished, she shot Elder Guo a smug, victorious smile.
Elder Guo observed this bizarre behavior with complete confusion. Why was this strange woman looking at him like that? A troubling thought suddenly hit him—could she want to marry him just to eat his disciple's cooking forever? No, that couldn't be right. He realized the amazing food had made his thoughts wander too far. With a deep breath, he dismissed the silly idea. His junior sister had always been odd; there was no point in trying to figure her out.
Meanwhile, Huang Fengqi kept staring at him, bothered by his dismissive look. 'Why do I feel like the old man is looking down on me?' she wondered, feeling slightly annoyed.
The contemplative silence was finally broken when Elder Guo cleared his throat. "Xiang Yu," he announced, immediately capturing everyone's attention despite addressing only his disciple.
"I've observed that your battle awareness has improved considerably," he continued, his tone measured and thoughtful. "But there remains one significant problem." With deliberate movements, he extracted an ancient manual from his sleeve, extending it toward Xiang Yu.
"Senior brother, this is..." Elder Huang's voice trailed off as she covered her mouth in shock, instantly recognizing the weathered text in his hand.