[Enlightenment: Low (435/1000) (+3/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (195/100,000) (+3/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (45/30,000) (+1/30,000)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (80/1000) (+20/1000)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 5th Layer (117/500) (+52/500)]
[Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Beginner (70/100) (+30/100)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Completion (100/500) (+100/500)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Great Completion (200/1000) (+100/1000)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Great Completion (120/1000) (+120/1000)]
[Cook: 8th Grade (57/200) (+5/200)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Cook: 8th Grade (57/200) → 8th Grade (114/200)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Great Completion (120/1000) → Great Completion (240/1000)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Great Completion (200/1000) → Great Completion (400/1000)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Completion (100/500) → Completion (200/500)]
[Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Beginner (70/100) → Minor Success (0/200)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 5th Layer (117/500) → 5th Layer (234/500)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (80/1000) → Level 1 (160/1000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (45/30,000) → 7th Grade (90/30,000)]
[Battle Instinct: (195/100,000) → (390/100,000)]
[Enlightenment: Low (435/1000) → Low (870/1000)]
As usual, Xiang Yu braced himself for the enlightenment increase. When it hit, his mind exploded with an intense wave of insights washing through his consciousness. Insights into various techniques flooded in—not just isolated understanding, but intricate connections between them, revealing combinations and applications he'd never considered before.
Though the sensation was magnitudes more intense than previous experiences, it didn't last as long as he'd anticipated. His earlier practice with the Mountain Heart Sutra had apparently strengthened his mental capacity; he could now contain this torrent of understanding, though just barely. The enlightenment wave pulsed in diminishing waves until it finally subsided completely.
Xiang Yu heaved a sigh of relief as he examined his status. Looking at the numbers, he realized his next doubling would finally transform his natural talent from Low to Mid—crossing a threshold that many cultivators never achieved in their lifetime. Though it appeared to be a mere 200-point gap, it represented a fundamental transformation of his potential. For others, this barrier might be insurmountable, but his system guaranteed the breakthrough.
The next wave brought insights into cooking—new recipes materialized in his mind alongside techniques for manipulating spirit flames with greater precision. He even glimpsed special recipes designed to assist with cultivation breakthroughs, dishes that could nourish the mind and soul. These were merely rudimentary fragments though, he guessed they were hints of what seventh-grade cooking might entail. His current skill had already passed the halfway point, virtually guaranteeing advancement to seventh grade after the next reset.
His battle intent had seen a remarkable jump, climbing to nearly 400 points. Before, he could already predict Li Yao's attacks with impressive accuracy, but now that this attribute had doubled, he wondered if he might genuinely glimpse the future during combat. He set this speculation aside for the moment—he would discover the full extent of these enhancements in actual battle.
Turning his attention to his spirit flame, he noted it had almost reached the hundred-point mark. Strangely, he couldn't detect any dramatic changes beyond improved control. The Abyssal Void Flame no longer felt foreign to him—it responded to his will with increasing fluidity. Perhaps significant transformations would only manifest when the flame advanced in rank.
Yesterday's enlightenment increase had catalyzed major improvements across his techniques. His knife proficiency had increased by 100 points, sword by 120, and iron body technique by another hundred. The phantom footwork had improved more modestly, gaining only 30 points—unsurprising for a mid-level technique. After doubling, it had broken through to the Minor Success stage. Though he couldn't test it immediately, he sensed a fundamental transformation in the technique and made a mental note to explore these changes during tomorrow's practice.
His scriptures showed substantial progress. The Mountain Heart Sutra had improved dramatically, already reaching the hundreds. The Mountain Heart Scripture had advanced even further—with both sword and knife techniques at Great Completion, they had contributed a combined 22 points to the scripture even with the 10-to-1 conversion rate. After doubling, the scripture stood just shy of the halfway mark. He expected to make up the difference during tomorrow's training, which would advance him to the sixth layer of Body Refining after reset.
Though his progress seemed to accelerate, he couldn't help but feel concerned about an imminent slowdown. Once he reached the sixth layer, he wouldn't be able to translate experience efficiently from his current techniques.
Feeling satisfied nonetheless with his advancement, he summoned his complete status screen:
...
[Name: Xiang Yu]
[Realm: Body: 5th Layer; Mind: Level 1]]
[Species: Human]
[Spiritual Root: null]
[Enlightenment: Low (870/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (390/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (90/30,000)]
[Professions: Cook: 8th Grade (114/200)]
[Techniques: Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Minor Success (0/200); Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Completion (200/500); Basic Knife Technique: Great Completion (400/1000); Basic Sword Technique: Great Completion (240/1000)]
[Scriptures: Mountain Heart Scripture: 5th Layer (266/500); Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (160/1000)]
[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs)]
Examining the numbers closely, Xiang Yu realized something he'd almost overlooked—his doubled knife and sword techniques had already transferred their experience to the Mountain Heart Scripture. The two weapon techniques had contributed a combined total of 32 points, pushing the scripture's total to 266—well beyond the halfway mark. This guaranteed his breakthrough to the sixth layer of Body Refining after tomorrow's doubling.
A rare smile of satisfaction crossed his face as he studied his progress, particularly in the attributes that had proven most resistant to conventional training methods. His enlightenment approached the threshold for advancement to Mid level, his battle instinct had surged to nearly four hundred points, and his spirit flame steadily climbed toward its first hundred.
Much of this accelerated growth could be attributed to the Mountain Heart Sutra—a technique that initially seemed dangerous had proven invaluable to his exponential advancement. Speaking of which, it was time for his nightly practice.
Xiang Yu settled into his meditation posture, back perfectly straight, hands resting lightly on his knees. As he regulated his breathing and focused his mind, the transition happened instantly—his consciousness pulled into his spiritual sea without the gradual detachment he'd experienced in earlier sessions.
Within this internal void, he noticed the illuminated radius around him had expanded significantly. The darkness receded further with each practice session, replaced by that gentle ambient light that seemed to emanate from the void itself. Though he still hadn't discovered how to utilize this phenomenon, he sensed its importance to his future cultivation. For now, he would continue cultivating patiently, trusting that understanding would come in due time.
Xiang Yu maintained his deep meditation until the first light of dawn crept through his window. As consciousness flowed back into his physical form, his eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the gentle illumination of early morning. Golden rays had just begun to stretch across the horizon, painting the edges of his simple room with warm hues. With practiced mental focus, he summoned his system interface to assess his overnight progress:
[Enlightenment: Low (871/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (392/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (91/30,000)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (190/1000)]
His enlightenment and battle instinct were proving increasingly resistant to improvement, yet even this gradual progression impressed him. Most cultivators would struggle to advance these attributes at all, particularly at such high levels. With enlightenment already well beyond its halfway point, he felt little concern about its slower pace—the inevitable breakthrough to Mid level was virtually guaranteed.
His battle instinct continued its steady climb toward the thousands, a milestone that would transform his combat capabilities in ways he could scarcely imagine. The Abyssal Void Flame showed modest improvement as well, but he didnt think much of it as he could enhance it later during his daily cooking sessions.
Most striking was the Mountain Heart Sutra's thirty-point increase—a remarkable achievement for a single night's practice.
Satisfied with his progress, Xiang Yu rose from his meditation posture. His muscles had remained motionless for hours, yet he felt no stiffness or discomfort. Still, he performed a series of deliberate stretches, preparing his body for the rigorous training ahead. Once properly loosened, he departed for the familiar training ground.
The two disciples arrived simultaneously, exchanging brief morning greetings before drawing their weapons.
As they settled into their respective stances, Li Yao felt a palpable wave of pressure emanating from her senior brother. His battle intent had intensified overnight, creating an almost physical force that pushed against her senses. But something else caught her attention—a subtle quality in his knife technique that hadn't been present before. It was the feeling of perfection.
Li Yao couldn't help but marvel at his progress. Though he wasnt there yet, she could feel that her senior brother was about to perfect a technique.
Their weapons clashed in a deadly dance of steel, each strike and parry flowing with increased precision. As they sparred, Xiang Yu found himself puzzled. Despite his battle intent doubling overnight, he hadn't experienced the dramatic enhancement he'd anticipated. Where was the precognition he'd hoped might manifest? The ability to glimpse future attacks before they occurred?
He deflected another of Li Yao's lightning-fast strikes, his mind analyzing possible explanations. Perhaps his cultivation level remained too low to fully harness his battle intent's potential? The attribute itself might be advancing normally, but his physical form and spiritual foundation couldn't fully express its capabilities yet. This theory made sense—many cultivation attributes only revealed their true power once the practitioner reached appropriate realms.
Still, even without precognition, his combat awareness continued to sharpen. Prediction lines formed with greater clarity in his mind, his responses becoming more fluid, more instinctive with each exchange. Though he couldn't yet access battle intent's full potential, its benefits remained substantial and immediate.
They continued their rigorous practice until the sun reached its zenith, signaling the lunch hour's arrival. Both disciples lowered their weapons simultaneously, acknowledging the time to replenish their energies had come.
...
After savoring the delicious spirit-infused lunch that Xiang Yu had prepared—a meal that rejuvenated their bodies and replenished their qi—the two disciples returned to the training ground with renewed vigor. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the worn earth as they resumed their relentless sparring, steel meeting steel in a symphony of controlled violence. Hours melted away beneath the azure sky until evening descended, prompting another brief respite for dinner.
When they emerged once more into the moonlit training area, Xiang Yu made his customary switch from knife to sword. As the gleaming blade settled comfortably in his grip, when he held the sword, he noticed something remarkable—his swordsmanship no longer lagged significantly behind his knife technique. Usually, when he wielded the sword, he would feel the slight difference in mastery between the two.
But now each movement flowed with similar precision, each strike carrying comparable intent. While his extraordinary battle awareness certainly contributed to this balance, the true cause was simpler: his sword technique had genuinely caught up to his knife mastery.
Across the training ground, Li Yao observed this transformation with widening eyes. The same subtle quality she'd sensed in his knife work now emanated from his sword form, though slightly fainter—a sense of harmony that approached true perfection. A realization struck her: her senior brother was on the verge of perfecting not one but two combat techniques simultaneously.
With such mastery coupled with his uncanny battle awareness, she guessed that her senior brother would probably be invincible below the Qi Refining realm—unless his opponent was one those rare monsters who had cultivated Body Refining to extraordinary heights.
The two continued their rigorous practice until midnight finally compelled them to part ways. Alone in his quarters, Xiang Yu settled onto his simple bed, observing the day's progress:
[Enlightenment: Low (871/1000) (+1/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (392/100,000) (+2/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (91/30,000) (+1/30,000)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (190/1000) (+30/1000)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 5th Layer (318/500) (+84/500)]
[Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Minor Success (40/200) (+40/200)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Completion (300/500) (+100/500)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Great Completion (500/1000) (+100/1000)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Great Completion (360/1000) (+120/1000)]
[Cook: 8th Grade (118/200) (+4/200)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Cook: 8th Grade (118/200) → 7th Grade (0/300)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Great Completion (360/1000) → Great Completion (720/1000)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Great Completion (500/1000) → Perfect]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Completion (300/500) → Great Completion (0/1000)]
[Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Minor Success (40/200) → Minor Success (80/200)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 5th Layer (318/500) → 6th Layer (0/600)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (190/1000) → Level 1 (380/1000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (91/30,000) → 7th Grade (182/30,000)]
[Battle Instinct: (392/100,000) → (784/100,000)]
[Enlightenment: Low (871/1000) → Mid (0/2000)]