He casually tossed the empty bottle into the trash can. The refined glass bottle clinked crisply against the side. Li Wen collapsed onto the hardwood chair in his room, his whole body feeling like it was about to fall apart.
A single hour of cultivating the Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill had produced astonishing results, but it had also nearly drained every last bit of stamina and energy from his body.
He remained slumped in the chair for a good four or five minutes before his ragged breathing finally started to even out, the feeling of sore, powerless muscles receding slightly.
Only then did he have the presence of mind for Focusing Spirit. His consciousness sank into his sea of awareness as he opened the information panel that no one else could see.
Four lines of new information appeared clearly before his eyes:
[You have focused on cultivating the Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill for one hour. Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill experience +10]
[Cultivation Technique: Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill - Basic (Minor Achievement 30→40/100)]
[Your Physical Body Level +0.1]
[Realm: Unranked (Level 6.1→6.2)]
Li Wen's gaze lingered on the [Physical Body Level] entry for a long time.
The last time his Physical Body Level had increased was the morning after a training session. This time, it had risen the moment he finished.
This confirmed his earlier suspicion—his body had already been on the verge of breaking through to Level 6.2. That last hour of intensely focused, high-level training had been the final straw, successfully shattering the invisible barrier.
'In that case, after a deep rest and letting my body recover tonight, my Physical Body Level should see another significant jump tomorrow morning...'
Li Wen silently calculated. 'Jumping straight to Level 6.3 is probably unrealistic, but I must be getting very close.'
The principle of strengthening the body was identical to muscle growth; it required being pushed to the limit, followed by sufficient replenishment of qi, blood, and energy to achieve rapid development.
The results from this single training session were easily equivalent to five whole days of his previous arduous training without any potions.
Considering his body's desperate need to recover, forcing himself to continue would only be counterproductive and could even damage his foundation.
The path of the Martial Dao was all about finding a balance between exertion and rest, a principle Li Wen understood well.
He used the back of the chair to support himself as he slowly stood up, his steps a bit unsteady as he walked toward the washroom.
After a full day of training, sweat had soaked through his clothes countless times. They had dried, only to be drenched again, leaving obvious salt stains on the fabric.
Peeling off his sticky clothes, Li Wen set the water to a comfortable temperature and let the dense spray from the showerhead pour down over him.
The fine curtain of water quickly enveloped him, gathering into clear rivulets that snaked down the increasingly defined lines of his well-trained physique, washing away the exhaustion and grime.
...
「The next morning.」
The winter morning's chill had not yet fully dissipated when Li Wen's eyes opened, right on time, just before his alarm was set to go off.
Having intentionally gone to bed early the night before, he felt exceptionally refreshed and full of energy.
With a light flex of his legs, he rolled out of bed and landed steadily on the floor, his movements swift and silent.
[Realm: Unranked (Level 6.2)]
His eyes swept over the numbers on the panel. Just as he'd expected, he hadn't jumped to Level 6.3 overnight.
However, the feeling that he was on the cusp of a breakthrough was now even stronger.
'If I take another Qi and Blood Potion tonight and train, then tomorrow morning... I'll definitely hit Level 6.3.' He silently assessed the strength within him, which felt a fraction more solid, and his clenched knuckles turned white.
A moment later, he headed for the washroom.
"Dad?" Just as he slid his bedroom door open, Li Wen was surprised to see his father, Li Hong, sitting on the old sofa in the living room, holding a steaming enamel mug.
"You're up, Ah Wen." Li Hong turned at the sound, a gentle smile on his face. "Go get washed up. I made your favorite corn potstickers."
"Oh, okay!" Li Wen suppressed his confusion—his father should have left for work by now. But the familiar, fragrant aroma of pan-fried dough instantly captured his attention.
He crossed the narrow hallway in a few quick strides and speedily completed his morning routine.
"Dad, are you off from work today?" Li Wen asked, pulling out a chair at the table. He couldn't help staring at the tempting, golden-brown potstickers in his bowl.
"That's right. There isn't much heavy work at the factory, so the foreman told us old-timers to take a few days off."
Li Hong nodded with a smile, his chopsticks ceaselessly moving as he added two more perfectly browned potstickers to Li Wen's bowl. "Eat more. Practicing martial arts burns a lot of energy."
"That's great. You deserve the rest," Li Wen said, not suspecting a thing. He picked up a potsticker and took a bite. It was crispy and fragrant. "Delicious! It tastes just the same as always!"
"Haha, if you like them, then eat up!" Li Hong's smile deepened, and he kept adding potstickers to his son's bowl, one after another.
"Dad, don't just keep piling them on my plate. You eat too," Li Wen said, a warm feeling spreading through his chest as he hurriedly pushed his father's share back toward him.
...
The warm breakfast between father and son passed by in a flash. Li Wen ended up eating the vast majority of the huge plate of corn potstickers.
"Dad, I'm heading to school," Li Wen said, grabbing a tissue to wipe the shine from the corner of his mouth before grabbing his backpack off the sofa.
"Alright. Watch for cars on your way," Li Hong said, getting up to see him to the door. His gaze followed his son's back until it disappeared around the stairwell corner.
CLICK~
The front door clicked shut.
After the soft sound of the door closing, the apartment fell silent for a moment.
"Cough… hack… COUGH COUGH…" A muffled, violent coughing fit that could no longer be suppressed suddenly erupted, as if he were trying to hack up his very lungs.
Li Hong's body hunched over, his right hand clamped tightly over his mouth. He coughed so hard the veins on his forehead bulged.