It took Li Yu three full days to recover from his first "lesson." He did not leave his cultivation chamber. He sat in a deep meditative trance, his entire being focused on healing the fine hairline fractures that had appeared in his spiritual avatar and soothing his battered consciousness. The experience had been a baptism by fire. It was a brutal and humbling education on the terrifying chasm that separated the realms.
His three friends, under strict orders not to disturb him could only watch the sealed door of his chamber with worried eyes. They could feel the faint and exhausted fluctuations of his aura.
"What kind of training is he doing?" Hu Jian whispered one evening as they gathered to eat. "I've never felt an aura so… tired. It's like his very spirit is being ground down and rebuilt."
"Whatever it is, it is a path he has chosen," Brother Kai replied, his gaze fixed on the silent chamber. "Our duty is not to question but to ensure he has the peace to walk it."
Inside, Li Yu was not just healing; he was analyzing. He replayed the feeling of Khaos's pressure in his mind, the sensation of its perfectly ordered void-aspected Qi. He compared it to his own vast but ultimately chaotic sea of power.
He finally understood. Reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm wasn't just about adding more water to the ocean; it was about adding more and then compressing that entire ocean into a single, flawless diamond.
On the fourth day he emerged. He looked pale and thinner than before but his eyes burned with a new intensity. He gave his worried friends a reassuring smile.
"The training was… fruitful," was all he said before resuming his normal daily routine.
But his nights were now a descent into his own private hell. Every few days, after he had fully recovered, he would return to the Koi's Sanctuary and request his next lesson.
'Again?' Khaos's mental voice was laced with a predatory amusement. 'You are either the bravest mortal I have ever encountered or the most foolish. Very well. Let us continue your education in despair.'
Each lesson was different. Each was a new form of torture designed to break him. One night, Khaos would focus on speed. It would not use its reality-warping flicker but would simply move its miniature pincer with the speed of a Foundation Establishment expert.
Li Yu, within the sanctuary, would have to use his «Abyssal Dragon's Shadow» to its absolute limit, his spiritual avatar a blur of motion as he desperately dodged the attacks. His movement technique, under this immense pressure, was refined and polished at an incredible rate.
Another night, the lesson would be on control. Khaos would command the ambient energy of the sanctuary, the crimson-gold mist and turn it against him. Tendrils of his own spirit's vitality would lash out at him like whips, forcing him to use his «Flowing Water, Still Shadow» art to defend against his own power. He learned to create shields of ice and water with a single thought, to manipulate the elements with precision.
But the most brutal lessons were always the ones on pure pressure. Khaos would once again exert the will of a Foundation Establishment expert and Li Yu would be forced to his knees, his entire being focused on that single agonizing task of refining his own Qi. Of trying to mimic that state of perfect flawless density.
He realized that throughout all the training he wasn't getting actual combat experience. He was only refining his techniques and getting beaten silly. Khaos was too heavy handed to actually spar with in a training match. When asked if he could push himself to Li Yu's level, Khaos simply laughed at him saying this is already as weak as he can get. All his lessons were through beatings, a strength beyond his own.
The months passed in this grueling cycle of torment, recovery and growth. His progress was impressive. His true cultivation remained at the Ninth Stage of Qi Condensation but the quality of his foundation was undergoing a qualitative change. His True Qi was becoming incredibly heavy, pure and dense. A single drop of his Qi now contained the power of what was once a hundred.
His body, in turn, was also evolving. The constant, extreme pressure of the training was the final catalyst he needed. One night, after a particularly brutal session, he felt a change in his very lifeblood. A warm, powerful current spread from his heart and he could feel his blood itself beginning to shimmer with a faint silvery light.
He had finally broken through to the Fourth Level of the «Abyssal Leviathan Physique»: 'Tidal Blood.' His blood was no longer just a medium for carrying life; it was now a medium for carrying immense spiritual power. This will dramatically increase his stamina, recovery and the explosive force he could generate.
His official cultivation also progressed. He allowed himself to "break through" to the Fifth Stage of Qi Condensation, another advancement that kept his reputation growing while keeping his true power a closely guarded secret.
This period of intense, focused seclusion was interrupted after six months. A sect-wide announcement delivered by a series of resonating bells that echoed through every peak and valley shook the Green Mountain Sect from its tranquility.
The Triennial Sect Grand Competition was announced. It was the most prestigious event for the younger generation. It was a grand stage where all inner sect disciples under the age of thirty would compete for glory, fame and rewards.
Li Yu and his friends gathered in the pagoda to discuss.
"The Grand Competition…" Brother Kai murmured, his face grim. "It is always an exciting affair. The disciples are encouraged to go all out. Names are made and geniuses are crippled on that stage."
"Look at the rewards," Hu Jian breathed, his eyes wide. "The top ten all receive a massive amount of contribution points and a high-grade spiritual artifact. The top three get a personal lesson from the Sect Master himself. And the winner…" He trailed off, his voice filled with awe. "The winner receives the 'Foundation Soul Pill'."
The name hung in the air. A Foundation Soul Pill was a rare treasure at the sect. It was an alchemical pill of high grade, a treasure that could guarantee a peak Qi Condensation expert a successful breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Li Yu knew about such pills from the ancient texts he had read. A Foundation Soul Pill was a shortcut. It forced a breakthrough by using a potent but ultimately foreign energy to help condense a cultivator's foundation. The resulting foundation would be stable but it would be flawed and impure. It would forever limit one's future potential.
His own foundation, forged by the «Myriad Rivers Returning to the Sea Art» and tempered by the power of Khaos, was a thousand times more profound. To use such a pill would be like polluting a pristine ocean with a single drop of mud. Breaking through naturally would be more difficult but the flawless foundation he would create would be worth the effort. He had absolutely no desire for the pill.
But his friends didn't know that. They saw the ultimate prize. A fire lit in Hu Jian's eyes. A quiet determination settled on Lin Tao's face. Even Brother Kai, who was over the age limit, looked at the list of rewards with a sense of opportunity for his younger comrades. They realistically had no real chance of winning the top spot but some of the other prizes were reasonable.
"We have to participate," Hu Jian declared, his voice booming with a newfound confidence. "We are Qi Condensation experts now! This is our chance to test our new strength, to make a name for ourselves and for the Azure Serpent Lake!"
"It is a great opportunity," Lin Tao agreed, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "But the competition will be fierce. The disciples from the sect are not to be underestimated."
"The risk is great," Brother Kai said, his gaze turning to Li Yu. "And you, Junior Steward, will most likely be a target of Elder Jin's faction. They will not miss a chance to humiliate or cripple you on the grand stage."
"I have no need for the Foundation Soul Pill," he stated simply. "My own foundation is unique. I will break through on my own terms." He looked at them, the pieces of his true plan forming in his mind. "But this competition… it is a good training ground. For all of us."
"I have been training in seclusion. You have all been consolidating your new foundations. But that is not true combat, something I am greatly lacking. We all lack real experience against the varied techniques, tactics and martial spirits of our sect's geniuses. This competition is a chance to see them. To fight them. To learn from them, all without the need for a true life-or-death struggle."
Li Yu's goal was simple. To enter the tournament and get real combat experience. He didn't care to win it all. In fact, he didn't want to win and be in any kind of spotlight. He would have to keep his cultivation suppressed the entire time as well as his body's strength to keep up his appearances. That was a good thing, he thought, it would be a real test of his techniques, skills and instincts. Not just overwhelming his opponents with his cultivation level.
He turned back to his friends. "We will enter the competition together. Our goal shouldn't be the final prize. Our goal is to fight as many opponents as possible, to temper our skills in the crucible of real combat. This is the final step we need before we can truly call ourselves experts. This is not about a prize; it is about perfecting our abilities."
They did not fully understand his reasoning for rejecting the pill but they understood his purpose. He was not seeking glory for himself. He was seeking strength for them all.
Li Yu smiled. "Then let's prepare. We have two months to sharpen our claws."