Vaelor's eyes snapped open with sudden clarity.
I broke through.
Even before checking his status panel, he could feel the fundamental difference. His dantian—which had been straining at capacity before sleep—had expanded dramatically. The qi circulating through his meridians flowed with qualitatively different properties, denser and more refined than before.
His cells, each containing their illusory universes, had stabilized after the breakthrough. The compression and expansion cycles during cultivation had pushed them past a critical threshold, and now they existed in a new equilibrium state.
He pulled up his status immediately.
Status
[Character: Vaelor Draeth]
[Race: Human (Transcendent)]
[Age: 17]
[Level: LV2 (Tier 1 Warrior)]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment (2nd Stage)]
[Profession: Martial Cultivation God (Mythical)]
[Talent:
Unlimited Amplification (Primordial Origin) Absolute Insight (Divine-Tier) Primordial Inferno Concept (EX-Rank) Infinite Momentum Concept (EX-Rank) Eternal Shadow Dominion (EX-Rank)]
[Physical Strength: 9,247]
[Strength: 9,247]
[Speed: 9,247]
[Spirit: 9,247]
[Luck: 5]
[Intents: Fire (Lvl 9), Emberwood (Lvl 9), Plasma (Lvl 9), Kinetic (Lvl 9), Impulse (Lvl 9), Motion Flow (Lvl 9), Spatial Displacement (Lvl 9), Thought Acceleration (Lvl 9), Temporal Flow (Lvl 6), Shadow (Lvl 9), Duplication (Lvl 9)]
[Laws: LOCKED - Insufficient Life Level]
[Passive Special Essence: Limit Break (10x normal / 30x near-death)]
[Active Skills: Phantom Step, Celestial Annihilation, Infinite Velocity, Cosmic Reconstruction, Perfect Shadow Clone]
[Practice Method: Vibrational Force Technique, Eternal Cosmos Cultivation Scripture (DIVINE-GRADE) - COMPLETE]
[Equipment: Crimson Vambraces (Rare)]
[Free Attribute Points: 20]
[Qi Cultivation: 4,127/20,000 to Foundation Establishment 3rd Stage]
[Body Defense: Approaching A-Grade alloy hardness]
[Qi Reserves: Exceeding demigod-tier capacity due to cellular universe storage]
[Current Battle Power: ~1,020,000 (Peak Tier 5 / Low Tier 6)]
"Foundation Establishment 2nd Stage," Vaelor murmured with satisfaction. "And the requirement for the next stage jumped to 20,000 cultivation points."
His base attributes had increased by another 700 points across the board during the breakthrough—a substantial gain that, when multiplied by Limit Break, translated to effective increases of 7,000 per stat.
More importantly, his battle power had officially crossed into the one million threshold. He was now firmly in Tier 6 territory despite being only LV2.
My qi reserves are genuinely absurd now, Vaelor thought, feeling the vast ocean of energy stored within his cellular structure. Each cell is like a storage battery. Combined, they hold more qi than most demigod warriors accumulate over centuries of cultivation.
His body defense had also improved dramatically. The twelve-hour gravity chamber session had compressed and refined his physical structure to the point where his skin, muscles, and bones approached A-Grade alloy hardness—just below the threshold of elite military equipment.
I'm well-rested. The breakthrough stabilized everything. Time to return to the gravity chamber for another session.
Vaelor created a shadow clone with a thought, leaving it to maintain his presence at home while his real body prepared to teleport back to Crimsonpeak Martial Hall.
He carefully suppressed his aura to absolute minimum and activated Spatial Displacement Intent.
He vanished from his room and reappeared outside Crimsonpeak Martial Hall in the pre-dawn darkness.
Crimsonpeak Martial Hall - Early Morning
Kieran was surprised when Vaelor arrived so early, but she smiled warmly and granted him immediate access to the gravity chamber.
"Twice in twenty-four hours? You're incredibly dedicated."
"The results speak for themselves," Vaelor replied simply.
Once sealed inside the chamber, he activated the six-times gravity and immediately entered deep cultivation.
The Eternal Cosmos Cultivation Scripture hummed with power as it resumed its work. His cells began their expansion-contraction cycles. His soul underwent tearing-healing refinement. His dantian compressed qi to ever-higher densities.
Hours passed in focused refinement. Vaelor's body temperature rose steadily as waste heat accumulated. His aura grew increasingly dense, compressed by the gravity chamber's environment.
Ten hours.
Twelve hours.
Fourteen hours.
He pushed two hours longer than his previous session, his improved cultivation realm allowing him to endure far greater strain.
When he finally stopped, his qi reserves had been depleted to critical levels. His body trembled with exhaustion. But the gains...
Status Update
[Physical Strength: 9,247 → 11,892]
[Strength: 9,247 → 11,892]
[Speed: 9,247 → 11,892]
[Spirit: 9,247 → 11,892]
[Qi Cultivation: 4,127/20,000 → 13,749/20,000]
[Current Battle Power: ~1,310,000 (Solid Tier 6)]
"Over 2,600 points per attribute," Vaelor breathed, his voice hoarse. "And nearly 10,000 cultivation points gained."
With Limit Break's amplification, his effective stats now exceeded 118,000 in each category.
With Cultivation Bonus of 11x, his effective stats now exceeded 1,310,000 in each category.
I'm LV2. Foundation Establishment 2nd Stage. And I have battle power solidly in Tier 6 range—equivalent to warriors fifty levels above me.
As Vaelor stood on trembling legs, preparing to exit the chamber, but before leaving, something occurred to him.
"With my current power, the differences between myself and ordinary warriors... I should reflect on that."
He stood before the mirror in the chamber, examining his reflection—the luminous golden eyes, the otherworldly features, the aura of compressed power that radiated from his frame despite his lean build. "With my SSS-Rank equivalent talents, my Mythical-tier profession, and the Divine-Grade cultivation scripture I practice..."
Vaelor spoke aloud, his voice resonating with conviction. "Even among peers worldwide, I stand among the absolute elite!" His momentum surged as confidence crystallized into certainty. "Give me time—not just to match the top geniuses in the first global echelon, but to surpass them. Even the legendary veterans, the established powerhouses... I can challenge them. I will challenge them." As he spoke these words with absolute conviction, something fundamental shifted within him.
His aura transformed, becoming qualitatively different. No longer merely the presence of a powerful warrior—this was something deeper, more primal.
The force of his *will* made manifest. An invisible pressure radiated outward, ignoring physical barriers, spreading through the chamber like a tide of pure dominance. ---
The fourteen hours of intense cultivation, pushing his body and spirit to absolute limits, combined with his eleven peak-level Intent masteries and his Divine-Grade cultivation scripture—all of it converged into a single moment of spiritual sublimation.
The invisible pressure began radiating outward, building in intensity.
[Ding! Spiritual sublimation detected]
[Martial Will awakened!]
[Genesis Will - Stage 1, Level 9 (Peak)]
Vaelor's eyes widened as information flooded his consciousness.
Martial Will represented the manifestation of a warrior's spiritual essence—their conviction, determination, and sense of self given tangible form. It was the bridge between mental and physical reality, where belief could literally reshape the world.
Most warriors couldn't touch Martial Will until reaching Tier 5 or higher, when their life level had elevated sufficiently for spiritual sublimation. Even then, they typically started at Level 1 and required years to advance.
But Vaelor—with his eleven peak-level Intent masteries, his Divine-Grade cultivation scripture, and his Absolute Insight—had directly awakened at Level 9, the absolute peak of the first stage.
Martial Will Stages:
Stage 1: Genesis Will (Levels 1-9) - The birth of spiritual pressure. Can impose minor psychological effects on weaker opponents.
Stage 2: Sovereign Will (Levels 1-9) - Authority made manifest. Can directly suppress enemy abilities and boost allied morale.
Stage 3: Tyrannical Will (Levels 1-9) - Dominance incarnate. Can crush enemy fighting spirit and enhance attack power through belief alone.
Stage 4: Absolute Will (Levels 1-9) - Unshakeable conviction. Can alter probability within limited scope, making "impossible" outcomes achievable.
Stage 5: Eternal Will (Levels 1-9) - Will that transcends mortality. Can impose permanent effects on reality, creating "Law-like" phenomena.
Stage 6-9: [LOCKED - Insufficient Cultivation Realm]
Vaelor examined his newly awakened Genesis Will with Absolute Insight, immediately understanding its applications.
Genesis Will - Level 9 Effects:
Spiritual Pressure: Passive intimidation aura. Warriors with weaker will feel instinctive fear and hesitation. Against those significantly weaker, can cause paralysis, panic, or unconsciousness.
Mental Interference: Active imposition of will can disrupt enemy focus during combat, causing mistakes, hesitation, or mental fog that slows reactions.
Will Manifestation: Can channel will into attacks, substantially increasing damage against those with inferior spiritual strength. Attacks carry "weight" beyond mere physical force.
Perfect Control: Complete mastery over will's intensity and direction. Can target specific individuals while leaving others unaffected, or blanket an entire area.
Aura Concealment: Can completely suppress will signature when desired, appearing as an ordinary person to spiritual senses.
Vaelor spent several minutes experimenting with control. Focusing his will into narrow beams. Dispersing it evenly. Cycling through different intensities. Flavoring it with different emotional tones—intimidation, determination, bloodlust, calm authority.
Within minutes, his control was perfect.
Excellent. Now let's see what's happening outside.
Even through the sealed chamber, Vaelor's enhanced senses detected multiple presences in the martial hall's main area. Several unfamiliar auras—and tension in the air.
He carefully suppressed his Genesis Will to near-zero, allowing only the faintest residual pressure to leak through, and approached the chamber exit.
The metal doors unsealed with a hiss.
Outside the Gravity Chamber - Minutes Earlier
The typically quiet Crimsonpeak Martial Hall had received unexpected visitors.
A portly middle-aged man led a small group through the entrance, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Director Kieran, it's been a while."
Kieran's expression turned cold the moment she recognized him, frost practically forming in the air. "Wang Thornbeak. You again."
Wang Thornbeak—director of Thunder Martial Hall, a competing institution—strolled into the facility with three warriors trailing behind him. His calculating gaze swept across the empty training floor.
"Still quiet as ever, I see," Wang said with false sympathy. "Director Kieran, you haven't recruited a single new student in two months, have you?"
"That's none of your concern. What are you doing here?"
"Don't you know?" Wang's smile turned predatory. "I'm here to collect the B-Grade alloy weapon your father borrowed from Thunder Martial Hall before he disappeared."
"That's a lie!" Kieran's chest heaved with anger. "My father never borrowed anything from you! You're slandering him!"
"Denying it won't change the facts," Wang said smoothly, hands clasped behind his back as he walked around the facility with proprietary familiarity. "This place was so much more lively when Master Roderic was here. I even trained under him for a period. Such a shame—with his disappearance into that Abyssal Rift, this hall has become... derelict."
"Watch your mouth!" Kieran's voice dropped to a dangerous tone, her eyes blazing. "My father isn't dead! He will return one day!"
A surge of spiritual pressure emanated from her—not Martial Will, but the focused killing intent of a Tier 2 warrior pushed to her limits. The three Tier 1 warriors behind Wang paled noticeably, feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
Wang's smile remained unchanged, though his eyes grew cold. "You're close to breaking through to Tier 3. Truly worthy of being Master Roderic's daughter. If you hadn't dropped out of the academy to inherit this martial hall, you'd have reached Tier 3 two years ago. What a waste."
His small, greedy eyes swept over Kieran's graceful figure with undisguised desire. "Director Kieran, if you don't wish to return the weapon, there is an alternative."
"As I proposed previously—join the Wang family. Bring your family's Heaven-Splitting Spear technique with you as dowry. Our two martial halls merge, and your debt to my family will be completely forgiven. A win-win arrangement."
Kieran felt physically sick looking at him. "Wang Thornbeak, you're delusional."
The portly man shrugged, his expression turning nasty. "Then there's nothing more to discuss."
His small eyes glinted with malice. "Today, you either close this martial hall permanently or hand over your family's Heaven-Splitting Spear technique."
Kieran stared at Wang, wishing she could run him through with her spear. Though he claimed to be Tier 3, everyone knew his rank was built entirely on expensive supplements rather than genuine cultivation. His vitality foundation was pathetically weak. She was absolutely confident she could defeat him in single combat.
The reason she endured his harassment wasn't fear of him—it was fear of the person supporting him. Wang's father, Wang Magnus, Thunder Martial Hall's true master.
A Tier 6 Warrior.
In Thornhaven City, Tier 6 warriors commanded genuine respect and influence. Such powerhouses could shake the entire city if they chose.
Kieran didn't want to drag Crimson Rose into this mess over her personal problems. Not yet.
"Don't look at me like that," Wang said with a leer. "It only excites me more." He revealed yellowed teeth in an unpleasant grin. "So? Have you considered my offer?"
"Repay the fabricated debt, or sell the martial hall to cover it?"
His expression turned overtly lecherous. "Or... if you spend one night with me, I could consider extending the deadline by a month." His eyes roamed over her body with naked desire, and the young men behind him looked at Kieran with similarly improper thoughts, their gazes full of lust.
"Shameless!" Kieran's face darkened with fury. "Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the Warrior Association?!"
"Report me?" Wang laughed mockingly. "It's only natural to repay debts. What exactly would you report?"
"You're slandering me—there's no evidence at all!"
"Without evidence, I have other methods." Wang's smile turned cruel. "There are rules for operating martial halls. I'll bring my students to challenge yours in formal competition. The loser dismantles their sign and closes permanently. Nothing improper about that, is there?"
His tone became openly mocking. "Of course, you're welcome to send your students to fight back."
"Oh wait—you don't have any students, do you? How can you run a martial hall without disciples?"
"The director is absolutely right," one of the young warriors behind him snickered, emboldened by Wang's presence. "If you ask me, our director showing interest in you is giving you face. With his background and status, he could have any woman he wants."
"No matter how strong you are as a woman, if you don't enter Abyssal Rifts or serve on the frontlines, what's the point of guarding this broken-down martial hall?"
"Well said! Hahaha!" Wang and his lackeys laughed with unrestrained mockery.
Kieran bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, fury and humiliation warring in her chest. "You have guts. I, Kieran Ashford, will remember this humiliation. Don't give me an opportunity for revenge..."
At that moment, an invisible pressure emanated from the gravity chamber—sweeping over everyone present like a physical wave.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
All the young warriors' faces went pale instantly. Their eyes widened with primal fear as they looked around frantically, as if searching for the source of mortal danger. They felt as though a giant hand had seized their hearts, making every hair on their bodies stand on end!
"What... what was that?!" one stammered.
"Did you feel it too?!"
"That sensation... so terrifying..."
Wang's smile vanished completely. His expression turned serious as he stared at the gravity chamber entrance, surprise and suspicion warring on his features.
"Was that... Martial Will pressure? Or a mental attack?"
Mental-attribute warriors were exceptionally rare. Generally, only warriors above Tier 5 awakened Martial Will. Could there be a hidden master in this declining martial hall?
Wang glanced at Kieran—but found her staring at the gravity chamber with an equally shocked expression.
She doesn't know either, Wang realized.
Before anyone could speak further, the metallic doors of the gravity chamber began to open with a mechanical grinding sound.
Everyone's attention snapped to the entrance, tension thick enough to cut.
A figure emerged from the chamber—a young man, handsome features marked by exhaustion, golden eyes dim with fatigue but his presence absolutely overwhelming despite his obvious weariness.
The residual pressure from his newly awakened Genesis Will—even suppressed to less than one percent—still radiated enough spiritual force to make everyone present instinctively tense.
Vaelor's gaze swept across the scene, taking in Kieran's furious expression, the group of unfamiliar men, and the obvious confrontation that had been occurring.
His eyes settled on Wang Thornbeak with cold assessment.
"Who are you?" Vaelor asked, his voice carrying an undercurrent of something that made Wang's instincts scream warnings.
Despite the young man appearing to be merely a teenager, exhausted from training, Wang felt genuine danger radiating from him—like facing a predator that could tear him apart without effort.
What kind of monster is this?!