"Shared progress stored," he muttered.
Lin Tian voice sounded different in the still courtyard. He talked again, trying to calm himself. "I should try. I need to understand how much changed inside me."
He lowered himself onto the ground and set both hands on his knees. He straightened his spine and inhaled until his ribs tightened. He had practiced this posture for years even though it had never led anywhere. He knew the stance better than anyone because it had been the only thing he could do while others advanced without difficulty.
This time something else happened.
A faint vibration rolled through his diaphragm, and warmth spread across his stomach like gentle pressure pushing outward. He blinked, surprised that the sensation did not vanish as quickly as it came. He inhaled again and held the breath, waiting for the familiar emptiness to swallow everything.
It did not.
Instead, it flows like it should be.
"…I can feel it," he muttered, touching his lower abdomen. "This is qi. This is my first time feeling it move."
A message pressed into his mind without warning.
[ Shared Cultivation Pool converting into breakthrough potential for Host ]
[ Meridians stabilizing ]
[ Circulation rate increasing ]
He inhaled sharply and set his hands flat on his knees to steady himself.
"Too fast," he whispered. "Slow down. I can't control all of this yet."
A second rush sped through his legs until every hair on his skin tingled. It grew tighter with each breath until something tightened hard enough to make his body jerk.
A silent pop echoed inside his body.
He froze.
The pressure fell away in a single release, and spirit qi surged through him with a steady current that filled every empty corner inside his dantian.
The system spoke again.
[ Breakthrough: Elementary Spirit Realm — First Level ]
Lin Tian lifted a hand in disbelief.
His breath shook, He whispered, "This cannot be real. I reached the first level. I reached it in a single attempt."
He barely had time to process it before another wave struck him. He clenched his jaw to hold back a sound because it felt like someone poured boiling water through the channels under his skin. He tried to pull in a shallow breath, but the pressure expanded again and forced him to drop one hand to the ground.
He muttered through clenched teeth. "Stop for a moment. I cannot keep up with this. It feels like too much."
The system gave no reaction, just new notifications.
[ Breakthrough: Elementary Spirit Realm — Second Level ]
His body swayed from the force, and his fingers scraped the dirt as he tried to stay upright. He blinked sweat out of his eyes and stared at the peach tree because he needed something stable to focus on.
"This is not how cultivation works. This speed is not normal. I cannot handle this pressure much longer."
Yet the energy did not slow.
The shared pool continued pouring into him until it grew so intense that heat rose from his skin. He dug his nails slightly into the ground to steady his posture, and he grunted when the pressure rose for a third time. His heart pounded so hard that it felt like the rhythm sank into his throat.
He whispered through short breaths. "One more. It is going to force one more."
He was right.
A loud thump echoed inside his dantian. The qi spun violently, then shot upward through his spine. His vision blurred as something snapped open again inside his core.
[ Breakthrough: Elementary Spirit Realm — Third Level ]
A small crack formed in the ground under him.
His entire body shook at the release, and the sudden drop in pressure nearly sent him falling to the side. He exhaled until his lungs emptied and leaned forward with his hands on the dirt, panting with short breaths that refused to slow down.
He stayed that way for a few moments, then pushed himself upright and stared at his hands again. His palms glowed faintly from internal heat that had not faded yet.
"…Third level," he said softly. "Three levels from one session."
He raised his hand and watched the slight tremble in his fingers. He turned the wrist slowly to feel the way qi moved through the tendons and joints. It felt natural. It felt like something that always should have existed inside him.
"I broke through. I actually broke through. I am qualified to stand as a cultivator."
Lin Tian sat straighter and breathed out a long exhale. The pressure faded, leaving a sensation of warmth mixed with relief. He glanced up at the system panel floating in front of him.
"System. Show me my status."
[Status]
Host: Lin Tian
Realm: Elementary Spirit Realm — Third Level
Talent: Heaven Grade
Spirit Roots: Heaven Grade
Physique: None
Bloodline: None
Linked Partners: 1 (Bai Xueya)
Harem Points: 0
He stared at the words for a while.
"A month ago, I could not sense a single thread of qi. Today I stand at the third level of the Elementary Realm. This speed is absurd. No one in the clan will believe it, and I do not know how I will explain it."
He stood up slowly and curled his hands into fists. His limbs felt different. His stance felt anchored in a way he had never experienced, and his heartbeat no longer carried the faint flutter he had lived with since childhood.
"I should test what this realm means for my body. I cannot guess my strength just by looking at the panel."
He stepped toward a rock about half his height. It had always been a training object for juniors learning basic palm strikes. He placed his palm on it and pressed lightly.
Small cracks formed around his palm.
He blinked, surprised at how little strength he used.
He lifted both hands and stepped back from the rock. He raised his fist and took a breath. He pushed qi from his abdomen into his arm the way he remembered from the manuals. His fist tightened, and he punched forward.
A loud crack burst from the rock, and several chips flew off its surface. His knuckles throbbed slightly, but the shock of seeing a mark left by his own strike overwhelmed every other sensation.
"This was impossible for me yesterday. I could barely lift a training sword with proper form, and now I can break stone with a single strike. This is the difference between a mortal body and a cultivator."
"This is the first time I understand how much the world changes when one breaks past the mortal state."
He stepped away from the rock and stood quietly in the courtyard. He gazed at the peach tree, then at the faint ripples of qi drifting through the air. He never sensed such things before.
Everything looked the same, yet everything carried a new depth he could not describe correctly.
He called out gently. "System. How much shared progress remains."
A short message appeared.
[ Shared Cultivation Remaining: 74% ]
He inhaled slowly. "Seventy-four percent. I reached third level with only part of the pool. If I cultivate again, I can rise even further with little resistance."
He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with one hand. He felt overwhelmed by how fast his path changed in one night. He tried to steady his breathing again before stepping into his room.
He sat down and looked at his hands one last time.
"I am not a cripple anymore," he whispered.
He lowered himself onto the bed and pulled the blanket over his waist. His body still buzzed with residual energy, yet fatigue crept behind his eyes as soon as he tried to settle down. The breakthrough drained more strength than he expected. His arms felt heavy, and warmth spread over his shoulders as he sank into the thin mattress.
He exhaled one final time.
A small smile tugged at his lips without him intending it.
"It feels strange. I never thought this day would never come."
End of Chapter 8