Chapter 37: The Last Thread
Inside the temporary Lei Clan courtyard, the atmosphere was suffocating. All fifteen members of the delegation—elders and juniors alike—sat together in grim silence.
The defeat still burned in their hearts, but the reality was clear: their plans in Wu City had completely collapsed.
Lei Zhenyu clenched his fists so tightly that his nails drew blood. "Elder… if we return like this, the Clan head will strip us of our positions," he said, voice trembling with rage and fear. "We can't… we can't let him live. We'll be disgraced!"
Lei Fengzhan's gaze was like a blade as it cut through the room. "Do you think I don't know that?" he snapped. "We've lost the initiative. The Wu Clan will guard that boy as though their lives depend on it. We won't be able to strike openly… not here."
He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
"But Wu Yuan cannot be allowed to live. If he continues to grow unchecked, he will become a threat to the Lei Clan itself. That is the bottom line."
A few of the juniors shivered at his words, but no one dared to speak.
"For now," Lei Fengzhan continued, "we wait. Keep your eyes open. Even if the Wu Clan won't allow him to leave their compound, watch for the smallest opportunity. If he steps outside… even for a moment…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
One of the elders asked cautiously, "And if no opportunity arises?"
Lei Fengzhan's expression hardened.
"Then we return to Stormrise Mountain in ten days. There is no point in lingering any longer."
"Yes, Elder," the group responded in unison.
With that, the meeting was dismissed. One by one, the Lei Clan members dispersed into the shadows of the courtyard, each carrying the same burning thought:
Wu Yuan must die.
The words still echoed in his ears as he returned from the Wu Clan main hall.
He walked through the quiet corridors, his expression unreadable, but inside, his mind was anything but calm. He had caught the look in Wu Tianhai's eyes when the elder voiced his concern about the Lei Clan striking from the shadows. There had been no malice there—only worry.
But the truth of it was unavoidable.
The Lei Clan had lost face. And they would not stop until they reclaimed it.
Wu Yuan stepped into his courtyard, the soft sound of the door closing behind him breaking the silence. Wu Xiao, who had been tending to the flower beds outside, looked up immediately.
"Young Master?"
He nodded slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Xiao, I'll be entering seclusion. For the next few days, no one is to disturb me—unless the clan itself is in danger. Do you understand?"
Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly bowed. "Yes, Young Master. I will guard this courtyard personally."
"Good."
Wu Yuan turned and entered his room. With a quiet click, he locked the door behind him.
Inside the dimly lit chamber, he exhaled slowly, letting the calmness return. His fists tightened at his sides.
"Lei Clan… you'll have to wait. For now, I'll get stronger. Strong enough that no shadow can touch me."
He sat cross-legged on the cultivation mat, the familiar rhythm of the Heaven‑Eating Pulse Conduction technique already rising in his breath.
"It's time to break through to Level 12."
Activating the Heaven‑Eating Pulse Conduction technique, Wu Yuan's breathing grew rhythmic and deep.His focus sharpened as he began with the Lightning Marrow Cleansing Pills.
The first pill dissolved in his mouth, flooding his body with a warm, electrifying current. Sparks danced faintly across his skin as his marrow absorbed the essence, tempering his body to an even purer state.
Hours slipped by. Then a day.
By the end of the first day, Wu Yuan had consumed four Lightning Marrow Cleansing Pills. His entire body throbbed with power as he reached the peak grade of Level 11 Body Tempering Realm, but the barrier to Level 12 stood before him like an unyielding wall.
Wu Yuan opened his system interface briefly and made a calculation.
Current Inventory:
• Spark Essence Pills: 38
• Lightning Marrow Cleansing Pills: 4
• SP: 404
"I need more."
He exchanged 50 SP for 2 Spark Essence Pills and another 10 SP for a Temporary Clarity Scroll, reducing his SP balance to 354.
"This will have to be enough," Wu Yuan murmured, his eyes narrowing in quiet determination.
He allowed himself the faintest hint of a smirk.
"I never thought I'd manage to stockpile forty Spark Essence Pills. That would have taken 800 SP on its own. Really… the Lei Clan provided me charcoal in the snow without even realizing it."
The thought hardened his resolve. Every pill in his inventory was fuel for his breakthrough—and every step forward was another nail in the Lei Clan's coffin.
Activating the scroll, a soothing clarity washed over his mind. Wu Yuan immediately began consuming the Spark Essence Pills—one after another, deliberately overlapping their effects. Before the essence of one could be fully refined, the next pill was already melting in his stomach.
The energy inside his body exploded.
BOOM!
It was as if lightning had struck every inch of his being. The overwhelming spiritual essence crashed through his meridians like raging rivers, threatening to tear him apart from the inside. Wu Yuan's muscles spasmed violently, sweat pouring down his face as veins bulged across his body.
The taste of iron filled his mouth as blood trickled past his clenched teeth. His heartbeat thundered in his ears like war drums, deafening and erratic. Every breath scorched his lungs as though he were inhaling fire.
Sparks of lightning danced across his skin, searing his pores until the faint smell of charred blood filled the room. His vision blurred at the edges, fading in and out of darkness, each flash of clarity a desperate reminder not to collapse.
"Stay awake," Wu Yuan hissed to himself, biting his tongue until he tasted blood again. He couldn't afford to faint—not now. Not when his very body felt on the verge of shattering.
"Ghhh…!"
He bit down hard, refusing to cry out. The pain was unlike anything he had ever endured—ten times worse than his previous breakthroughs. At times, it felt as though his very bones would shatter and his flesh would burst open from the sheer energy rampaging through him.
But he refused to faint. He didn't know what would happen if he lost consciousness mid-breakthrough, and he wasn't about to risk it.
With his mind kept razor-sharp by the Clarity Scroll, Wu Yuan channeled the storm of energy into his dantian, hammering at the wall to Level 12.
Hours became a full day.
One by one, 44 Pills were consumed. Each one pushed him closer to the edge, the torrents of energy flooding his body until it felt like a furnace about to explode.
Crack!
On the third day, a resounding shock echoed through his body. The barrier shattered.
Wu Yuan had broken through—
Level 12, Body Tempering Realm!
Relief washed over him like a gentle tide. But the moment the tension left his body, exhaustion struck.
He collapsed onto the mat, slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep.
For two full days, Wu Yuan didn't stir. His body lay still, his breathing even, but beneath the calm surface… a new power was quietly taking root.
In the two days that followed, his body became a crucible of silent change.
Faint crackles of lightning essence threaded through his body, mending torn muscle and sealing fractured bone. Every cell of his body drank in the leftover essence from the breakthrough, reforging him from the inside out.
On the second night, the faint bruises along his arms had faded completely. Even the smallest scars vanished as if they had never been. His breathing grew deeper, steadier, like the rhythm of a storm gathering its strength
The first thing Wu Yuan felt was weightlessness.
For a moment, he wondered if he was still dreaming. His body felt lighter, stronger, as though every muscle and bone had been reforged. The familiar dull aches of past injuries and strain were simply… gone.
His eyes snapped open.
A low hum pulsed through his veins—the Lightning Chakra, more vibrant than ever, coursing with raw vitality. He slowly sat up on his bed, feeling the wooden frame creak beneath him, and the motion alone startled him.
So light… and yet so powerful.
Wu Yuan flexed his fingers, feeling energy coil within his tendons like a predator ready to spring. He clenched his fist experimentally, and a faint ripple of air pressure brushed across the room.
"This is…" His voice was quiet, yet tinged with awe. "...completely different."
He drew a slow breath, testing the flow of energy within. His body, tempered by the forty‑plus Spark Essence Pills and Lightning Marrow Cleansing, felt like it could withstand anything.
"Level 12 Body Tempering Realm…" Wu Yuan whispered, his lips curling upward. "This is the true power of the top grade."
He stood, the floorboards faintly groaning under his feet—not from weakness, but from the subtle weight of suppressed strength. A casual roll of his shoulders sent a ripple through his body, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as if he had unleashed a lightning strike with the same force he'd once needed his full power to muster.
He paused, almost startled.
"…No. That's just my mind adjusting," Wu Yuan muttered to himself. "This is the same movement as before. I'm simply… stronger now."
Even so, the sensation was intoxicating. Every muscle felt dense with power, every breath deeper, his meridians thrumming with energy like a storm barely contained.
"This isn't just a step forward," he whispered, his expression hardening. "It's a whole different battlefield."
The corners of Wu Yuan's mouth lifted into a quiet, satisfied smile."Lei Clan…" he thought coldly."You wanted to bury me. Instead, you gave me the push I needed."
But the satisfaction faded quickly, replaced by cold clarity. Level 12 was powerful, but he knew it was still only the beginning.
"Spirit Initiation Realm… that's the next wall," Wu Yuan murmured. "And I don't have the luxury of time."
He clenched his fists again, a faint electric crackle escaping his knuckles.
"I'll need to test this strength. And then… prepare for the Lei Clan's next move."
With that thought, Wu Yuan summoned the familiar translucent panel before him.
[System Notification]
[Mission Complete]
Mission: Breakthrough to Level 12 – Body Tempering Realm
Rewards Received:
🔹 +200 SP
🔹 Spirit Awakening Pill ×1 (Contains 12 pills)
🔹 Spark Essence Pill ×5 (Contains 60 pills)
STATUS window
Name: Wu Yuan
Age: 8
Clan: Wu Clan
Realm: Level 12 – Body Tempering Realm (Low Grade)
Stats
Strength: 150
Endurance: 150
Agility: 150
Defense: 150
Progressions
Lightning Root – In Progress
Lightning Body – In Progress
Lightning Soul – In Progress
Lightning Spirit – In Progress
Lightning Chakra Progress: 95%
SP: 554
Spark Essence Pills: 60 Pills.
Lightning Marrow Cleansing Pills - 0 Pills
Spirit Awakening Pill: 24 pills
Techniques– Aura Veil (conceals true cultivation)– Heaven‑Eating Pulse Conduction– Thunderflash Step– Lightning Punch
Store:
Vital Core Stim (Unavailbale)
Cost- 1000SP
Temporary Clarity Scroll
Cost– 10 SP
Lightning Essence for Body Tempering realm
Cost - 5SP
Spark Essence Pills
Cost - 20SP
Ironblood Body Tempering Scroll (Top Grade Yellow Rank)
Cost- 200SP
Spirit Awakening Pill
(Cost: 20 SP)
Pill Recipe: Spark Essence Pill
Cost: 100 SP
Pill Recipe: Spirit Awakening Pill
Cost: 300 SP
Pill Recipe: Lightning Marrow Cleansing Pill
Cost: 200 SP
Wu Yuan stared at the numbers, his lips pressing into a firm line.
Strength, Endurance, Agility, Defense—150 each. His power had practically doubled with this breakthrough.
"Low Grade Level 12… and yet, this feels leagues apart from before," he murmured.
But one number in particular drew his attention.
Lightning Chakra Progress: 95%.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips. "I thought I would be able to complete it this time…" he murmured. "But I was wrong."
His fingers lightly tapped his knee as his mind raced.
"That means… the Lightning Chakra will only complete once I break through to the Spirit Initiation Realm. When that happens… my foundation will transform completely."
The thought sent a small ripple of excitement through him. But he forced himself to remain calm.
"Still," he muttered, "Level 12 with these stats is more than enough for now. I can't afford to get impatient."
He closed the system window, its glow fading into the air, and straightened his back.
Wu Yuan clenched his fists, feeling the raw strength coursing through his body. This time… it was worth enduring the pain.
A faint smile tugged at his lips."With this power, I might even be able to fight a Level 6 Spirit Initiation Realm expert… if I can fully control my strength."
His gaze sharpened as another thought surfaced."And now that I think about it, I was wrong about the system." He exhaled softly. "Even after defeating lower-level opponents, I still received SP. Before, I believed it was tied to fighting equals or stronger foes… but now I see it's different. Back then, I had no real control over my strength. The system must be checking… something else entirely."
He shook his head with a quiet chuckle."Forget it. The system's too dumb to explain even if I asked."
With that, Wu Yuan stood. The air around him seemed to shift as his suppressed power settled like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
He pushed open the door to his room and stepped out, a rare sense of calm and satisfaction in his heart. For the first time in days, his mood was… good.
Wu Xiao, who had been meditating nearby, jerked her head up the moment she felt the shift in air pressure. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Wu Yuan.
"Young Master… you have broken through…" she whispered, unable to finish the sentence. The pressure radiating from him was subtle yet overwhelming, like standing at the foot of a mountain about to collapse.
Wu Yuan only gave her a small, calm smile—the kind that revealed nothing. "Haha, of course," he said lightly. "What did you think I was?"
His tone was casual, almost teasing, but the weight behind his words made Wu Xiao swallow hard.