The Soaring Dragon Assembly. While his Saint Root granted him limitless potential, others had been cultivating for years. An Earth Root talent awakened two years ago would likely be in Qi Condensation by now, while the truly gifted might already be approaching its late stages. He, by contrast, was still in the Body Tempering Realm, specifically the eighth stage.
Time was a luxury he could not afford. His cultivation schedule would need to be brutal, divided between three pillars: advancing his base cultivation with the Heavenly Tyrant's Dominion Scripture, training in combat skills, and engaging in actual combat.
He found Mei in his chambers, the next day. 'Mei,' he said, his voice cutting through the morning quiet. 'My cultivation foundation is solid, but my combat experience is lacking. I require sparring partners. Find me skilled sword cultivators from the clan's guard or retainers. They must be ready to face me at any time.'
'It will be done, Young Master,' Mei replied with a bow, her expression one of complete obedience. 'I will have them assembled.'
With that settled, Li Wei looked at the techniques he got from Myriad Arts Hall - the Asura's Heavenly Sword Art and the Shadow Serpent Steps.
In the cultivation world, the mastery of any technique was measured in five distinct phases: Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Master, and Perfect. The distinction was not merely one of skill but of essence. A technique practiced to its Perfect phase could unleash power far beyond its nominal rank. There were legends of Mortal-level techniques, when honed to perfection by a true genius, rivaling the might of low-tier Heaven-grade arts. It was a testament to the cultivator, not just the cultivation method.
He retired to a private training chamber to study his selections.
The Asura's Heavenly Sword Art was a low-grade Heaven-level offensive technique and one of Li Clan's trump cards. It did not focus on elegance or flourish, but on overwhelming, relentless destruction. It taught the wielder to channel their qi into the blade not as a sharp edge, but as a wave of annihilating force. At its Novice phase, a cultivator could manifest a faint, blood-red aura around their sword, enhancing its cutting power and instilling a faint sense of bloodlust in the technique itself. At its legendary Perfect phase, it was said a single strike could summon the phantom of a celestial Asura to crush the enemy's soul along with their body.
The Shadow Serpent Steps, an Earth-level art, was a movement technique of unparalleled subtlety and deception. It emphasized unpredictable, serpentine motions, allowing the user to evade attacks with minimal movement and close distances in the blink of an eye.
Li Wei began. He held a practice sword, his mind completely immersed in the intricate qi circulation pathways and stances of the Asura's Heavenly Sword Art. The tyrannical qi of his Saint Root, guided by the Heavenly Tyrant's Dominion Scripture, flowed through him with an innate, domineering authority.
Hours passed in a blur of motion and focused intent. The complex theories and demanding physical forms that would take an ordinary Earth Root talent weeks to grasp, Li Wei comprehended in moments. His body, tempered to perfection in the Silver Marrow Realm, adapted instantly. His mind, sharpened by arrogance and ambition, dissected the arts to their fundamental principles.
By the time the sun began to set, a faint, almost imperceptible crimson sheen coated the edge of his practice blade. His footsteps, once solid, now landed with a whisper-soft precision.
In a single day of focused training, Li Wei had achieved the Novice phase in both the Asura's Heavenly Sword Art and the Shadow Serpent Steps.
Had any elder witnessed his progress, they would have been struck dumb. Such speed of comprehension defied all conventional wisdom. It was the mark of a true monster, a genius whose understanding transcended mere practice. He stood in the center of the chamber, the practice sword held steady, his breathing even. As Li Wei emerged from the training chamber, Mei was waiting. 'The guards are prepared, Young Master. They await your instruction in the courtyard.'
'Good,' Li Wei said, his voice carrying the faint resonance of newly mastered power. 'Tomorrow, we begin.'