The moment the exhaustion settled in, a sharp, almost savage hunger erupted from deep within Cedric's body.
He felt like every cell of his body was screaming for energy desperately. His limbs felt weak and heavy, as if all strength had been drained away, yet that hunger burned even fiercer than the fatigue. He was dead tired due to all those movements, but the fierce hunger didn't let him stay calm even for a moment.
Gritting his teeth, Cedric forced himself to move.
Step by step, he dragged his aching body toward a compact nutrient storage unit embedded in the cave wall. It was a piece of standard sci-tech equipment used to preserve high-energy food. His vision wavered slightly, and cold sweat ran down his back, but he didn't stop.
Cedric opened the storage unit and grabbed a slender crystal vial. It was a vial of Tier-1 High-Density Energy Fluid.
Without hesitation, he pulled the seal and drank it in one gulp.
The moment the liquid slid down his throat, it transformed into a warm current that spread through his body. The violent hunger eased slightly, no longer threatening to tear him apart, and a faint strength returned to his limbs.
Taking a deep breath, Cedric looked at a piece of meat.
It was a massive slab of deep-red meat, its surface faintly glowing with residual heat and energy. This was meat from a Flamecrest Lion, an Eight Stars exotic beast known for its violent temperament and incredibly rich energy content. Even when dormant, the meat radiated dense vitality, enough to make ordinary people feel overwhelmed just by standing near it.
Cedric pulled the meat out and sat down heavily.
This time, he did not bother with refinement or etiquette. He also didn't bother cooking the meat. Although the Tier-1 High-Density Energy Fluid had eased his hunger a little, it was only enough to give him a little strength.
A Nine Stars warrior like Cedric needed more than Tier-1 High-Density Energy Fluid.
Due to the extreme hunger, he didn't have time or any intention to cook. Instead, he started eating the meat of a Flamecrest Lion raw.
As he tore into the meat, rich energy flooded into his body, quickly replenishing what had been drained by the Solar Body Tempering Art. Heat spread through his muscles, strength slowly returning, while the aching emptiness inside him was gradually filled.
With every bite, Cedric could clearly feel rich energy entering his body, causing the dense vitality contained within the Flamecrest Lion meat to disperse like a raging tide. Warm energy surged through his stomach and spread outward, flowing along his meridians and into every corner of his body. What had moments ago felt empty and exhausted was rapidly being filled, as if a dried riverbed were being flooded anew.
His muscles, which had been trembling from fatigue, began to firm up. Tiny tears formed during the body-tempering process were swiftly repaired, becoming tougher and more resilient than before. The dull ache in his limbs faded, replaced by a deep, steady strength that settled into his frame.
Inside his bones, faint crackling sounds echoed as mineral density increased under the nourishment of the incoming energy. His blood flowed faster, carrying heat and power with every pulse, while his heartbeat grew strong and rhythmic, like a steadily beating drum.
Even at the cellular level, transformation was taking place. Cells that had been driven to the brink during cultivation now absorbed the incoming energy greedily, expanding their capacity and stabilizing their structure.
Cedric closed his eyes, breathing slowly as he ate. With every mouthful, he could sense his foundation becoming denser and more stable. Moreover, he could also clearly feel his physical strength increasing rapidly.
By the time he finished, warmth lingered beneath his skin, and a quiet power rested in his body.
"This is…"
Only now did Cedric finally have the time to clearly sense his own strength.
Bang!
He punched forward casually, without drawing on any deliberate technique. The moment his fist shot out, the air in front of him exploded with a dull thunderclap. A visible shockwave rippled outward, and the solid rock wall several meters away cracked violently, spiderweb fractures spreading across its surface before chunks of stone rained down.
Cedric froze almost in an instant.
The punch earlier was pure physical power. He didn't use a single trace of Cosmic Energy.
"This is the result of the Solar Body Tempering Art." Cedric muttered in astonishment, "My physical strength has almost doubled. Moreover, I've practiced the Solar Body Tempering Art only once. What would happen if I continued to practice this cultivation technique? Is this even something to be given to a mere guard?"
Cedric couldn't help but marvel at Julian's way of thinking. In the end, he had to admit that Julian's heart was truly lavish and ruthless at the same time—lavish in how freely he invested in his subordinates with an open heart, and ruthless in how confidently he believed that no matter how strong they became, they would still remain firmly under his control.
Though it is to be expected. After all, every person working under him is marked by the slave rune. There is no way anyone could escape.
Cedric is just an exception. If not for the system, perhaps he wouldn't have been able to break free of the slave rune in his entire life.
"Next…" he murmured to himself, eyes flicking between the technique files on the optical screen of his Universal Bracelet.
"Should I practice ⧼Solar Battle Circulation Art⧽ or ⧼Solar Severing Blade Art⧽?"
He stood there for a moment, weighing his options.
The circulation art would stabilize and refine his energy, further strengthening his foundation. Of course, increasing his cultivation as well. But his body had already been pushed and reforged by the Solar Body Tempering Art. Right now, what he needed most was combat power.
"I'll leave the circulation art for later. Let's see what this blade art can really do."
With that, he reached into his storage ring.
A Tier-3 alloy blade appeared in his hand. The weapon was long and slightly curved, its edge cold and sharp, faint patterns running along its surface. The moment Cedric gripped the hilt, he felt a subtle resonance.
He first calmed down and then prepared to start practicing the ⧼Solar Severing Blade Art⧽.
This blade art was divided into nine forms, each one representing a higher level of force control and amplification. Every form built upon the last, layering power again and again until even a simple slash could erupt with terrifying might.
In simple terms, each form doubled the power of Cedric's attack. By the time he executed the ninth form, his strength would already be multiplied by 512 times, enough for even a casual slash to unleash devastating destruction.
After all, when Cedric executes the first form, his attack power would become 2 times his normal strength. With the second form, that doubled power is doubled again, becoming 4 times. The third form doubles it again to 8 times, and so on.
"First Form!"
Cedric adjusted his stance and raised the blade, carefully recalling the first form of the Solar Severing Blade Art. Then he swung the blade.
The motion looked correct, but the result was wrong.
The blade cut through the air without resistance, producing nothing more than a dull whistle. The condensed force he had felt earlier failed to gather, dispersing the moment the slash ended. Cedric frowned and tried again, slowing his movements, focusing on the flow of power from his legs to his waist, then into his arms.
Still, for some reason, the blade in his hand felt uncooperative.