Chapter 30 – The Chronology of the Sovereign
Year 1: (Age 7)
The first year in the Spirit Hall was not spent in the library, but in the dust of the training star. Lakan's focus was on the Sibat (Spear) and the Cord of the Void. He realized that while the blade severs, the spear dominates space.
During this year, Lakan perfected the Pitik (Whiplash Snap). The instructors were horrified to see a seven-year-old snap a flexible ironwood spear with such velocity that it created a sonic boom, shattering the stone targets thirty feet away. He integrated this with his 10,000-year rings, discovering that the Tusok-Sibat (Deep Root) could send a pulse through the ground that didn't just trip enemies—it resonated with their soul power, causing their very spirit rings to flicker and fail.
By the end of the year, he had mastered the Gapos (Constricting Flow) using a weighted silver chain. He demonstrated to Bibi Dong that by pulsing soul power through the chain, he could "short-circuit" a Spirit King's meridians, silencing their soul skills for several seconds.
Year 2: (Age 8)
In the second year, Lakan turned inward. The high-speed movements of the Eight-Directional Flow were starting to strain even his Adarna-touched physiology. To solve this, he developed the Eight-Cycle Breath (Hingang Walong Pintig).
This wasn't just breathing; it was a rhythmic anchor. By dividing his breath into the 8-pulse cycle, Lakan synchronized his heartbeat with his soul power.
"The world doesn't move faster," Lakan noted in his journals. "I simply move with the frequency of the pulse."
During the "Hold" phase (Pulses 3-6), Lakan entered a state of Time-Dilation. To the Golden Trio, Lakan became a Prismatic Flash—a blur of light that appeared at eight points simultaneously. To Lakan, the Trio moved like they were trapped in thick honey. This breath became the foundation for his most dangerous project yet.
Year 3: (Age 9)
The third year saw the completion of the "Hardware" upgrade. Lakan realized that to push his limits, he needed a body that could survive the explosion of its own power. He finalized the Batong-Pilak (Silver Stone) body refinement.
Through the Iridescent Bone Forging, his skeleton began to hum with a faint metallic silver light. His bones became more durable than spirit-essence steel, allowing him to survive G-forces that would liquefy a normal master. He successfully opened the 8 Extra-Meridians (Extreme Meridians), creating a "Super-Highway" that allowed his soul power to flow without resistance.
With the "Vessel" ready, Lakan created the Eight-Gate Overdrive (Ang Pintig ng Walong Pintuan).
He tested it in the depths of the training valley. Using the Eight-Cycle Breath to compress soul power into his heart, he triggered the x5 Surge. His aura turned a deep, vibrating crimson. He then pushed it to the x20 Crimson Flash.
The air around him ignited. He struck a training boulder with a simple Yugyog-Lupa (Earth Shaker). The boulder didn't just break; it atomized. The shockwave leveled every tree within a fifty-meter radius.
Lakan stood in the center of the crater, his skin glowing with the heat of the friction, his Batong-Pilak bones vibrating to hold his muscles together. He was only nine years old, a Rank 48 Spirit Ancestor, but for one minute, his physical output had touched the realm of a Titled Douluo.
Lakan stands on the balcony of his private quarters, looking at his hands. They are steady, but he can feel the hunger for more.
"The skeleton is forged. The breath is steady. The Overdrive is primed," Lakan muses. "But the energy consumption is too high. I need a way to sustain the burn. It's time to look into the herbs... and the stars."
A knock at the door interrupts his thoughts. Yue Guan (Chrysanthemum Douluo) stands there, holding a rare, spirit-enriched flower.
"Holy Son," Yue Guan says with a respectful bow. "The Supreme Pontiff told me you have questions about the 'Language of Plants.' Shall we begin your study of the Immortal Herbs?"
Lakan grins. The next phase—the Alchemy of the Pearl—is about to begin