Unparalleled Under The Heavens

Two days passed in a blur.

Under the dense forest canopy, Li Fan's blade cut through the air in wide arcs. His breaths came steady, movements sharper with every repetition as he practiced the [Flowing Leaf Sword Form].

It was a low Black-grade technique, a realm above what mortal soldiers used. Yet to Li Fan, it was still a treasure. The sword form emphasized agility and flexibility, mimicking the motion of a falling leaf caught in the wind. 

It was not easy.

His iron sword was chipped along the edge. The balance was poor, and the hilt wrapped in worn cloth. Still, it served its purpose.

"Step. Slash. Pivot. Retreat."

Li Fan muttered each motion under his breath like a mantra. The leaves rustled around him with every swing. Occasionally, a bird cried out in the distance. 

The panel updated again.

[Flowing Leaf Sword Form – Beginner - 99/100]

One more point.

Li Fan inhaled deeply and moved through the form one final time. His foot slid back, blade whipped sideways, and—

[Flowing Leaf Sword Form – Small Success - 1/200]

He exhaled in satisfaction.

It had taken him long enough.

The moment the number ticked over, Li Fan felt it.

A soft tremor ran through his body.

Then came the rush.

It was as if a dam burst in his mind, flooding his consciousness. Images flashed before his eyes—vivid, precise, an detailed. A sword slicing through falling leaves without resistance… the angle of the wrist, the tension in the elbow, the correct stance to deflect momentum instead of absorbing it…

Insight.

His arms moved slightly on their own, adjusting mid-pose. It was instinctual. Like the form had finally imprinted itself into his very bones.

A heartbeat later, his body followed the transformation.

His muscles didn't swell, but there was a shift. A new elasticity. His joints loosened, his center of balance became steadier, and his reflexes seemed to sharpen.

The [Flowing Leaf Sword Form] was about grace, not brute power. And now, Li Fan could feel it flow from him more naturally. His movements were smoother and faster. Every swing felt lighter, as if the sword no longer resisted him.

He grinned.

"This miraculous effect that comes with every breakthrough…" he murmured, still riding the high.

It was the third time he had experienced it.

When his [Stone Palm Technique] reached [Small Success], he had felt his skin grow subtly firmer and tougher. Especially around his hands. His palms had darkened slightly and, when clenched, felt like compact stone. 

When his [Clear Mind Breathing Technique] broke through?

That had been quite profound.

He remembered it clearly.

The moment it crossed from [Beginner] to [Small Success], a heat had spread from his dantian. His meridians opened wider, something only caused by long repetitive cultivation or using special resources. 

He had even managed to push through the bottleneck between Stage 2 and Stage 3 thanks to his mastery breakthrough.

And that wasn't something that happened without cause.

Every time a skill broke through a mastery level, it didn't just become easier to use—it changed him. 

"Is this the true value of mastery…?" he whispered.

Each breakthrough unlocked hidden layers within his body. Effects that most cultivators would spend years chasing through training, pills or special resources.

For him, it was simply a matter of grinding.

He tightened his grip on the chipped sword.

If this was what [Small Success] brought, what would [Great Achievement] do? What about [Mastery]? 

A thrill ran through Li Fan.

He didn't need talent. He only needed time… and repetition.

Fortunately he could also kill to farm EXP. 

Two days of non-stop effort in the forest. Two days of living off wild berries, fire-roasted meat, and drinking stream water. The animals he hunted were left behind—either to feed scavengers or return to the earth.

He didn't hunt for meat.

He hunted for growth.

And it showed.

Li Fan wiped sweat from his brow and opened his panel:

[Status]

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Qi Gathering – Stage 3

[Skills]

[Clear Mind Breathing Technique – Small Success - 117/200]

[Flowing Leaf Sword Form – Small Success - 1/200]

[Stone Palm Technique – Small Success - 125/200]

[Exp: 0]

A satisfied grin crept onto his face.

Over a hundred points in two skills. 

Now, all three of his techniques had entered the [Small Success] stage.

"Just a bit more time," Li Fan muttered, gripping the chipped sword tighter, "I'll transform again."

*

The early afternoon mist clung to the forest like a stubborn memory.

Li Fan crouched beside a stream, splashing cold water onto his face. His fingers trembled slightly from fatigue, but his eyes were sharp. The past day had pushed him to his limits. He had hunted relentlessly, slept in short bursts, cultivated whenever his Qi replenished, and grind his skills whenever he could.

Yet he felt more alive than ever.

He stood up and checked his panel again.

[Clear Mind Breathing Technique – Small Success - 199/200]

[Stone Palm Technique – Small Success - 199/200]

A deep breath left his lungs as he stared at the numbers.

Just one point.

One more push.

Both techniques were now on the verge of advancing again.

Li Fan glanced at the sky through the treetops.

The sun was already high up in the sky. The forest just seemed stubborn to totally remove its mist.

The forest around Yunshui Village had also changed since he arrived.

Animals had grown scarce.

At first, he could find an animal or boar every few hours. Then they became harder to track. The smaller ones had gone quiet. Even the scavengers that had once circled his kills with greedy patience had grown hesitant to approach.

Something had shifted.

The predator had claimed its territory.

And in these woods… that predator was Li Fan.

There had even been a time yesterday when he stumbled upon the half-eaten corpse of a boar he hadn't killed. Large claw marks ran across its belly—too deep for foxes or wolves. It seemed something else had started hunting in his domain.

But Li Fan had no time to investigate. 

Right now, there was only one thing that mattered.

Breakthrough.

He closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on a mossy patch of earth, his chipped sword resting across his knees.

He focused.

Inhale. Exhale.

The [Clear Mind Breathing Technique] activated instantly, the familiar current of Qi beginning to flow through his meridians in smooth circuits. Compared to a week ago, it was like night and day—his channels were wider, the resistance lessened, and his control refined.

Every breath soaked in spiritual energy from the surroundings, gathering into his dantian like drops into a cup.

Twenty minutes passed.

A subtle click echoed in his consciousness.

[Clear Mind Breathing Technique – Great Achievement - 1/500]