Chapter 17: A New World of Cultivation

Yulian found himself in a familiar place. He was sitting beside his father on a lakeside, holding a fishing rod. His father, Sawyer Starlighter, patted him on his back, pulling away his attention from the fishing rod.

“Come on. This damn lake doesn’t have many fish in it, and waiting won’t pull in a new one. Let’s eat. Your mom is unpacking lunch for your brother.”

“But daaad! You, mom and Calvin already caught a fish each! Calvin even caught two! I can’t go home without catching anything!”

Sawyer just sighed, resigned to watch his lunch grow cold sitting beside his son. Just then, the rod tugged. Something had caught on!

“Dad! Help!” The fish on the other side was tough, and 10 year old Yulian couldn’t hold on. His dad caught the handle and added his strength. A furious tug of battle occurred between two men and a fish.

Five minutes of furious tugging later, the fish finally lost. After deftly pulling the fishing rod, Sawyer removed the large greenish fish from it. He quickly stuffed it into a bucket.

“This is a fat bass. We will eat it tomorrow, okay? Now, lets get out lunch before it gets cold, or mom will yell at us.” Enthusiastically nodding, Yulian followed his dad. On a large mat laid on the ground, a woman and her child were eating.

“Good thing you came at this time. The sandwiches haven’t gone cold yet, so no need to reheat. Let’s eat together.” The mother, a 38 year old woman wearing trousers and a shirt for easy trekking, called out to the latecomers.

“Finally caught a fish?” The 13 year old boy, Calvin, asked his brother. Having entered teenage, he was usually a moody brat, and never spoke much.

“Yeah!” Saying this, Yulian and Sawyer sat down on the mat. The fishing trip was successful, so it was time for lunch!

…

“So Yulian, how did you like the Fighter manor?” Catalan’s voice shocked Yulian out of his reminiscence. Catalan had been showing Yulian around his new fighter manor. Their trip had finally ended in the Training Room. Looking around, Yulian could see that the training equipment was noticeably of higher quality than the Training Room at Jack’s manor.

In the 17 hour flight which Yulian spent in sleep, Yulian experienced this dream. After breaking through, it was uncommon for fighters to dream. Before breaking through, Yulian would be tormented by dreams of his family dying horrifically in the Grand Nirvana apocalypse. After his breakthrough, Yulian had enjoyed three months without dreaming of his family’s death.

After enjoying a nice dream, Yulian realized that he had been neglecting the condition of his family. All this while, there had been no way of contacting them, so Yulian refrained from such thoughts. But now, Yulian was recognized by the HR Alliance’s star Wargod, Catalan Paulinus, as a talent. Even though it was borrowed, Yulian still possessed power. He finally had a way to find out about his family.

Yulian had been following Catalan in a daze, so he really didn’t remember much about the mansion. That said, he would be living here for the next 3 years, so he would get used it in time.

“It is amazing, I love it… by the way Mr. Catalan, is there a way to investigate about my family? The HR Alliance controls the majority of America, right? Investigating about a person should be easy.” Without any delays, he immediate spoke up his desires.

“So you suddenly gained the desire to investigate about your family… forget it, it is only natural for an orphan to be curious about his missing parents. Do you have a desire for revenge or…” Catalan was worried. If the boy had the desire for revenge, he could get the HR Alliance to cover up, but becoming a murderer at a young age might stunt him mentally.

“No, no, I am simply curious. Not only am I spirit reader, I am pretty sure I have high-quality genes due to my rapid breakthrough to a fighter. Even so, why did my parents abandon me? They shouldn’t have lacked resources…” Yulian had a ponderous expression on his face.

‘Some Wargods have the habit of sleeping with prostitutes. He could have inherited his genes from such a person… No, a prostitute chosen by a Wargod should have more than enough money. Perhaps she was not interested in raising the baby and gave him away? Of course, he could simply be a person with a mutation in his genes…’ Catalan went through various possibilities in his mind.

Unaware of Catalan’s thoughts, Yulian continued speaking. “I was given the name of Yulian Starlighter. I don’t think Starlighter is a common surname… Unfortunately, the only person I found was a ‘Sawyer Starlighter’, a head of a company named Starlighter Technologies in year 2013, around the time the Grand Nirvana swept the world. He is probably dead now… I found all this from a website.” Yulian suppressed the grief that coursed through him when he admitted that his father was most likely dead, speaking in a straight tone.

“I will try to find more information about your family. But don’t count on it. The HR Alliance’s resources, while large, cannot compare to the nations, the Dojo of Limits and the Thunder Dojo. Quickly train and become a Wargod. At this level, the nations and the dojos will mobilize to help you for a favor!”

…

After the short divergence, Catalan continued to speak about the manor.

“Even though this mansion is owned by Stella Hawthorne on paper, she is simply the HR Alliance maid serving you. You can call her anytime to serve you. If you want to her to cook, she will cook. If you want her to clean, she will clean.”

Now, Catalan poured energy into his voice, increasing the loudness. “Stella Hawthorne, bring the VR Helmet and the manuals here!”

A few moments later, a twenty-something woman wearing a French maid outfit arrived. Her blonde hair looked beautiful let free. In 2013, such a woman would be a rare beauty, adored by men. But in 2048, with the advent of cultivation, beauties were not difficult to find. Even so, Yulian was dazzled by looking at her.

“Master Catalan, I have brought the VR Helmet and manuals.” The maid took out the items from her bag.

“Stella, this is the new master, Yulian. He will be staying here for three years. Serve him well.” Hearing Catalan’s instructions, the maid greeted and bowed to Yulian. After this, Catalan sent her away.

“Yulian, this is the complete Nine Stage Thunder Blade manual. This is the HR Alliance secret Spirit Reader technique manual 108 Star Diagrams. And this is the VR Helmet discovered in an archaeological ruin. It has a VR Game within, suitable for Warrior-class fighters.” Catalan showed him all the items.

“The Horde Leader meat, natural cultivation ingredients, Crysoprase and Dragon Blood… are all supplements. These three items will be the main path of increasing your strength.”

“You already know about the Nine Stage Thunder Blade manual. The 108 Star Diagrams is a way to refine your spirit force. The VR Game allows you to experience life-and-death battles in safety. Use all three of them well.” Catalan took a moment to breath before speaking again.

“I will be in this city for the next 15 days. For these two weeks, independently train with all these items. After 15 days, I’ll spar with you.” Hearing Catalan’s words, Yulian’s face turned white. Sparring against a Wargod, wasn’t that asking for a beating?

“Don’t worry. During our spar, I will not use my genetic energy or spirit force, simply relying on my physical body and my spear. Not only that, I’ll restrict my strength to the fist strength of 1000 kg. You are not under any restrictions. I’ll win if I knock you unconscious. You will win if you can draw blood.”

“If you win, I’ll give you 100 billion dollars. That amount is enough to buy 3-star contribution in the HR Alliance, buy S-Rank weapon and armor set and buy nearly any technique manual.” Yulian’s eyes glittered as he thought about the amount of money, however they turned dim upon hearing Catalan’s next words. “All you have to do… is draw blood from the body of an Advanced Wargod.”

“You have 15 days. Try your best.” Saying this, Catalan walked away.

…

After Catalan left, Yulian eagerly began reading the Nine Stage Thunder Blade manual in the Training Room itself. From the First Stage to the Ninth Stage, he complete read the manual from top to bottom.

The Nine Stage Thunder Blade was a top grade force multiplier technique which multiplied the force exerted by the muscles. The First Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade multiplied the force exerted by the muscles by 1.4 times. Every stage after that increased the force multiplied by 0.7 times. The Second Stage multiplied the force exerted by 2.1 times, the Third Stage multiplied the force exerted by 2.8 times… until the Ninth Stage, which multiplied the force exerted by 7 times!

The core parts of the manual were split into three types of techniques- the blade technique [Thunder Blade], the agility technique [Flowing Light] and the Dao Yin (body training) technique [Hun Yuan].

These three techniques were divided into nine stages of increasing power and difficulty. Only after training these three techniques can a fighter unleash the true power of the [Nine Stage Thunder Blade].

The blade technique and the agility technique trained the power and speed of the blade and the agility and speed of the body respectively.

Meanwhile, the Dao Yin technique- Hun Yuan trained the body in nine stages:

Stage 1 – Stage 3 refined the muscles and tendons.

Stage 4 – Stage 6 refined the bones and marrow.

Stage 7 refined the internal organs and viscera.

Stage 8 refined the arteries, veins, blood and the pulse.

Finally, Stage 9 refined the skin, nerves and the brain.

Fortunately, the cultivation technique of the [Five Colored Stones] and the Dao Yin technique did not interfere with each other. The [Five Colored Stones] infused the entirety of the cells in Yulian’s body with the energy of the Five Elements, while Dao Yin technique refined the internal body. The two techniques, instead of interfering complemented each other.

Yulian took a while to memorize the manual. He carefully pored over every word, picture and diagram. As a spirit reader, Yulian had an exceptional memory. In an hour or so, the thick manual had been perfectly recorded in Yulian’s memory.

Now, Yulian decided, was time to train.

…

Yulian was holding a 125 kg, 7 foot long blade in his hands. The blade was swung in rapid thrusts and fast slashes. These were the basic techniques training muscle control of the Second Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade!

Hong! As the blade danced, the sound of rumbling thunder was produced from Yulian’s muscles!

Thrust! Slash! Swing! Withdraw! Yulian’s blade danced with a strange charm. This sort of charm was not consciously produced by Yulian’s blade technique. All Yulian concentrated on… was speed!

As Yulian slashed and stabbed, his body and mind got closer to the essence of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, until finally…

HONG! A loud thunderous rumble emitted from Yulian’s muscles!

Yulian finally broke through to the Second Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade!

After breaking through, Yulian walked up to a fist testing machine and punched.

“6589 kg!” Along with the Second Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, Yulian practiced the Dao Yin technique every day, boosting his fist strength. Also, the Fire Energy had tempered every cell in his body, refining his strength and vitality.

Even so, it was quite a surprise when Yulian realized that his current strength was that of an Advanced Warrior-level fighter!

“Now that I have broken through, it is time to stabilize my state.” Yulian immediately picked up his blade and began slashing out. This time, instead of using the easier introductory blade techniques, he carried out the slightly harder techniques of the Thunder Blade technique manual.

Two hours later, Yulian finally stopped swinging his sword. His instincts told him that further training might hurt his muscles.

“Amazing. Even though this training exhausted a large amount of genetic energy, its regeneration is too quick!” The Draconic Flame Rebirth technique was a top-grade cultivation technique. Its energy regeneration rate was unrivalled!

…

After this, Yulian trained in the Dao Yin technique and the agility technique. From the upper arms to the core and finally to the feet, Yulian’s body had completely experienced the 2nd Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade.

He checked the time. It was 8:30 PM. Yulian couldn’t help but wryly smile. He had completely lost track of the time in his training. He had never trained with such enthusiasm before.

Before, when he trained under the threat of death by his spirit force rebelling, the sense of fear did not allow him to be truly exultant while training. After, when he was training the First Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade by illegally downloading it, the guilt of illegally downloading the manual and the inability to proceed further and cultivate the Second Stage even when he had the ability to did not allow him to fully immerse himself in cultivation.

But now, everything had changed. He was in Hong Ning city, the place where countless genius fighters were nurtured to transform into Wargods. He was under the sponsorship of one of the HR Alliance’s strongest Wargods, Catalan Paulinus. Catalan Paulinus had given him the assurance that the HR Alliance would search for his family. The entire Nine Stage Thunder Blade manual worth 100 billion dollars and a priceless spirit reader cultivation technique, 108 Star Diagrams was given to him. He had a VR Helmet for tempering himself in battles. He was given resources worth tens of billions to nurture his growth.

All the shackles weighing on his mind had been unchained!

Was there any reason to not display his true genius? Was there any reason to not immerse himself in cultivation?

After cultivating for such a long time without eating a single bite, Yulian still did not feel hungry. Now it was time to cultivate his spirit force.

…

“The 108 Star Diagrams is a precious heritage found by the HR Alliance in an archaeological ruin. In terms of quality and effectiveness, it is miles above the Spirit Reader Basics distributed to spirit readers and the Celestial Deity Catalog exclusive to the Limit Dojo. Hence, it is paramount that this manual be kept secret. Any and all who break this rule will be awarded a single punishment: Death!”

“The 108 Star Diagrams consist of two techniques: an ‘object control’ technique and a ‘visualization’ technique. Both of these techniques complement each other to temper spirit force.”

“The 108 Star Diagrams is divided into 9 parts of increasing difficulty. The first part requires the spirit reader to control 12 star beads and visualize a 12 star constellation. The second part requires the spirit reader to control 24 star beads and visualize a 24 star constellation. … The ninth part requires the spirit reader to control 108 star beads and visualize a 108 star constellation!”

After reading the introduction to the technique, Yulian’s desire train in this rose. He carefully went through the first part. Closing his eyes, he visually a dark void, a black void devoid of anything but darkness…

Yulian thought of the dimmest light within the blackness, a small streak of yellow in black. The light, under Yulian’s will, grew brighter and brighter, until it was no longer suppressed in the darkness. It grew larger, brighter, so much that its radiance could overwhelm the darkness by itself. The star twinkled brightly, overwhelming Yulian’s consciousness and forcing him out of his meditative state.

When Yulian opened his eyes, he felt that all his mental exhaustion from hours of training had disappeared. Just then he remembered the brightness of the star and how it forced him to wake up.

“I condensed the first star so quickly? The manual said that it normally would take two weeks… I read that spirit reader cultivation depends on the state of mind. Is it because I was in an exceptionally good mood today?” Yulian decided that he would take advantage of this condition to the fullest.

“Now, it is time for ‘object control’ training!” Beside the manual, there was a case of transparent white beads. Picking it up with his spirit force, Yulian began controlling it according to the instructions in the manual.

Flying up, falling down, revolving in a loop… as the white bead revolved, it slowly began glowing with a golden light. Finally, when it was glowing in blinding golden, Yulian finally ran out of spirit force. The bead stopped glowing and bounced on the ground.

Yulian was filled with sudden mental exhaustion when his spirit force ran out. He paced his breathing for a minute to recover. Looking at the bead that was rolling on the ground, Yulian decided that he liked cultivating this technique.

Yulian checked the time once again. 4:00 AM in the morning. The feeling of hunger which went unnoticed for the day, returned with a bang. Catalan had said that he could call for the maid anytime he wanted, so he decided to try.

“Stella, I want some food. Cook up some high grade Horde Leader meat for me!” After Yulian said these words out loud, the maid’s voice resounded in the training room. “As you command, young master!”

Fifteen minutes later, the maid entered the training room pushing a trolley. Unpacking a foldable table, she quickly laid out a lunch table for Yulian. Placing the food for Yulian, she immediately stood to the side, as if guarding Yulian as he ate.

Without a word, Yulian tore into the meat dish. The nourishing effects of the beast meat filled his body. Due to Yulian’s well trained body, all the food was quickly digested and turned into nourishing energy. All his exhaustion was swept away.

“Master, how was the meal?” As Yulian finished eating, the maid, Stella asked him.

“It was amazing… And sorry for waking you up at this ungodly hour.” Yulian quietly apologized to the maid.

“Do not worry about me and concentrate on your training. Also, eating at random times might cause problems further on , so please follow regular breakfast – lunch – dinner times.” With a gentle voice, the maid admonished Yulian.

“Of course… You can go now.”

“Take care, young master.” As the maid left, Yulian picked up the last training instrument, the VR Helmet. After reading the instructions, he resolutely put it on.

What about sleep? For the current Yulian, sleep was unnecessary! All that matter was cultivation!