Chapter 08
The morning silently melted into the warm, golden radiance of the afternoon sun. Ji Wuye trudged along the ancient cobblestone path, his robes drenched in sweat, clinging to his muscular frame.
Beads of perspiration trickled down his furrowed brow as he gritted his teeth.
THUD-!
THUD-!
He carried two massive logs, the rough bark abrading his calloused palms. Each step was measured and deliberate, the weight of the timber straining his sinewy arms.
"HA!" The gurgling sounds of the nearby fountain, fed by the crystal waters cascading from Kunlun Mountain, provided a soothing melody to accompany his labored breaths.
At last, Ji Wuye reached the deserted bridge where disciples would normally lounge, basking in the afternoon sun while dipping their feet in the cool, flowing stream.
But in this solitary moment, he pressed on, his farmer's walk stance unwavering as the logs, weighing over 100 jin, taxed every fiber of his being.
His crimson eyes burned with steely determination, fixed on maintaining the fluid motion of his steps.
He channeled his Qi through his Meridians, purifying the vital energy within his Lower Dantian. This grueling training enhanced the stability of his Qi flow, allowing for faster absorption and fortification.
"Just a little bit more..." His jaw clenched as tremors of agony lanced through his body. But fate seemed to conspire against him as he noticed three familiar figures sauntering towards the bridge.
Despite the ominous presence of the Tower of the Gods looming over the sect, these three troublemakers had somehow managed to survive.
"Oh? Brother Ji, long time no see!" The trio greeted him, their aqua-striped martial robes matching Ji Wuye's own.
Arrogant sneers twisted their features as they appraised his suffering.
"The weakest disciple! It's an honor to witness your training like this!" one mocked, his nasal voice grating.
"Brother Ji, please share your secret. Is your lower body as weak as your strength?" another jeered, revealing a mouth full of crooked, yellowed teeth as he cackled.
Their taunts fell on seemingly deaf ears as Ji Wuye trudged past, his focus unwavering, not even sparing them a sidelong glance after spotting them from a distance.
"Wow! Look at him! How bold you are now, ignoring our words." The portly disciple, his face a mottled landscape of deep creases and wrinkles, suddenly planted himself in Ji Wuye's path, his spiky hair disheveled.
"Why aren't you talking? Are you mute?" The skinny one caught up, placing a bony hand on Ji Wuye's shoulder. His narrowed eyes and prominent rabbit-like teeth leered up at Ji Wuye's farmer walking stance.
On the other hand, Ji Wuye barely restrained himself, his gaze calm yet penetrating as it swept over the trio.
'If I remember correctly, at this time, these three just reached the 2nd realm by using that pill,' he mused inwardly.
These disciples had always flaunted their meager achievements, mocking him while desperately vying for the attention of female disciples.
They believed their marginally higher realms would make them irresistible, using Ji Wuye as a foil to boost their fragile egos.
To handle this situation...
Resorting to brute force would easily overpower them, but the consequences of them reporting to the Elders could significantly disrupt the timeline.
Yet, doing nothing would result in...
Ji Wuye's eyes drifted to the crimson streaks marring his palms, splinters of wood embedded in the lacerations from his tenacious grip on the logs.
"Brother Qin, what about teaching this arrogant boy a lesson? I can't stand his annoying gaze!" The rotund disciple sneered, his multiple chins quivering as he rubbed his sweaty palms together in anticipation. Beady eyes narrowed menacingly at Ji Wuye.
"Ah, Senior Brothers... could you please allow Ji to pass? These logs are requested by one of the Senior Sisters for her training." Out of the blue, the silent Ji Wuye suddenly spoke up.
"Also, aren't you afraid of our Senior Sisters?" Just as the trio hesitated, Ji Wuye added another line, his baritone voice cutting through the tension. The trio froze, their eyes widening.
"Y...you! Are you still a man?!" They sputtered, realizing Ji Wuye's words hinted at some illicit favor with their powerful Senior Sisters. While likely nonsense, they dared not call his bluff.
As the obese disciple paled, sweat beading on his brow, Ji Wuye suddenly heaved the massive logs in a lumbering swing.
SWOOSH-!
"Oh no, be careful, Senior Brothers! My hand slipped!" Of course, he aimed the arcing timber directly at the terrified fat man and his cohorts.
However, with their 2nd realms and Ji Wuye's ponderous attack, it was child's play for them to lithely evade the clumsy strike, scattering like startled rabbits.
"You're crazy!" The pointed-nose man spat a mouthful of curses as they watched Ji Wuye regain his balance, the logs swinging uselessly to the left. Undeterred, he simply strode forward, leaving the trio gaping in his wake.
...
'Though it was a pathetic move, at least it worked,' Ji Wuye muttered to himself.
Those ruffians were incredibly vexing, but he had no intention of continuously enduring their beatings and jeers. However, open retaliation could disrupt events, so discretion was paramount for now.
After completing the grueling farmer's walk, each log weighing over 100 jin, Ji Wuye returned to the secluded courtyard he called home.
THUMP!
Dropping the massive trunks from his lacerated hands, he finally had a chance to draw a deep, steadying breath and wipe the stinging sweat from his brow with his soiled robe.
Taking a moment to steady himself, he then assumed a cross-legged meditation pose on the rough stone ground. Then, he retrieved the Rejuvenation Pill gifted to all disciples by the Elder.
"Rejuvenation Pill...," he murmured, scrutinizing the unassuming pellet. A lifeline provided to help them endure the lethal trials of the enigmatic Tower.
The pill's effects were twofold - firstly, it enhanced the body's overall strength, imbuing the recipient with nearly double their usual power.
It also bolstered regenerative abilities and granted a degree of resistance to injury, a miraculous concoction that could unlock one's hidden potential, catalyzing breakthroughs in martial art realms.
This was the secret behind the trio's premature ascension to the 2nd realm.
Indeed, the Rejuvenation Pill proved incredibly potent for martial artists below the 6th realm's lofty heights.
However...
The profound benefits came at a price - extreme fatigue that could even induce paralysis or unconsciousness.
"And I used this pill to win favor with that 'lady'," Ji Wuye shook his head ruefully, reflecting on his past foolishness with a wry smirk.
"Furthermore, they only provided each disciple with a solitary pill, perhaps to mitigate addiction and an over-reliance on such crutches to elevate our realms."
Without further hesitation, Ji Wuye downed the precious pellet and began recalling the intricate 'Pulse Accumulation Revolution Gongfa' technique.
To breach the elusive 3rd realm, one must commence in the Middle Dantian, performing a full cycle of cleansing purification through all the meridian pathways.
Drawing that energized Qi downward would then supercharge the rotations within the Lower Dantian, while another gossamer thread ascended from the conception vessel to revolve and coalesce within the chest cavity.
Here, one envisioned compressing the residual Qi into a nascent, concentrated elixir pill.
Through steady, spiraling revolutions in both his Lower Dantians, their respective yin and yang essences would gradually condense over multiple meditation cycles, coalescing into dense, luminous pearls that perfectly fused the opposing energies.
While the lower workings solidified his foundation, the simultaneous upper refinement guided the delicate shaping of his Middle Dantian.
Only when the rotations in both lower sources felt unified, perfectly centered as one harmonious orbit, would their combined essences erupt in an upward surge through the governing vessel.
For most, this arduous process spanned 1-2 years of constant, focused revolution in both Dantians.
However, fueled by the Rejuvenation Pill, that accumulation period could be drastically diminished to a mere 6 months.
Yet even with that potent augmentation, a pivotal period of revolving accumulation was still a prerequisite before any realm-shattering breakthrough could be catalyzed.
For Ji Wuye, freshly ascended to the 2nd realm without any prior accumulation, this monumental task seemed all but impossible.
However...
The 2nd profound phase of his 'Pulse Accumulation Revolution Gongfa' was known as the 'Twin Dragon Ascension Gongfa'!
This martial art method allowed him to forcefully revolve both Lower Dantians in an explosive, simultaneous tandem, forcibly awakening the dormant Middle Dantian through sheer, overwhelming force.
Beads of sweat materialized on Ji Wuye's furrowed brow as he intensified the purification process, ruthlessly packing all refined Qi into both Lower Dantians until they swelled into roiling, coiled spheres of potent energy - twin dragons poised to strike, straining on the precipice of eruption.
His mental focus split in two indomitable streams of will, each singularly commanding the "tails" to whip their respective Dantians into frenzied, howling cyclones of perfectly synchronized revolutions.
However, this method exacted a severe toll, as the twin vortexes generated immense, gravitational backpressure that threatened to shatter the very foundations of his cultivation.
"GAH!" A thick spume of crimson erupted from Ji Wuye's lips as his body showed signs of catastrophic trauma - gaping wounds blossoming across his flesh as if he'd been savagely rended into pieces, his very being on the verge of being torn asunder.
Yet, before his corporeal form could fully disintegrate under the cataclysmic forces, the rigorous strengthening of his musculature and connective tissues from his torturous training regimen held his flesh together by sheer fortitude.
This grueling preparation was the sole bulwark against complete obliteration.
But it was not enough. Relic ruptures from previous, failed attempts to force this violent ascension pulsed with fresh crimson hemorrhaging. If this continued unabated, he would swiftly succumb to excessive blood loss and eventual unconsciousness.
Just as the twin cyclones inhaled with apocalyptic intensity, threatening to detonate his fragile form into a shattered, visceral ruin, a gradual warmth began radiating from his core.
A miraculous, unseen force sucked back the ruptured bleeding as the Rejuvenation Pill's effects blossomed into full efficacy.
Now undisturbed, the twin dragons' roiling, compressive ascension surged upwards along his governing vessel, the inexorable force blasting through any lingering obstruction and piercing into the empty proximal space of his Middle Dantian.
BOOM!
A thunderous detonation resonated from deep within as the merged essences exploded in a blinding supernova, crystallizing the previously formless void into a scintillating new realm in a single, cataclysmic apotheosis.
Success...but at what cost? Rendering Ji Wuye a ravaged, bleeding husk, the explosive breakthrough ultimately robbed him of consciousness, his battered form crumpling to the ground.
[!] Time's up! You will now be forcefully transported into the Tower of God!