Ch 9 : Void Shatter

Auron cleared his mind, preparing to cultivate the Genetic Ascension Art. As he completed the first cycle, a sensation surged through his body—a fierce tempering of his skin, as though it were being scorched by fire and struck by lightning simultaneously. The pain was sharp and relentless, almost unbearable. His body, drenched in sweat, trembled from the strain, even though it had only been one cycle.

His limbs felt like they weighed a ton, completely drained of strength. Exhausted beyond measure, Auron could barely keep his eyes open before sleep claimed him, his body falling into deep rest.

He drifted through a long, dreamlike haze, his mind and body recuperating. Hours later, he awoke to the gentle touch of his mother, Sarah. "It's already lunchtime," she said softly, concerned as she saw how weary he looked.

Ravenous, Auron ate far more than he usually did, his hunger almost insatiable. Sarah simply laughed and patted his head, amused at her son's growing appetite. "You're in your growth period," she said, lovingly feeding him until he was satisfied, unaware of the deeper transformation taking place within him.

After the sumptuous meal, Auron drifted back to sleep, his body still fatigued from the intense cultivation session. He remained in deep slumber until dinner time, which caused growing concern for his mother, Sarah. Worried that something might be wrong, she cast a light inspection spell over him to check for any abnormalities.

Thankfully, Xiao Yu had carefully regulated Auron's body, masking any signs of the strain he had undergone. Sarah sighed with relief as her spell revealed nothing more than simple exhaustion. "He's just tired, not sick," she reassured herself, gently brushing Auron's hair before leaving him to rest. Unbeknownst to Auron, Xiao Yu had narrowly averted suspicion, expertly concealing the toll the Genetic Ascension Art had taken on him.

It wasn't until Sarah woke him for dinner that Auron learned what had happened. After a long, peaceful nap, he felt much better and was eager to continue his evening routine. Taking a warm bath, Auron lingered in the water, savoring the soothing heat against his newly tempered skin. The bath helped melt away the lingering fatigue, and by the time dinner was served, he felt fully recharged.

As he ate, his parents observed him closely, clearly reassured by his healthy appetite and cheerful demeanor. The worry from earlier in the day seemed to fade as they saw their son enjoying his meal as usual, no signs of illness or discomfort in sight. This small, quiet victory put their minds at ease, though Auron knew that he would have to be more careful with his cultivation in the future.

"My body still isn't ready for body cultivation art," Auron muttered to himself, feeling the residual strain. "The Genetic Ascension Art really demands an enormous amount of energy. I could barely manage one cycle, and even then, I was drained. Its requirements are truly fearsome, but I can already feel the improvement in my skin. I don't even need blankets anymore when I sleep."

Determined to make the most of his situation, Auron decided to shift his focus. "Let's try cultivating Celestial Aura for a bit, see if there's been any progress," he said seriously, settling into a calm state.

Slowly, the mana around him began to converge, drawn toward him like a magnetic force. As the energy entered his body, it flowed smoothly through his meridians, circulating until it was absorbed and converted into celestial aura. Auron noticed the process felt much smoother than before. "It's subtle, but there's definitely a small improvement," he noted.

"Still, it's not enough," Auron sighed. "I'll have to wait until my body is stronger before continuing with the body cultivation art. For now, I'll keep building my foundation. The journey is long, but I'll push through."

"What do I do now?" Auron muttered to himself, staring at the ceiling. "I can't sleep after resting all day. Might as well count sheep… 1… 2… 3… 50… 100." He groaned in frustration. "Nope, this is getting nowhere."

He turned his thoughts inward. "Xiao Yu, do you have any suggestions for me?" he asked, hoping for some guidance from his AI companion, anything to make the night pass a little faster.

"You might consider practicing the Void Nexus Combat Art," Xiao Yu suggested. "It involves a variety of movements and techniques, each with numerous forms to master. There are 12 forms in each main category, and mastering them will be time-consuming. It's better to start early, so you're not overwhelmed later on."

"Let's see what do we got here. Hmm...Void Fist Technique : Void Shatter, Flowing Palm Technique : Ripple Palm, Silent Kick Technique : Shadow Step and Voidfoot Movement Technique : Shadow glide. Definitely not kicking and movement techniques as I don't have enough space to work on here. That leaves only two. I will pick Void Shatter first then.

Void Shatter a technique which cause displacement of air around the fist thus creating a vacuum that cause shockwave upon impact. I don't very understand it but I might understand it after a few tries.

The Void Shatter technique begins with the practitioner drawing internal energy into their arms, preparing for an explosive release. As the punch is thrown, the fist accelerates rapidly, cutting through the air with a streamlined trajectory to minimize resistance. This acceleration compresses the air in front of the fist, creating a high-pressure zone. Upon impact, the compressed air erupts explosively, generating a powerful shockwave that can disrupt the target's internal energy, cause significant internal damage, or knock them away. The technique's precision and force make it a formidable strike, effective for both targeted attacks and area control.

"It sounds simple in theory, but I know it's more complex in practice," Auron said as he started practicing his punch repeatedly. His focus was on perfecting the technique, especially on creating the right acceleration and minimizing air resistance. He placed a pacifier on the handle of a crib and aimed his punch at it, trying to make it fall using only air pressure. After nearly a hundred attempts, he finally succeeded; the compressed air pressure pushed the pacifier off the handle and onto the floor. Overcome with excitement and exhaustion from the intense practice, he soon felt a wave of sleepiness and fell asleep right there.