End of Run

Jo Yuan stood again before the High-Sky Lion, remembering the times before. Twelve times, the lion threw him down like a doll, and every time he escaped, barely breathing. The lion had this strange power. Each time a blade cut into its fur, the wound sealed shut, healing faster than Jo could blink. His sword could only make shallow cuts, and they healed like nothing happened. It was its skin—thick like steel but moving like water. No matter where Jo struck, the beast did not bleed.

But today was different. The air hummed. Jo's muscles pulsed with energy, and the expert-stage lightning inside him made his body stronger. Strong enough to fight. His body now could take hits and heal faster, something he didn't have in his earlier fights. The first time he faced the lion, he wasn't ready. His lightning was only at the proficient stage. He could hit hard, but the lion's body wasn't something ordinary. Now, Jo's muscles hardened like iron when the lightning flowed. His bones felt like they could crack stone, his skin tightened, and when he was cut, the wounds closed quickly. This was the gift of his lightning.

Jo's lightning technique, the piercing bird, took shape around his hand—a bird of pure light, sharp like a spearhead. The first time he used it, the bird broke apart as soon as it hit the lion. But today, the lightning inside was stronger. The bird screeched with energy, brighter, faster. This time, Jo aimed right at the lion's neck, where he guessed its skin was weakest.

The lion charged. Its roar echoed through the sky, shaking the trees around them. Jo remembered the other times—his dodges barely saving him from the sharp claws. He had to run and hide, losing each fight before. The lion moved fast, and its strength was enough to break boulders. Jo wasn't strong enough back then, only escaping by slipping through the trees or using the terrain to distract the beast. But now, his body didn't flinch. His regeneration from the expert lightning meant he could afford small injuries, something he learned in the last battle.

He rolled to the side as the lion's paw came down. The ground cracked under the weight. Jo sprinted towards it, his hands forming the lightning bird. This time, he wouldn't miss. The lion leaped, its fur shimmering under the sun, its powerful muscles visible as it moved. It thought it could crush him again, just like the last 12 times.

But Jo was faster now. His lightning technique made him lighter, his body reacting quicker. He jumped up, his hand piercing the lion's fur. The bird-shaped lightning sliced deep this time, its energy bursting into the lion's body. Jo felt the burst of electricity through his fingers. He pulled back, and the lion stumbled. The wound—it wasn't healing

Jo Yuan didn't create the piercing bird in one day. It came after many battles, after many failures. The idea came to him one night. He sat under the moon, exhausted from another fight, watching birds fly across the sky. The way they moved, fast and sharp, it reminded him of how lightning cut through the air. Birds were quick, direct, and deadly when they struck. He thought, What if I could be like that? The idea was simple—his lightning would shape into a bird, a fast, sharp attack that could pierce any defense. It was during training in the quiet mountains that he could think clearly and focus on his technique. The bird became a part of his lightning, an extension of his mind and body.

Jo Yuan trained for decades, trying to push his Lightning-Moon Body Flow Technique from expert to perfection stage. But no matter how much time passed, he couldn't break through. Every day he felt the lightning inside him strengthen his body, but something was missing. The perfection stage required more than just power; it needed understanding and a deeper connection. Jo couldn't find it. Years turned into decades, and his body, though strong, began to slow. He felt his life force fading, like water dripping from a cracked pot. He had pushed his body to the limit, but time was cruel. He saw others advancing, moving past him, but no matter how hard he tried, the perfection stage stayed out of reach.

Not only the technique, even the foundation establishment technique, but he also couldn't grasp its essence, which was required along with foundation treasure to break through the qi refining realm and become a foundation establishment cultivator.

The feeling of failure grew heavier as the years went by. Each day was a slap to the reality that he couldn't do it. He felt lost, like a boat drifting with no wind to carry it forward. His hands, once full of power, began to tremble. He had trained in the mountains, far from others, pushing himself in the hopes that one day he would feel the breakthrough. But it never came. His heart ached with regret. Why couldn't he reach it? Why was the path close to him?

...

Jo Yuan lay on his bed, an old man now, his body weak and thin. Shen and Wu stood by his side. They had both reached foundation establishment for a long time, and their faces looked young, full of life. Jo looked at them and smiled, but there was a sadness in his eyes. He had been the first to reach the peak of qi refining, yet now, he was the one left behind. His friends, who had once looked up to him, had surpassed him.

Shen was at the 6th stage while Wu was at the 5th stage now.

Jo Yuan's voice was soft, almost a whisper. "I was ahead, but in the end, it was you who passed me. I lacked the understanding... my body was strong, but my mind didn't find the way." His words were filled with sorrow, a quiet acceptance of his fate. He had given everything, but it wasn't enough.

Shen and Wu didn't speak, their faces heavy with grief. They had tried to help him, to show him new ways, but it was too late. Jo's life had run its course, and the path of perfection had slipped away from him. As he breathed his last breath, he looked out the window at the mountains where he had trained for so long. The place where he had fought, learned, and grown. "Maybe... in the next life... I will understand."

And with that, Jo Yuan's journey came to an end. The regret of not reaching perfection and grasping the essence of foundation establishment cultivation method stayed with him, even in his final moments.

Could it be the Cultivation method he chose wasn't suitable for him? Should he try another method next life?