Chapter 5: Tempering the Mortal Body

Jiang Chen's words echoed in Li Feng's mind as he walked home.

"The next time we meet… I won't hold back."

Li Feng clenched his fists. Even though he had just stepped onto the path of cultivation, someone like Jiang Chen already saw him as a rival. That meant one thing—his inheritance was far more valuable than he had realized.

But it also meant he was in danger.

If he wanted to survive, he needed strength. Real strength.

He shut himself in his apartment, sitting cross-legged on the floor. The Eternal Star Legacy had imprinted a path into his mind, and he now understood the first crucial step:

Tempering the Mortal Body.

Before he could refine Qi to enhance his strength, his body needed to be reforged. Cultivation wasn't just about energy—it was about pushing the body beyond its limits and transforming it into something greater.

He closed his eyes and focused on the technique.

"Forge the bones, refine the blood, temper the flesh."

A warmth spread through his body as his Qi circulated through his meridians. It was faint—like a flickering flame struggling to grow—but he endured, guiding the energy as the technique instructed.

Then, pain.

A searing, bone-deep ache spread through his muscles and bones as if his body was being broken down and reforged. He clenched his teeth, sweat pouring down his face.

This is nothing.

He forced himself to endure, pushing his Qi further, letting it hammer his body like a blacksmith refining metal.

Minutes passed. Then an hour. Then two.

Finally, when he opened his eyes, something had changed.

His senses were sharper. The air around him felt clearer. His breathing was deeper, his muscles more compact, his bones… stronger.

He stood up, flexing his fingers. His body felt lighter, more powerful.

Then, on instinct, he punched forward.

Boom!

The air rippled, and the impact left a faint dent in the wall.

Li Feng's eyes widened. He had just awakened, but his strength had already surpassed normal humans.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"Jiang Chen… the next time we meet, I won't be the one struggling to stand."

But as he reveled in his progress, a strange sensation crept up his spine.

Somewhere in the city, someone else had sensed his breakthrough.

And they were coming for him.