The Grand Completion Future Self

What kind of figure was this? It was as if a great furnace swayed, with boundless vitality surging like an overwhelming tide. The aura was sharp and imposing, shaking the very soul. Yet, inexplicably, this figure seemed familiar to Xiao Yi, though he could not recall from where.

At that moment, amidst the vast expanse of land, the figure turned around. Xiao Yi was struck as if by lightning, his breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief.

What had he just seen?

It was not a stranger standing before him—it was himself!

However, upon closer inspection, Xiao Yi noticed that this version of himself appeared older, as though he had stepped from the distant end of the river of time—a future self, belonging to another era.

Before Xiao Yi could react, the future self reached out with an empty hand. A longbow of blue iron materialized out of thin air. He drew the bow to a full moon, the ink-green battle aura crystallizing into an arrow. The moment the arrowhead locked onto him, a bone-chilling terror surged through Xiao Yi's spine.

Not good!

Xiao Yi's mind reeled, but before he could react, a streak of ink-green light split the sky. In his eyes, all that remained was the dazzling trajectory of the arrow—a meteor descending upon him. In an instant, it pierced through his chest, exploding with devastating force. Blood rained across the vast land.

The world shattered.

When Xiao Yi snapped back to reality, he found himself standing in the training ground. Not far away, Tuoba Feng had just released a pinewood arrow. The arrow whistled through the air, tearing through space before embedding itself into an ironwood stake a hundred feet away. The tail of the arrow trembled from the impact.

"What incredible archery! That's at least two juns of force! Only blackstone arrows should be able to pierce ironwood stakes, yet Tuoba Feng did it with a regular pinewood arrow. His archery has likely reached the realm of Cracking Sound in its grand completion."

"Incredible indeed! Among the twenty captains of the Bloodstone Tribe, Tuoba Feng's archery is undoubtedly within the top three."

Voices of admiration filled the training ground as young warriors gazed at Tuoba Feng with awe. Such mastery in archery meant that within a thousand feet, he could take an enemy's head as easily as plucking fruit from a tree. However, their envy was even greater for Tuoba Han—Tuoba Feng's younger brother. Having such an exceptional marksman as a mentor from childhood, coupled with his own outstanding physique, meant that Tuoba Han's future achievements might even surpass Shi Lei's.

Xiao Yi remained deep in thought, no longer watching Tuoba Feng. He sensed that the arrow Tuoba Feng had just fired was nothing compared to the one that had slain him in that other world. The difference was as vast as heaven and earth.

What truly shook him was the Stone Mirror.

Earlier, he had been engrossed in archery and had accidentally activated the mirror through his battle aura. His consciousness had been drawn into another world, where he had witnessed his future self—a self capable of shattering the sky with a single arrow.

Recalling the sensation of that arrow, Xiao Yi raised his bow again. This time, his movements were no longer clumsy. Though not yet fluid like flowing water, they had improved significantly. That one arrow—though it had brought him death—had also etched its essence into his soul. As he shot again, he felt as if he had undergone days of intense training, his understanding deepening in an instant.

The pinewood arrow shot forth, streaking like a shadow through the air. It struck the ironwood stake dead center from twenty feet away.

Not far away, Tuoba Feng continued demonstrating archery to his younger brother, offering guidance. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Yi and frowned slightly. Was it just an illusion?

One arrow after another, Xiao Yi fired relentlessly. With each shot, he drew his bow to a full moon, immersing himself in the sensation of that life-and-death arrow. Over time, his technique grew sharper, his shots more precise. Initially, only six out of ten arrows hit their mark. But half an hour later, within a range of twenty feet, he had achieved flawless accuracy.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yi fixed his gaze on an ironwood stake forty feet away. Drawing his bow with practiced ease, his battle aura coursed through him. A faint azure glow shimmered at the tip of his pinewood arrow.

Thrum!

The arrow tore through the air, sending a sharp gust across the training ground. Thunk! The arrow embedded itself into the stake—but not in the center. Instead, it landed at the outer edges.

Despite firing dozens more shots, he could only inch closer to the center by half an inch. It seemed his earlier epiphany had run dry. Without hesitation, Xiao Yi turned and left the field.

Half an hour later, Tuoba Feng lowered his bow, leaving amidst reverent gazes. As he walked past the ironwood stake where Xiao Yi had trained, his eyes flickered—and his pupils contracted sharply.

What had he just seen?

The cluster of arrow holes near the stake's center was surrounded by a pattern—more numerous near the center, fewer toward the outer rings, but with a curious anomaly at the edges where the marks were denser.

What did this mean?

It did not indicate poor marksmanship. A mere novice would have scattered hits across the stake haphazardly. But this pattern told a different story. It meant that this archer had rapidly improved—starting from barely grazing the edges to locking onto the center with pinpoint precision.

Tuoba Feng couldn't believe it. If this person continued improving at such a rate, what heights could he reach? Though his cultivation level was still low, meaning he might be limited by his current realm, once he broke through, his archery could very well soar past the Cracking Sound realm.

"Xiao Yi…" Tuoba Feng murmured, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

The setting sun burned like fire, casting a crimson glow over the peak of the mountain behind the Bloodstone Tribe.

Seated cross-legged at the edge of a cliff, Xiao Yi remained motionless, his eyes tightly shut. His face was pale, and his entire body was drenched in sweat as if he had just emerged from water. Wisps of steam rose from his head, dissipating into the evening air.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them, vanishing in an instant. A faint azure radiance flickered before settling into tranquility.

"I finally understand! The future self manifested by this Stone Mirror is at the peak of the Blood Refinement stage." A look of realization crossed Xiao Yi's eyes. "During the battle that day, I observed that warriors at the initial Blood Refinement stage possessed a pale azure battle aura, while squad leaders at the minor achievement stage had a deeper hue. Centurions at major achievement level wielded a pure azure aura, whereas the three high-ranking commanders, who had nearly perfected their Blood Refinement, emanated a dark blue energy. As for the tribe leader, Shi Zhixuan, when he first stepped into the Bone Tempering stage three years ago, his battle aura had already turned light blue. Legend has it that above the minor perfection of Blood Refinement, there exists an even higher stage—the grand perfection. The ink-blue battle aura must signify that level."

"As for the Stone Mirror, besides absorbing and refining the essence of blood energy to purify my battle aura, it can also manifest my future self at the grand perfection of Blood Refinement, honing my combat skills. My comprehension has always been average, and compared to my peers in the tribe, I lack over a decade of battle training. However, now…"

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yi activated his battle aura, resonating with the Stone Mirror embedded in his chest. The world around him shifted, revealing a vast, boundless land. His future self stood there, radiating immense vitality like a raging furnace. In his hands, a heavy iron bow bent into a full arc. Ink-blue energy gathered at the bowstring, forming an arrow. Even before the arrow was released, invisible sharpness filled the air, cutting into Xiao Yi's flesh, leaving deep, bloody gashes across his body.

With a thought, the Azure Cloud Bow materialized in his grasp. He drew it, aiming at his future self, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lock onto the figure.

A streak of ink-blue energy shot forth like a meteor shower. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through Xiao Yi's chest, shattering him into a mist of blood.

The world crumbled around him. Gasping for breath, Xiao Yi opened his eyes. His spirit was drained, his vision slightly dim.

"They said the Stone Mirror could be activated infinitely to summon my future self for battle training. But with my current cultivation level, I can only endure it three times a day before I reach my limit. Any more, and I'd be left completely defenseless. Still, three sessions of enlightenment from my future self are enough to digest and integrate within a day. While others might see a day as insignificant, for me, each day is a transformation."

"To understand this world, I must first become a warrior. To leave this world, I need strength that surpasses all."

Ten days later.

At the mountain peak, Xiao Yi stood with unwavering focus, his gaze fixed on a pine tree the width of an arm, standing a hundred feet away at the cliff's edge. From that distance, the tree appeared no thicker than a strand of hair. Drawing his Azure Cloud Bow, he channeled his pale azure battle aura, his entire being radiating a crystalline glow. His blood surged, boiling like molten iron. With steady hands, he pulled the bowstring halfway. A frigid gleam flickered on the nocked Azure Cloud Arrow.

At that moment, an overwhelming sharpness erupted from Xiao Yi, causing the winds around him to howl. The air a hundred feet away grew unnaturally still, as if locked in an invisible grip.

The Azure Cloud Arrow shot forth, leaving behind a trail of pale azure light. The air was torn apart, producing a mournful wail. In an instant, the arm-thick pine tree exploded into fragments, reduced to mere dust.

A flash of delight appeared in Xiao Yi's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he reflected on the past ten days of intense training with his future self. Thirty duels, each ending with his instantaneous death by a single arrow. Despite this, he meticulously studied and assimilated his future self's archery techniques. Initially, he could not last even an instant, but now, he had managed to extend his survival time to a quarter of a breath. Though still minuscule, his archery skills had advanced at an astonishing pace. In just ten days, he had leaped from a novice to the Wind-Breaking Realm.

"My current cultivation is equivalent to that of a newly promoted warrior. My archery has reached the Wind-Breaking Realm, while my spear techniques remain at the basic level of the Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique. The full Barbaric Elephant Spear Art requires the activation of twelve Heavenly Veins, and ordinary warriors—those with a solid physique and potential to become true fighters—can enter the tribe's military division to select two third-tier combat techniques. However, my physical resilience far surpasses that of regular warriors. By my estimation, my current combat strength should be slightly superior to that of a novice battle master, yet still relatively weak. Among the two thousand warriors of the Bloodstone Tribe, I would rank at the bottom."

After assessing his strength, Xiao Yi exhaled lightly. This was merely the beginning. While combat techniques could be refined through his future self's training, cultivation required real, tangible blood energy. Without sufficient blood energy, breaking through his Heavenly Veins with the Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique would be impossible.

"The Bloodstone Tribe has two hundred squad leaders, twenty centurions, and three grand commanders. Each Heavenly Vein activated through the Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique grants an additional five hundred jin of strength. If I can unlock eight veins, I'll possess the power of a squad leader!"

Standing at the mountain's peak, Xiao Yi gazed into the vast wilderness. Endless mountains stretched before him, shrouded in mist, their peaks hidden beneath thick clouds. Deep within the ancient forest, bestial roars rumbled like thunder, shaking the earth.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

The next moment, he let out a long howl, his body like the wind as he traversed over ten feet in a single breath, diving into the vast wilderness below.