The Limits of the Human Body

The Blue Iron Spear pointed forward, its tip unwavering. The aura surrounding Shi Qiren grew increasingly oppressive, crushing down on everything within a three-zhang radius. The floating sand and shattered rocks suspended in the air cracked and disintegrated under the weight of his presence. Even outside this boundary, Shi Lei felt his breathing grow ragged.

This was spiritual suppression, a force that transcended physical strength. Though Shi Qiren had deliberately limited himself to the power of fifteen heavenly meridians, to Shi Lei, it felt utterly unbearable—like standing beneath a collapsing mountain.

Xiao Yi, too, felt the pressure suffocating him. A massive weight seemed to press down on his chest, making it difficult to draw breath. Instinctively, he began to visualize the Barbaric Elephant Diagram.

In his mind's eye, an azure-scaled barbaric elephant appeared—a towering, earth-shaking presence. Its massive form stood firm between heaven and earth, its long trunk sweeping across the battlefield with unstoppable force. This was more than just an image; it embodied the essence of dominance, the spiritual will of the barbaric elephant.

Xiao Yi had yet to truly comprehend its mysteries, but by visualizing it, he managed to stabilize his mind, preventing the external pressure from overwhelming him.

"Wind and Thunder Converge!"

Shi Qiren's voice boomed like rolling thunder.

The tip of his Blue Iron Spear shone with a pure azure radiance, the concentrated energy extending one and a half chi beyond the weapon's edge. In an instant, the energy melted and spread, flowing over the spear's surface until more than half the shaft was covered in an ethereal glow.

Then—he struck.

A flash of blue light cut through the air. The motion was so fluid, so effortless, that it barely resembled a spear thrust at all—more like a casual swing of a wooden stick. Yet, in its wake, thunder rumbled in the void.

Silent and swift, the Blue Iron Spear pierced straight through a wooden stake.

Shi Qiren retracted his spear and stood motionless. The wooden stake, seemingly untouched save for a small hole at its center, remained standing.

Shi Lei stared, puzzled.

Xiao Yi, on the other hand, felt his heart tremble. His gaze remained locked on the wooden stake. As he maintained his visualization of the Barbaric Elephant, a sudden realization dawned upon him—he was on the verge of grasping something profound.

A faint breeze passed through.

The wooden stake crumbled.

Like weathered stone eroded by time, it disintegrated into dust, scattering into the air.

"This…!"

Shi Lei's eyes widened in disbelief. To obliterate a wooden stake with sheer force was one thing, but to reduce it to dust? That was an entirely different level.

Yet Shi Qiren had accomplished this feat while limiting himself to just fifteen heavenly meridians of power.

"Do you now understand why one must master 'Weightless Power' before reaching Blood Refinement Small Completion?"

Shi Qiren's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.

"The difference between thirty-five and thirty-six heavenly meridians is nothing more than a mere thousand jin of strength."

As he spoke, he cast a brief glance at Xiao Yi—an inscrutable expression flickering across his face.

Xiao Yi felt a shudder run through him.

Had this man… seen through something?

A Hundred-Man Commander—a veteran warrior who had reached Blood Refinement Major Completion, someone who had survived countless life-and-death battles—his keen insight was far beyond Xiao Yi's comprehension.

Shi Lei furrowed his brows, deep in thought. After a moment, he shook his head.

"The Human Body Has Limits."

"If you wish to control great power," Shi Qiren continued, "your body must first be capable of withstanding that power. That limit is determined by one's spiritual strength."

"Strength without sufficient spiritual control will only lead to self-destruction."

"The thirty-five heavenly meridians—that is the first limit of the human body."

Shi Qiren's voice remained steady.

"Weightless Power is a state of mind."

"Comprehending it strengthens the spirit. And though the difference between thirty-five and thirty-six meridians may seem like a mere thousand jin of force, in reality, they exist on two entirely different levels."

"Take a blade, for example. If you give it to a child, can he wield it like a grown warrior?"

"The same weapon, the same steel, yet in the hands of two different people—it becomes a world apart."

The Limits of the Body. The Strength of the Spirit. The Mastery of Power.

Xiao Yi nodded silently.

This concept was perfectly logical—even in the age of advanced technology, it held true.

It was like a child playing with fire. Without proper control, they would only burn themselves. But in the hands of an adult, fire could be used for cooking, for forging steel, for powering entire cities.

That was the difference between control and chaos.

Shi Lei's expression turned contemplative. Then, after a brief silence, he asked:

"How can one increase their spiritual power?"

Shi Qiren smirked.

"Temper your will."

He casually tossed the Blue Iron Spear back to Shi Lei.

"If spiritual strength is like this spear," he said, "then willpower is the iron from which it was forged."

"Mastering combat techniques is like wielding a hammer to temper the steel."

"Only when the material itself is strengthened can one truly achieve a breakthrough."

As Xiao Yi listened intently, a sudden realization dawned upon him—willpower was the foundation of spiritual growth. If a person possessed an indomitable will, they could easily comprehend martial techniques, refine their spiritual power, and push their cultivation to the absolute limit. His ability to rapidly enhance his combat skills through the Stone Mirror was fundamentally based on the

Shi Lei carefully pondered his father's words. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with understanding, a glimmer of insight flashing within them. He asked, "To what extent must one refine their will to comprehend the realm of 'effortless mastery' and fully harness the power of the mind?"

"Intermediate level of the Ordinary Realm," Shi Qiren responded after a moment of contemplation. "The clan leader once explained that willpower is divided into seven realms: Ordinary, Transcendent, Celestial, Reincarnation, Immortal, Indestructible, and Chaos. Each realm is further categorized into four levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Peak. The average human's willpower is at the beginner level of the Ordinary Realm. A squad leader typically reaches the intermediate level, a centurion the advanced level, and a commander at the peak of the Ordinary Realm."

"As for the clan leader—" A rare look of reverence flashed in Shi Qiren's eyes. "He has shattered the limits of the Ordinary Realm, reaching the beginner stage of the Transcendent Realm. It is said that he once tempered his body within a three-zhang inferno, forging his will to such an extent that he could exert one hundred and twenty percent of his full power."

The mere mention of the clan leader evoked deep admiration in Shi Lei's expression. The younger generation had grown up hearing the legendary tales of Shi Zhixuan. In their eyes, a clan leader was more than just a ruler—he was a living myth. His achievements were spoken of in hushed awe, his very existence a legend.

A New Understanding

Half an incense stick's time later, Xiao Yi departed. He had gained profound insights from this encounter—not merely in terms of raw strength but direction. Strength without direction was meaningless; only with a clear path could one truly push their power to the extreme.

Nightfall, Inside the Stone House

Sitting cross-legged on his stone bed, Xiao Yi glanced at the other bed not far away. There, Shi Gong lay curled up, his once-imposing figure now hunched and frail. Even with his great stature, he could not conceal the aura of old age and decline.

A flicker of determination flashed across Xiao Yi's eyes. He slowly closed them, channeling his battle energy into the Stone Mirror. In an instant, his consciousness was drawn into a vast and boundless land.

In the endless plains before him, a torrential wave of blood energy surged like a raging furnace. His Future Self stood amid the tempest, clad in azure robes, wielding a gleaming iron spear. Xiao Yi's gaze locked onto the spearhead, his heart pounding—his speculation had been correct!

Anything he had witnessed in the real world could be replicated and refined by his Future Self. However, he was uncertain just how far this ability could take him.

The next moment, the iron spear in his Future Self's hands emitted a surge of battle energy, and in an instant, the spear's tip exploded with an ink-green radiance, stretching nearly ten zhang long!

Then—

A single spear thrust!

A flash of green light ripped through a hundred-zhang-wide battlefield!

The last thing Xiao Yi saw before his consciousness returned was a dazzling, awe-inspiring arc of energy slicing through the land.

"Wind Rises, Thunder Moves!"

Back in the stone house, Xiao Yi's eyes snapped open. His face was slightly pale, yet his gaze burned with newfound brilliance.

It worked!

The technique his Future Self had just executed was none other than the first form of the Wind Thunder Spear Art, and it had already reached a near-perfect level! Under the influence of his Blood Refinement Grand Completion Realm, this technique was now far more terrifying than when wielded by even Shi Qiren himself.

One Month Later

Over the past month, Xiao Yi had twice activated his Future Self each night to refine the Wind Thunder Spear Art. His willpower continued to evolve under the relentless trials of life and death.

Now, he could summon his Future Self up to four times a day.

And in just a single night—

He had successfully grasped the first two forms of the Wind Thunder Spear Art.

Morning Light

As the first light of dawn broke through the horizon, Xiao Yi's eyes snapped open, two faint azure glints flashing within them before fading into the depths of his pupils. Another day had passed, and he could feel his willpower becoming even more refined. If, in the beginning, his will had been like a raw, unpolished stone, then now, its rough edges had been smoothed down, growing denser, accumulating strength, and teetering on the brink of a deeper transformation.

This was the foundation of Xiao Yi's cultivation. With his Grand Completion Future Self, he could advance rapidly—whether in martial arts or in the Brutal Elephant Strength Technique—allowing him to swiftly close the gap between himself and his peers.

Noon

To the east of the Bloodstone Tribe, thirty li deep into the ancient wilderness, within the embrace of a secluded mountain stream—

Boom!

The morning sun blazed like fire, casting its golden radiance upon a vast, jade-green pool. Above it, a hundred-zhang waterfall cascaded like a silver curtain, crashing into the depths below, sending water spraying several zhang high.

Beneath the roaring waterfall, a lone figure stood still in the pool.

Half-submerged, his tall and well-built frame exuded an unshakable presence.

In his hand, a black, broken spear gleamed darkly, its fractured surface shimmering with a cold, metallic luster.

Xiao Yi gripped the spear firmly, his body motionless, yet an invisible pressure radiated from him.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Time passed, yet his form remained steady as a mountain.

As the moments stretched, the aura around him grew heavier, sending out faint ripples that expanded across the water's surface.

Just then—

A single droplet of water fell before his eyes.

Through that tiny droplet, he glimpsed the towering waterfall, descending like a celestial river from the heavens.

At that instant, a brilliant sharpness ignited in his gaze.

His black spear trembled, letting out a deep, resonating hum.

At the tip of the spear, a faint azure glow flickered before solidifying—a spear a foot and five inches long, formed purely of concentrated energy.

The surrounding air twisted and warped under its intensity.

Then—

With a single thrust, the spear shot forward like a roaring thunderclap!

The tranquil water before him split apart violently, and in a flash, Xiao Yi reappeared three zhang away.

A massive black boulder, half-submerged in the water, was now pierced clean through, its surface covered in a dense web of fractures.

First Form of the Wind Thunder Spear Art—Wind Rises, Thunder Moves.

This black rock had been relentlessly battered by the waterfall for decades, its surface hardened to a metal-like toughness, yet Xiao Yi had shattered it effortlessly. He hadn't relied on the sharpness of his broken spear, but purely on the force of his spear energy and the intricate mechanics of the Wind Thunder Spear Art.

With this, Xiao Yi had fully mastered the first form of the technique—not merely at the level of a beginner but having already stepped into true mastery.

Perhaps he was still slightly inferior to Shi Lei, but considering that he had only taken a few days to reach this level, the gap would soon vanish.

Moreover, Xiao Yi had also made progress in his Blood Refinement Realm cultivation. Though he had yet to completely comprehend the first major threshold, the once-elusive concept had become clearer in his mind. He was no longer grasping at shadows—it was only a matter of months before he fully broke through.

Just as he prepared to continue his training, his expression froze, fingers tightening around the spear.

"Someone's here!"

Though he had yet to fully temper his body to the small completion stage of the Blood Refinement Realm, the raw power of the Wild Dragon Blood Energy had already transformed his senses. His hearing and perception were now far beyond that of an ordinary person.

The mountain stream was a secluded location—with only one entrance, surrounded by towering peaks on three sides. Yet, he had heard footsteps approaching the entrance.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yi exhaled slowly, emptying his lungs before sinking beneath the water's surface.

His body melded with the dark, stony bottom, his black spear buried beneath scattered pebbles, its gleam vanishing entirely.

A Looming Threat

Moments later, two towering figures stepped into the mountain stream.

Their footsteps were heavy, and with each step, a metallic clang echoed around them.

As sunlight filtered through the trees, their bodies glowed with a dazzling azure radiance. A faint white mist lingered around them, and as they moved, a powerful gust of wind stirred the air in their wake.

Who were they?

And why had they come here?

Xiao Yi held his breath beneath the water—his grip tightening on his hidden spear.