Chapter 6

Itachi's talent was truly unmatched. But at the end of the day… his cultivation speed remained painfully slow.

Still, with alchemy and arrays on his side, he was confident. It wouldn't be long before he broke through.

Meanwhile, in a quiet training hall, Su Yan was locked in fierce combat against a puppet. The puppet had originally been gifted to Itachi by the sect to help him sharpen his combat skills. But Itachi, uninterested, had passed it on to Su Yan without a second thought.

She moved like a blur, sword flashing in graceful arcs as she danced around the puppet. Its heavy fists crashed toward her over and over, but she met them head-on, steel clashing against steel in a flurry of strikes.

Each blow sent a jolt through her arm, but she held her ground. Because weakness… wasn't an option.

She didn't notice the white cat quietly observing her from the shadows, its golden eyes calm and unreadable.

Snow had appeared without a sound, silently watching Su Yan train with relentless determination.

If Su Yan's talent were to be measured again, it would now surpass 20—a remarkable leap from before. Bit by bit, her hidden potential was awakening, unfolding with every drop of sweat and clash of steel.

'The young master isn't just talented… he even has the luck to draw talent toward him,' Snow thought to himself, his tail flicking once.

With that, he turned and padded away, leaving Su Yan to her training.

"You're called Black Tower? Are you hiding your real name from me?" Ling Han asked, reclining against the cool stone wall of a cave hidden behind a roaring waterfall.

Beside him lay the ancient skeleton of the long-forgotten sect founder, along with the inheritance meant for whoever could overcome the trials left behind to reach this place.

"If you heard my real name, your head would explode," the tower spirit replied from within Ling Han's mind, with a snort. "And worse—I'd attract attention from enemies you're nowhere near ready to face."

Ling Han nodded in quiet understanding. He had no reason to doubt that. Not when this thing had already defied logic just by existing.

"So, when you brought me back to my past… is this the same timeline, or a different one?" Ling Han asked, his voice steady as he rested against the cave wall.

"No. This is the same timeline you remember. Why do you ask?" the tower replied, sensing something behind the question.

"There's someone I don't remember seeing," Ling Han said. The tower fell silent, not expecting such words

"He must be from the Immortal Realm… that's the only explanation," the tower muttered. "You're just unlucky. For someone from the Immortal Realm to appear here… no, wait—maybe it's perfect timing. If that kid had shown up while I was reversing time, his backer might've noticed."

The tower trembled at the thought. It had come far too close to being discovered. Why were Immortal Realm cultivators descending to the lower realm? And out of all the possible places… why here?

"I see," Ling Han said, rising to his feet.

"So," he added calmly, "what exactly can you do? That guy's a genius. I'm not sure I can keep up with someone who could fight a level 3 Body Tempering cultivator before even becoming a cultivator."

The tower was silent for a moment, stunned.

"Well, don't worry," the Black Tower said, its voice ringing with pride. "I possess the strongest cultivation art under the heavens—the Death-Defying Heavenly Art."

"This technique allows you to defy death itself. Your body will become harder than the toughest metal beneath the heavens. Your recovery speed will rival that of a phoenix, and your strength… it will rise to match them those gains."

As the technique began imprinting itself into his mind, Ling Han felt his blood heat up, as if even his soul recognized the significance of what he was receiving.

"There's more," the tower added. "You can enter the Black Tower. Any herb grown inside will mature faster, absorb more Qi, and reach a quality far beyond anything found in the outside world. And once you enter, you disappear. No one will be able to sense you."

"But keep in mind—you'll return to the exact spot you entered from. And no matter what you do, breakthroughs are impossible within me. Not even the heavens can pierce my walls."

Ling Han's eyes burned with resolve. This was a huge opportunity. A future few could ever dream of, his for the taking.

Ling Han stepped out of the cave, carrying the inheritance he had claimed. It was only the beginning. Scattered across the island were more legacies, hidden trials left behind by long-dead cultivators. He had to find them—and fast.

The more he obtained, the better his chances. He needed to reach level 10 Body Tempering before the tournament. That was the bare minimum if he wanted to stand on the same battlefield as Itachi. And so, without wasting another moment, he got to work.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed. It had now been three months since the Seven Lotus Sect accepted its new disciples, a moment that marked the halfway point to the Outer Sect Disciple Tournament.

And on this day, within the calm stillness of the core disciple quarters, Itachi opened his eyes. After four long years of preparation, study, and silent cultivation…

He could feel it. He was finally about to take that first step, the step that would mark his entry into the world of cultivation.

For the first time, Itachi sat with his legs crossed, calmly absorbing the Qi that filled the air around him. The energy entered his body in steady waves, but unlike other cultivators, who directed Qi to temper their muscles and bones, Itachi's Qi moved toward a different target.

His eyes.

It had taken four long years to refine and gather enough Qi—years of preparation, tempering, and patience. Now, at last, he felt his eyes were burning, they were evolving, breaking past their limitation, following his cultivation art.

This marked the first level of his cultivation art. From level 1 to level 3 in the Body Tempering realm, this stage was known simply as: Strengthened Eye.

The moment he broke through, Itachi felt his eyes pulse, steady and rhythmic, like a heartbeat. His eyeballs throbbing grew faster with each passing second, and with every pulse, power spread through his body.

A fun fact about the Sharingan: when awakened, it naturally amplifies one's chakra. The Strengthened Eye stage worked in a similar way. But for Itachi, it didn't stop at chakra.

With every pulse, his flesh grew denser, his heartbeat slowed, but each beat hit with deeper force. His body subtly shifted, refined from the inside out. And the changes weren't stopping there.

Overall, Itachi's capabilities had improved across the board, but the most noticeable change was in his eyes.

He hadn't awakened the Sharingan, but his normal eyesight had become sharp enough to rival that of a 3-tomoe Sharingan. While he lacked the abilities that came with the dōjutsu, he now possessed the same level of enhanced vision.

'So this is cultivation… it feels a lot like evolution,' Itachi thought, eyes fixed on his open palm, where he saw his cells..

At his current level, his vision had advanced so far that he could see down to the cellular level. Yes, the Sharingan could do that too—but only at the three-tomoe stage.

Which meant, in terms of sheer visual clarity… Itachi's eyes were already on par with a fully matured Sharingan. And that alone was shocking.

Now that his eyes had reached this level, Itachi could finally begin working on DNA editing in earnest.

If he could reach the point where he could consume pills like candy, stacking their effects without pause, then his progress would skyrocket. And if he could refine the DNA of plants, he could begin breeding overpowered herbs tailored to his needs.

But progress came at a cost. Just how much energy had it taken for Itachi to reach level 1 Body Tempering?

The answer: enough to match the energy required for a Nascent Soul cultivator to make a breakthrough. It was difficult to say exactly what stage of Nascent Soul, but one thing was clear—the amount was massive.

Of course, he could've taken an easier path. Had he chosen a weaker cultivation art, the energy cost would've been far less.

But then he wouldn't be Itachi. And he wouldn't be so dangerously overpowered.

Itachi only needed to touch a herb to begin editing its DNA. A simple blade of grass, plucked from outside, had its genetic structure rewritten in an instant. As he watched, the Qi in the air around it was suddenly drawn in, pulled toward the altered plant like a slow, steady breath.

But just because its DNA had changed didn't mean the grass would become overpowered overnight. Like anything else, it needed time and energy to grow into its new potential.

"It's pointless to force growth without something to feed it," Itachi muttered, eyes narrowing slightly. "I should focus on creating herbs aligned with the Nascent Soul Realm. That should be enough to shave off a few years of cultivation time."

His voice was calm, but his gaze remained sharp, already thinking ahead.

"I can create a garden array—a space perfectly suited for herb cultivation," Itachi said with a small smile. "With the right design, I should be able to accelerate their growth while tailoring them to the specific pills I have in mind."

And with that, he got to work. He wasted no time. For the next few months, his focus remained entirely on alchemy and DNA editing. It was a delicate process—something that couldn't be rushed. Every adjustment, every formula, every array had to be precise.

But step by step, he made progress. And by the time the Outer Sect Tournament arrived, he had completed everything he needed.

"Itachi, just watch—I'll get first place," Su Yan said, her voice steady, eyes burning with determination.

She had reached level 8 Body Tempering, a result of tireless effort and the mountain of resources Itachi had casually discarded. Everything he had no use for, things others would have fought over, was handed to her without a second thought. And though the resources she received could've easily pushed someone else to level 10, she had only reached level 6. Still, she wasn't discouraged.

"I'll come watch during the finals," Itachi said lightly. Su Yan's eyes lit up as she nodded, the corners of her lips twitching upward.

She would make it to the finals. She might be 4 levels behind the favorites, but she had something they didn't. One percent of her hidden physique had awakened. And that alone was enough to close the gap… and surpass everyone.

"I won't disappoint you," Su Yan said, before rushing off without looking back. Itachi watched her go for a moment, then turned and made his way toward the Alchemy Lotus.

The Seven Lotus Sect was built around seven specialized divisions, each referred to as a Lotus, focused on a particular path. The Alchemy Lotus was one of them, dedicated to the study and practice of alchemy. It also served as a marketplace, dealing in herbs, pills, and alchemical supplies.

Itachi's goal was simple: profit.

And what better way to make money than placing a bet on someone he was certain would win? He hadn't seen every participant in the tournament, but that didn't matter. Su Yan had a unique physique, and that alone gave her an edge far beyond most.

He had known from the beginning, ever since they met. Snow had sensed it, and after closely studying Su Yan, Itachi had seen the signs that she indeed had a physique. It was the main reason he allowed her to drag her around, he was curious as to what a physique was… well, he just never expected to see her as a friend.

Snow had even tried to force him to befriend Su Yan, convinced she would become someone powerful in the future. But in the end, there was no need.

Su Yan had taken care of that herself. She had gone out of her way to push herself into Itachi's life, leaving him with no room to ignore her, even if he'd wanted to.

"This is the first time I've explored the sect," Itachi said casually as he walked. "What do you think?"

Snow, hidden beneath the folds of his clothing, poked her head out from his collar, eyes filled with disdain..

"You spend too much time sleeping," Snow muttered with a snort from beneath his robes.

Itachi smiled faintly. Of course, he did—his cultivation speed increased while he slept. Why wouldn't he?

The moment he stepped into the Alchemy Lotus, heads turned. Eyes followed him—some with curiosity, others with scrutiny. And among them were those opposed to the sect master.

"…You're the sect master's disciple, right?" someone said with a mocking tone, loud enough to draw more attention. "Funny how the sect master's only disciple took six months just to reach level 1 Body Tempering, even after being given all those resources."

Itachi sighed. This was exactly why he usually sent Su Yan to handle things like this. He wasn't the type to let disrespect slide.

In his past life, he had been a rat in hiding, always staying out of sight and avoiding danger when he could. But this was his third life.

And holding back? Yeah, that wasn't in the plan anymore.

"What? It took him six months, even with the Sect Master's full support? What a waste." A few people nearby began murmuring, surprised by what they heard, 

But they all fell silent the moment Itachi vanished. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared, in the air, directly above the young man who had spoken.

"W-what!" the young man shouted, only realizing too late that he was no longer on his feet. He hadn't even seen it happen.

A brutal kick slammed into his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground with a dull, crushing impact. The force of the blow knocked him out instantly, and his body bounced slightly on impact before collapsing into a motionless heap.

Itachi didn't spare him a glance. He simply turned and walked forward, heading toward the counter to sell the pills he had created.

No one said a word. After all, a Qi Refinement cultivator had just been flattened by someone at level 1 Body Tempering. It was too much for most of them to process.

"What treasure did he use…?"

"Wait, did he just sell guild resources for spirit stones?"

"Isn't that against sect rules?"

The moment Itachi left, the quiet was shattered. The room broke into a storm of whispers, suspicion, and barely concealed outrage. Some rushed off to report him, accusing him of starting an unprovoked fight and, worse, of selling off sect resources for personal gain.

Just because he was the Sect Master's personal disciple didn't mean he could act however he wanted.