Chương 3: Chapter 3
A loud crack echoed through the hall. Gasps filled the room as everyone's attention snapped back to the crystal. Thin fissures snaked across its surface, spreading like a web of lightning. The once-pristine artifact groaned under unseen pressure, its glow flickering faintly before dying out again.
"What's happening?" someone in the crowd muttered, their voice trembling with unease.
The cracks deepened, and a second crack rang out, louder than the first. The energy within the crystal surged, growing unstable. My hand remained on its surface, unbothered by the chaos around me. This artifact was far too weak to measure me. It was straining, struggling to comprehend the depths of my talent, and failing miserably.
"Get away from it!" one of the nobles shouted, his voice panicked. But it was too late. With a final, deafening crack, the crystal shattered. Shards of glowing energy exploded outward, disintegrating into dust before they could harm anyone.
"Cover your eyes!" the Emperor bellowed, his voice booming with urgency. Those who reacted quickly shielded their faces, but many hesitated, confused by his command. That hesitation cost them dearly.
A brilliant green light erupted from my body, flooding the room with an intensity that defied comprehension. It wasn't a simple glow, it was a force, a presence that radiated out in waves. The air itself seemed to ignite, the light scorching everything it touched. The hall grew unbearably hot, the polished floors cracking under the pressure.
Cries filled the air as the unprepared nobles stumbled back, their hands clawing at their eyes. Even those who had covered their faces weren't spared, the light piercing through flesh and bone to reveal the outlines of their skeletons.
Zhou Yu, standing closest to me, cried out as the heat seared her skin. The Emperor, acting swiftly, raised a barrier around the room, containing the light before it could spread further. Even so, the damage was done. Walls blackened, furniture charred, and many of the weaker nobles collapsed, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the energy.
The light lasted only two seconds, but those two seconds felt like an eternity. When it finally faded, the room was left in ruins. The once-pristine hall was unrecognizable, its grandeur reduced to smoldering wreckage. Those who had suffered burns or near-blindness groaned in pain, while others stared at me in stunned silence.
I withdrew my hand from the remnants of the crystal, my expression calm despite the chaos around me. The green glow that had enveloped me dissipated, leaving only a faint warmth lingering in the air.
The Emperor stood frozen, his face a mask of conflicting emotions. On one hand, the destruction was undeniable proof of my talent, a talent so vast that the crystal had been utterly incapable of measuring it. On the other hand, he now had to contend with the fact that this monstrous potential was housed within his favored son.
Lan Mei stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. Her expression was unreadable, but her grip was firm. "Come, young master," she said softly. "You've done enough for today."
The Emperor said nothing as she led me away, his gaze fixed on the scorched remains of the hall. His thoughts were plain to see. 'What kind of monster am I raising?'
***
To say the least, with the world aware of my talent, I would undoubtedly become the center of everyone's attention. My siblings would double their efforts to ensure my demise, while the crown prince and his mother would undoubtedly weave more intricate schemes to secure their positions. Yet, I didn't care. If anything, I welcomed the challenge. My focus was on the path ahead, on the cultivation journey that awaited me.
I didn't jump straight into cultivation. Instead, I dedicated myself to preparation, ensuring that when I took my first step, I could bring out the full potential of every realm I entered.
The first step on the cultivation ladder was Body Refinement, a realm that, as its name suggested, was focused on refining the body. From my research, I learned that each three levels within this realm was dedicated to tempering specific aspects of the body:
Levels 1–3: Tempering the muscles (Early Body Refinement).
Levels 4–6: Refining the tendons (Middle Body Refinement).
Levels 7–9: Tempering the bones (Late Body Refinement).
Level 10 (Peak Body Refinement): A complete tempering of the entire body.
At Peak Body Refinement, one's body would reach an extraordinary level, normal blades could no longer harm them, and their strength would surpass the average human fivefold. This didn't just mean physical strength; they were five times faster, more durable, and more resilient across every metric.
But I wasn't normal.
I was born with a physique that made me bulletproof, literally. My strength, durability, and resilience far exceeded that of an average person. From the moment of my birth, I was already equivalent to a Peak Body Refinement Realm expert. My baseline power was something others could only dream of reaching.
By my calculations, if we applied the concept of power levels to this world, my natural power level was around 26, far beyond the average human's 5. This natural strength granted me a terrifying advantage, but it also posed a challenge: advancing in cultivation wouldn't yield the same proportional gains for me as it did for others. For instance, where a normal person might gain +1 to their power level per stage, I might gain only +0.1.
This is why cultivation arts were so critical. A higher-grade cultivation art could amplify one's potential, bridging the gap and elevating their power far beyond the norm. The art left to me by my mother was extraordinary, leagues beyond anything the royal family possessed. But even so, it wasn't enough to satisfy me. My physique was unique, and I needed a cultivation art that could unleash my full potential. Unfortunately, creating a custom cultivation art was far beyond my current capabilities. Without a clear understanding of the higher stages of cultivation, any attempt would be reckless and dangerous.
For now, I had no choice but to rely on the Chaos Fiendgod Cultivation Art, a technique my mother had entrusted to me.
***
Before I began cultivating, I remembered something Lan Mei had told me years ago.
"Young Master, have you ever heard of the Fiendgods?" she had asked. I was only three years old at the time and shook my head in confusion.
"Well," she continued, "the Fiendgods were beings born from chaos itself. Before the world existed, there was only chaos. It was from this chaos that Pangu, the first Fiendgod, emerged. Pangu used his immense power to create the world we live in today. Whether or not Fiendgods are still born beyond our world is unclear, but we humans have long sought to mimic their strength."
At the time, I didn't understand the weight of her words. But as I grew older, I began to notice strange things about Lan Mei. She didn't regard the emperor with the reverence most others did. In fact, she acted as if he were beneath her. Even the emperor himself seemed uneasy in her presence. It became clear that Lan Mei wasn't tied to the empire; she was connected to my mother's side, a side shrouded in mystery.
I searched for more information about the Fiendgods, but my efforts were fruitless. Not even the emperor seemed to know much about them. All that was known was the existence of a cultivation art called the 9 Heavens Fiendgod Body Cultivation Art, a legendary body refinement technique that only a rare few could cultivate beyond the Soul Refinement Realm.
The Chaos Fiendgod Cultivation Art, however, was far superior. It was designed to allow its user to replicate the power of Pangu himself, the greatest of all Fiendgods. Yet, it came with a warning: the cultivation of this art had led to the destruction of everything its creator loved. It was said to be the most coveted technique under the heavens, one that countless would kill to obtain.
Pangu's body was unparalleled, and his recovery ability was unmatched. Legend claimed that the heavens themselves were his subconscious, and though he had died, he was slowly recovering his strength to rise again. The Chaos Fiendgod Cultivation Art sought to recreate this godly power. It demanded that the practitioner push their body to its absolute limits, enduring unimaginable burdens to shatter all constraints.
***
To begin cultivating the Chaos Fiendgod Cultivation Art, a medicinal bath was prepared for me, a concoction designed to temper the body. Normally, bathing in such a solution would be a soothing experience, but this was no ordinary cultivation art.
The art's manual came with a grim warning: the pain it inflicted could break even the strongest of minds. And I was about to experience it firsthand.
The moment I entered the bath, searing energy coursed through my body. My muscles trembled violently, and my mind was assaulted by a wave of pain, unlike anything I had ever imagined. It wasn't just physical pain, it reached deep into my soul, clawing at the very essence of my being.
'Damn it!' I roared internally. 'I'm a Saiyan! You think pain is going to stop me?'
My soul screamed in defiance even as my body betrayed me, writhing and convulsing under the relentless onslaught. Beside the bath, Lan Mei watched silently, her expression unreadable.
"You must stay strong," she murmured, almost to herself. "Stronger than your father ever was."
Her words barely registered through the haze of agony. Flesh tore, muscles disintegrated, and every cell in my body was broken down and rebuilt. The pain reverberated through my soul, but I gritted my teeth and kept running the cultivation art. I couldn't stop, my pride as a Saiyan would not allow it.
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