He felt it immediately. The difference. His body was lighter, faster, stronger. The spiritual energy around him responded easier, flowed smoother.
He stood, testing his balance. Everything felt sharper.
He grabbed his sword and moved through the forms for Heavenrend. The strike that had felt clumsy last week now came naturally. The blade hummed with qi, cutting deeper, faster.
He grinned.
Two more weeks to refine this. To push further.
---
By the third week.
Long Chen stopped sleeping.
Not entirely. But cultivation replaced most of it. An hour of meditation recovered more energy than six hours of sleep used to.
He split his time between three things: advancing his cultivation, mastering the techniques, and fighting spirit beasts.
The beasts in the back mountains were getting smarter. Or maybe he was just pushing deeper into their territory. Either way, the fights got harder.
A Shadowfang Wolf nearly tore his arm off before he managed to land Void-Splitting Strike through its skull. The technique was faster than Heavenrend, more precise, and meant for single-target elimination.
He collected the beast's core and used it to fuel another breakthrough.
[Cultivation Advanced: Qi Gathering Stage 3.]
The second stage came easier than the first. His body knew what to expect now. The pain was still there, but manageable, making charging to the third stage easier.
By the end of the third week, he could coat his entire blade in qi without straining. Phantom Step carried him across fifty meters in a blink. And Heavenrend... When he tested it, he created a small gorge.
---
On the fourth week.
Long Chen stood in front of the waterfall, shirtless, letting the freezing water pound against his back.
This was the final refinement. Body tempering through environmental pressure. The cold sharpened his focus. The weight of the water forced his muscles to adapt.
He stayed there for hours every day, circulating qi to resist the cold, using the pressure to compress his energy further.
His physique changed.
Muscles became leaner, denser. His posture straightened naturally, shoulders broader without bulk. The constant circulation of qi left a faint hum beneath his skin, barely visible unless someone looked closely.
Even his face looked different. Sharper. And more defined. The softness of a servant's life burned away, replaced by the hard edges of someone who'd survived.
His eyes changed too. They still looked tired, but now there was something else behind them. Something steady and dangerous.
By the end of the fourth week, he'd reached Qi Gathering Stage 4.
[Cultivation Advanced: Qi Gathering Stage 4]
He could feel the difference. This stage brought clarity. His senses expanded and he could hear a spirit beast moving two hundred meters away. Smell the shift in spiritual energy before a storm hit.
And his techniques...
He tested Heavenrend again. This time, the strike didn't just split the ground, it tore through it. The shockwave flattened grass for ten meters in every direction.
Long Chen stared at the destruction, then at his hand.
"That'll do," he muttered.
---
At the end of the fifth week.
Long Chen had spent the final week consolidating everything.
No more breakthroughs. No more reckless fights. Just refinement.
He ran through the sword techniques until they felt like breathing. Heavenrend for overwhelming power. Void-Splitting Strike for precision kills. He combined them with Phantom Step, chaining movement and attack into seamless flows.
He meditated on the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique, ensuring his foundation was solid. Rushed cultivation led to instability, and he couldn't afford that.
On the last day, he stood outside the cave and looked down at the Dugu Clan compound in the distance.
Five weeks ago, he'd been a servant. Powerless. Humiliated and invisible.
Now?
He flexed his hand, qi responding instantly. His body felt like a weapon. His mind, sharp. His resolve, unshakable.
The clan gathering was in two days.
Long Chen strapped Dragonfang to his back, still sealed but waiting. He tucked the jade slips into his robe and started the descent.
By the time he reached the clan gates, the sun was setting.
A few servants saw him and did double-takes. One dropped the basket she was carrying.
Long Chen ignored them and walked through the compound, heading toward the inner districts.
Tomorrow, he'd register for the trials.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
But tonight?
He stopped in front of a large stone structure near the center of the clan. The Tower of Trials. Seven floors. Each one harder than the last, only disciples were allowed to attempt it.
Servants were forbidden.
Long Chen looked up at the tower, then at the entrance.
A guard stood there, arms crossed, looking bored.
"Can I help you?" the guard asked, not even trying to hide his disdain.
Long Chen met his eyes. "I'm here to challenge the tower."
The guard blinked. Then he laughed. "You? A rootless servant? Get lost before I—"
Long Chen released a fraction of his qi.
The pressure hit the guard like a wall. The man's laughter died. His face went pale, then he took a step back.
"I'm here to challenge the tower," Long Chen repeated, his voice calm.
The guard swallowed. Then nodded quickly. "I'll... I'll inform the supervisors."
Long Chen waited.
Within minutes, a small crowd had gathered. Disciples. Servants. Even a few elders, curious about the commotion.
One of the supervisors arrived, an older man with a long beard and sharp eyes. He looked Long Chen up and down, then frowned.
"Aren't you Long Chen?" the man said.
"I am."
"Servants don't challenge the tower, there's no way to save you in the tower "
"I'm aware."
The supervisor studied him for a long moment. He gestured toward the entrance. "Very well. If you want to embarrass yourself, go ahead."
Long Chen didn't respond. He just walked past the guard and into the tower just before he stepped in he released a little of his aura.
The supervisors felt the aura and then his eyes widened in shock. "Qi Gathering Stage 4, IMPOSSIBLE!!"
The door closed behind him.
And the first trial began.