As soon as the settlement screen appeared, Xiang Yu felt a wave of profound insights flooding through his mind. His enlightenment had broken through to the Sacred grade, putting him into the realm of true geniuses.
Concepts that had once perplexed him now revealed themselves with crystal clarity. The flaws in his earlier cultivation approach became glaringly obvious, while the subtle nuances of his techniques unfolded before him.
His comprehension soared higher and higher, each revelation building upon the last. Complex cultivation principles that had once seemed impenetrable now appeared as simple as breathing. He felt as though he stood at the precipice of understanding the very fabric of the cultivation world itself. Then suddenly—it stopped. Xiang Yu felt the tantalizing proximity of even greater enlightenment just beyond his reach.
Still, he wasn't disappointed. This breakthrough alone was monumental, and he knew with certainty that someday he would take that final step. He allowed his mind to absorb and organize these revelations, integrating them into his understanding while he examined the other changes from the system reset.
His gaze was immediately drawn to his Qi Gathering realm. He had officially broken through to the tenth layer, even accumulating one hundred experience points within this new stage. This advancement wasn't because his energy absorption rate had suddenly increased, but rather a one-time benefit from the yin energy he had refined from Xiuying's ice.
Speaking of the ice, it had provided his Chaos Body with an additional fifty experience points. Though this didn't make much difference as he was already set to breakthrough after the next reset. More impressively, the ice energy had contributed twenty precious points to his Transcendent Dao Body which was always so hard to improve.
His Mind level had developed less than usual since only his soul infant had practiced independently, but his Soul attribute had surprised him with an extra thirty points beyond the normal increment. The memory of crafting a soul shock talisman brought a calculating smile to his face. Although he had previously decided against making more due to the strain on his infant soul, these unexpected gains changed everything.
"Sorry, little guy," he mentally apologized to his soul infant. "It's all for your own good anyway. You'll thank me when you're grown up." His smile turned slightly maniacal at the thought, before he caught his own unsettling reflection in the spirit spring's surface and quickly composed his features.
Continuing his assessment, Xiang Yu noted his two bloodlines had progressed beyond the halfway point, poised to advance to the half-blood stage after the next reset. In that stage, his entire blood composition would be transformed—half dragon and half phoenix.
Would this mean he would no longer be technically human? The question held little concern for him, he hadn't really cared much for his identity as a human. As long as he got stronger, it was all the same to him.
What he really cared about was the potential violence these competing bloodlines might unleash when they constituted half his body. He needed to discover another method for bloodline advancement soon, or he genuinely risked death.
His professions showed impressive growth, with his Appraiser ability breaking through to fourth grade—just one step away from entering the high grades. His Medicine insights, while only ninth grade, were still useful nonetheless. The remaining professions continued their steady progression.
"I have to admit, these professions are pretty much carrying me," he acknowledged. But he didn't dislike it though, he actively hoped they would continue advancing and supporting his growth even more substantially.
His elemental techniques had improved modestly thanks to the battle simulation, with Fire Palm notably achieving Major Success. Encouraged by this progress, Xiang Yu decided to dedicate a fixed hour daily to battle simulation. Within that timeframe, assuming each simulation lasted approximately thirty minutes, he could accumulate almost two months of combat experience in real world time.
Even though his physical condition reset after each simulation, the mental growth and tactical experience would remain—especially valuable now with his enhanced enlightenment.
...
Xiang Yu materialized within his spiritual sea, the familiar landscape of qi stretching before him. The moment he fully formed, the soul infant leapt into his arms enthusiastically. He caught the small being, surprised by its eagerness, and gently patted its head. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something remarkable—the infant had visibly grown after the system's doubling effect. Where it had previously resembled a newborn of just a few months, it now displayed the proportions and awareness of a toddler around two years old.
"You'll have to practice by yourself today as well, okay?" Xiang Yu addressed the tiny being.
The infant nodded in understanding but made no move to leave him. Instead, it clambered up his body with surprising dexterity and perched atop his head. Though it didn't speak, Xiang Yu understood its intentions perfectly.
"Alright, I'll keep you company for a while," he conceded, interpreting the infant's unspoken request.
The soul infant wanted him to conduct his battle simulations here in the spiritual sea rather than returning to his physical form—allowing them to remain together during the exercise. Xiang Yu saw no reason to refuse; functionally, it made little difference whether his consciousness resided in his body or spiritual sea during the simulations.
Settling into a meditative posture, Xiang Yu prepared for the hour of battle practice he'd allocated himself. The infant remained contentedly nested in his hair, beginning its own energy circulation patterns while Xiang Yu initiated the simulation interface.
He decided to start with the new test subjects, selecting his master and martial aunt whom he'd scanned earlier. His martial aunt, at peak Core Formation, presented a significantly greater challenge than his master, who was at early-stage Foundation Establishment.
The simulated battles revealed surprising insights. Both cultivators proved far more resilient than he'd anticipated—particularly his martial aunt, who carried an impressive arsenal of protective treasures and emergency measures. Xiang Yu couldn't help but smirk with genuine appreciation at her cautious approach.
"Almost one-tenth of one percent as cautious as me," he thought with amusement, which for him constituted high praise indeed.
His master, despite his currently weakened cultivation base, compensated impressively through superior technique mastery and body cultivation. The old man's combat experience shone through in every movement, though ultimately it wasn't enough to overcome Xiang Yu's advantages.
After several iterations, Xiang Yu mastered the patterns of both opponents, developing counter-strategies that allowed him to defeat them almost instantly—though his martial aunt's numerous life-saving treasures continued to make her a challenging opponent even when he knew exactly what to expect.
Finally, feeling he had advanced sufficiently through these warm-up matches, Xiang Yu turned his attention to Meiling. Confident after his recent successes, he confidently selected her Golden Core peak form as his opponent.
Within seconds, his simulated form lay shattered beneath her overwhelming power, the disparity between them painfully obvious. Humbled by this swift reminder of the cultivation world's harsh hierarchies, Xiang Yu quietly adjusted the settings.
"Let's start low for now," he thought, selecting Core Formation peak instead. Even the journey of ten thousand miles began with manageable steps, and apparently, his journey to matching a peak Golden Core cultivator required many more steps than he'd initially estimated.
...
[Are you ready?] The Empress asked, standing next to Li Yao in her spiritual manifestation form. Unlike her previous appearance in the Heaven Testing Pagoda, she now seemed almost solid—a casual observer might not even notice the difference between her and a physical person.
The Empress examined herself with fascination, marveling at the transformation. After days of consuming Xiang Yu's spiritual food, her soul's condition had improved dramatically. She had already reached the adult stage, and at this rate, it wouldn't be long before she recovered her eternal soul status. At the eternal soul level, one could regenerate their entire body with a mere thought, even if completely destroyed.
A question lingered in her mind about Xiang Yu's real identity. Was he knowingly helping her recover, or was she overthinking his intentions?
"I'm ready," Li Yao declared, interrupting the Empress's contemplation.
"Well, let's first focus on this," the Empress thought as she returned her attention to Li Yao.
[We don't have any materials to refine pills. Luckily, this place had some useful ones. It seems that guy was quite rich—he even had two rebirth pills. He probably had three at the start but used one for his breakthrough attempt,] the Empress explained, examining their treasure haul.
[This is perfect. We can use one for you and you can give the other to your senior brother,] she continued.
Li Yao nodded in agreement.
[Alright, take the rebirth pill first,] the Empress instructed.
Li Yao, who had been sitting with her eyes closed in a meditative posture, opened them in surprise. "The rebirth pill? Aren't we supposed to save that for when I reach the Soul and Body Integration realm?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.
[Usually, yes. But since you have me, you don't need to worry about making your soul more in tune with your body. I'll help you with that when the time comes,] the Empress explained with confidence.
[For now, take the pill. We'll not only form a special golden core but also develop a special physique and acquire a bloodline,] she elaborated.
[If everything goes smoothly, you might even gain an immortal-level spiritual root,] the Empress added, unable to hide her excitement.
Li Yao's eyes widened at this revelation. "A special physique? Which one?" she asked enthusiastically.
The Empress wore her characteristic smug smile, clearly enjoying the moment. [I want you to form the Thunder God Dao Body. Although it isn't among the top ten of the three thousand dao physiques, it's still a top one hundred contender,] she explained, glancing at Li Yao to gauge her reaction.
To her surprise, Li Yao's expression morphed into one of disgust, her earlier enthusiasm completely evaporated.
The Empress wondered if she had misspoken. Then she remembered they were in the mortal world—Li Yao probably had no understanding of physiques and their significance.
[A dao physique is a level above the saint physique, so don't worry if you haven't heard about it,] she clarified, trying to salvage the situation.
But Li Yao's expression remained unchanged, her disappointment palpable.
"Just a top one hundred contender?" Li Yao asked, her voice dripping with dissatisfaction.
The Empress was taken aback. What did she mean by "just"? Was that word seriously coming out of her mouth? She took a moment to compose herself, reminding herself that this girl was simply naive.
[Actually, top hundred isn't bad. All three thousand dao bodies are great in their own right—the ranking doesn't mean much, to be honest,] she explained, hoping to temper Li Yao's expectations.
Li Yao continued staring at her with undisguised disappointment, completely unmoved by the explanation.
The Empress finally snapped. [You brat, do you think forming a dao body is that easy? Even forming a lesser one like the Thunder God Physique requires careful planning! We didn't even utilize your other mutated element so it wouldn't interfere with the process, yet this is how you behave?] she scolded, her patience exhausted.
"So you admit that it's lesser," Li Yao replied smugly, totally ignoring everything else the Empress had said.
The Empress facepalmed in exasperation. What sins did I commit in my past life to deserve this? she wondered silently.
[Alright, fine. Since you want it that much, you can have it,] she conceded with visible frustration. [Change of plans—we'll be unlocking the Nine Heavens Thunder Body, one of the top ten among the three thousand dao bodies. Don't say I didn't warn you!]
"Hehe, that's more like it," Li Yao grinned triumphantly as she swallowed the rebirth pill.
She thought to herself that she knew the Empress had been gatekeeping the good stuff all along. The Empress was clearly exaggerating—just how hard could it possibly be?
...
Pretty hard actually.
[More energy, don't stop yet!] the Empress screamed out, her spiritual form radiating intense pressure as she monitored Li Yao's cultivation process.
"Dammit, I'm trying," Li Yao thought, though she didn't dare speak aloud for fear of breaking her concentration. She hadn't even begun unlocking the physique yet, and it was already pushing her to her limits.
According to the Empress's detailed instructions, she needed to transform all her qi into thunder qi—a challenging conversion by itself. Then came the truly difficult part: swirling the lightning-natured energy around her core in precise patterns, letting it accelerate gradually, gathering more and more speed with each revolution. Throughout this delicate process, she needed to ensure the thunderous energy didn't damage her core while simultaneously refining it.
This method would slowly transform her ordinary golden core into a lightning core—a superior version that forms when a core bathes in endless lightning energy. Such a core would grant her unprecedented power over the thunder element, making her techniques vastly more potent.
As if this internal struggle wasn't taxing enough, Li Yao's attention briefly drifted toward the darkening sky where ominous clouds had begun to gather. From the golden core realm and above, every major breakthrough required facing a lightning tribulation—a test from the heavens themselves. The gathering storm clouds were merely the prelude to what promised to be an excruciating ordeal.
[Pay attention to your core! The tribulation hasn't even started yet,] the Empress admonished, her voice cutting through Li Yao's wandering thoughts.
Li Yao acknowledged the Empress was right. She refocused on her core, knowing she needed to ensure the internal lightning had thoroughly bathed her core before the external tribulation struck from above.
Originally, the Empress had planned to use the lightning tribulation for dual purposes: refining the golden core into a lightning core, then using the leftover energy to form the Thunder God Physique. But since Li Yao had insisted on the superior Nine Heavens Physique, they'd been forced to change strategies. Now she had to bathe the core with her own lightning energy, as the entire lightning tribulation would be needed just to form the Nine Heavens Thunder Body.
Li Yao was beginning to understand why the Empress had called her a brat for demanding the superior physique. This was just the preparation, and she was already straining against her limits while the true challenge had yet to begin.