Morning light filtered through the mountain pass.
Leo stood still.
The cavern behind him was silent now — no glow, no tremor, no trace of the violent night that had reshaped his fate.
Only the wind remained.
He took a slow breath.
And tested himself.
Testing the First Realm
He closed his eyes.
Spiritual energy flowed immediately.
Smooth.
Obedient.
Unlike before, it no longer resisted him. The dantian rotated steadily, pulling energy from the surroundings with subtle force. It felt stable — anchored.
"I really crossed into the First Realm…" he murmured.
But it wasn't just that.
He focused inward again.
The body refinement foundation he had built over months did not collapse when he broke through.
Instead—
It expanded.
The night's fusion of:
Spiritual spring essence
World's most poisonous serpent blood
Ancient mountain sword-will
His own time–space resonance
Had forced his body beyond natural limits.
He clenched his fist.
Silver light flickered faintly beneath his skin.
Leo froze.
"…This isn't iron body anymore."
He stepped forward and punched a rock formation beside the cavern.
BOOM.
The rock shattered instantly.
Fragments scattered across the cave.
Leo stared at his hand.
His skin was unbroken.
Not even red.
"…Silver Body Refinement."
His breathing quickened.
Iron body was durability.
Silver body—
Was transformation.
His muscles felt denser.
His bones vibrated with metallic resonance.
And he understood something terrifying:
Even though he had entered the First Realm, his body refinement had forcefully advanced through multiple minor phases in one night.
Six small stages.
Directly.
His physical strength—
Now rivaled cultivators deep into the Body Refinement Realm.
He was no longer merely ahead.
He was abnormal.
The Second Mind Stage Awakens
Leo calmed himself.
"Test the mind," he whispered.
He closed his eyes again and activated Siyara's method.
Clearing the Mind.
Instantly, his thoughts aligned.
Clear.
Still.
Then—
Something new happened.
Sound expanded.
Not louder.
Sharper.
He heard—
Wind brushing leaves.
Ants crawling beneath stone.
Water dripping inside distant cracks.
And then—
Far away on the mountain road—
Two travelers arguing softly.
He could hear their heartbeats.
Leo's eyes snapped open.
"…That's impossible."
He focused again.
There it was.
Rhythm.
Pulse.
Not with ears.
But with awareness.
The Second Stage — Mind Waves & Frequency.
He had broken through.
He could sense vibrations.
Heartbeats.
Breath patterns.
Emotional fluctuations.
He swallowed.
"With enough refinement… I could predict intent."
Not through guesswork.
Through rhythm.
The world had become music.
The Cost of Sudden Growth
Leo sat down immediately.
Excitement was dangerous.
He forced his breathing to slow.
"This is too fast."
He had:
Broken into Realm 1
Jumped multiple minor body stages
Reached Silver Body
Entered Second Stage of Mind-Wave
All in one night.
If he didn't stabilize—
His foundation would crack.
He spent hours circulating energy slowly.
Aligning body and mind.
Synchronizing Silver Body density with First Realm flow.
Gradually—
The violent edges softened.
Stability returned.
When he finally stood again, the sun was high.
"I need control," he whispered.
Power without control had nearly killed him last night.
Integrating Sword and Bow
He stepped into an open clearing.
Drew the wooden sword.
Closed his eyes.
He visualized the snake's movement from last night.
This time—
He didn't freeze time.
He simply predicted.
The sword moved.
Clean.
Accurate.
Precise.
The difference was shocking.
With Silver Body strength and wave-sense perception—
His timing was nearly flawless.
He sheathed the sword.
Drew the bow.
Pulled the string slowly.
He didn't aim visually.
He listened.
Wind.
Pressure.
Heart rhythm of a distant rabbit hidden in brush.
Release.
The arrow pierced exactly where the rabbit would have stepped next.
Leo lowered the bow.
"…Integration."
This was the next step.
Sword.
Bow.
Mind.
Body.
They were no longer separate paths.
They were becoming one system.
But perfection would take time.
And time—
Was running short.
The Academy Deadline
Leo pulled out the academy map.
His eyes scanned it calmly.
"Admission date is approaching…"
If he delayed too long—
He would miss entry this year.
He could not afford that.
The Imperial Academy wasn't merely education.
It was access.
Mentors.
Resources.
Information about the world beyond the Southern Continent.
And possibly—
About the Tenth Realm.
He returned to his carriage.
Repaired what damage he could.
The horses had calmed.
He climbed in.
And began moving again.
Passing Azure Crossing
By late afternoon the next day, the massive river city of Azure Crossing appeared in the distance.
It shimmered under sunlight, bridges arching across blue water, sect banners fluttering in the breeze.
Leo did not linger.
He passed through quietly.
No incidents.
No rescue.
No disturbance.
His wave perception allowed him to detect suspicious intent early, and he avoided it effortlessly.
By now, he was calmer.
More disciplined.
The mountain incident had matured him.
Toward the Third City
The road to the third major city stretched long and straight.
Leo's posture inside the carriage was different now.
Not tense.
Not naive.
Balanced.
His Silver Body thrummed faintly beneath his skin.
His mind listened constantly.
His dantian rotated steadily.
He was no longer the same boy who left Lightfall Courtyard.
And yet—
He still felt small.
Because for the first time—
He understood how vast the world truly was.
The mountain had responded to him.
The sword spirit had been born.
A beyond-Ninth-Realm powerhouse in the Northern Continent had smiled.
All of this—
Because he survived.
Leo looked at his hands.
"I need perfection," he whispered.
Before reaching Realm 3.
Before forming a Core.
Before Sea of Consciousness.
He needed absolute control.
No more careless risks.
No more blind greed.
He leaned back slightly in the carriage.
The wheels rolled steadily toward the horizon.
Ahead lay:
The Third City
The Imperial Academy
Sword Saint Mariya
And a world far more dangerous than mountains
Leo closed his eyes briefly.
And listened.
The world pulsed softly.
Like distant drums before war.