Planetary Level 2

The next morning, Cal came as usual to call for Guen, ready to patrol the coast and kill beasts.

Although Guen's harvest was plentiful, Cal still only had one beast kill and its materials to show for it—far from enough.

But the moment Guen opened the door, Cal noticed he was glowing with energy, his aura more condensed than yesterday. With a complicated expression, Cal said, "Looks like Brother Guen made quite a haul."

Clearly, he had already advanced to Planetary Level 2.

Guen smiled faintly.

Indeed, in just one night, Guen had taken another step forward.

Cultivation at the Planetary Level required not only raw energy accumulation but also a certain level of insight into Force Multiplier techniques. Without enough Force Multiplier, it was like a house without beams—unable to support such a powerful body and Origin Power reserve. But once that understanding was gained, it was just a matter of adding bricks and mortar, purely absorbing energy.

For a genius, absorbing energy was actually a waste of time. Their realm and comprehension were already sufficient to support cultivation to higher levels; it was just that they lacked the energy and had to absorb it slowly. Even so, their advancement speed far exceeded ordinary people.

The reason Guen could advance so quickly was mainly due to the residual Green Marrow and Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid in his body. After drinking the Tempering Potion, his powerful mental energy fully ignited the lingering medicinal power, converting it into energy that helped him break through. Otherwise, Guen would have needed another two or three years of absorbing energy to reach Planetary Level 2.

"Now I finally understand how precious the Temple of Life is," Guen mused inwardly.

That vast Life Energy—if Guen had enough time to absorb it, he could cultivate all the way to Planetary Level 7 or 8 in one go.

But the required contribution points were also a staggering number.

From Planetary Level 1 to Level 2, Guen sensed he would need to absorb energy in the Temple of Life for ten hours.

From Level 2 to Level 3, it would probably take about twenty-five hours.

One hour cost five hundred contribution points.

To rely on the Temple of Life to reach Planetary Level 8, Guen estimated it would take hundreds of thousands of contributions.

"How ruthless. Now I understand why so many people are willing to become core members of the Goddess Temple. I hear core members only need three hundred contributions for one entry, and every year they get a number of free entries equal to their rank."

Guen was a little tempted.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Guen smiled and said, "Not bad. The Tempering Potion's effect exceeded my expectations. But if Brother Cal needs some, I can give you a share."

Cal's eyes went wide. "How could I... really? I just need a little bit."

Cal was tempted too, abandoning all pretense of politeness.

Guen nodded firmly. "Of course. Brother Cal has taken good care of me along the way. Giving you some is no trouble. But it's best not to tell anyone else about this."

"Understood, understood." Cal agreed immediately. Though he couldn't figure out why Guen was being so generous, he knew an opportunity like this wouldn't come twice.

Seeing Guen's serious expression, Cal felt a pang of guilt and said, "If you're just trying to buy my silence, there's no need. This was bestowed by the East Guardian himself. Anyone who tries to take it by force would be offending him."

Guen shook his head. "Brother Cal has looked after me well on this journey, and you've been open and sincere, treating me like a true brother. Naturally, I won't shortchange you, Brother Cal. Don't overthink my motives."

Guen was willing to share simply because he now understood the nature of the Tempering Potion. Each time it was taken, the effect diminished—like being pricked by a needle. The first time, it hurt enough to make you cry out; the second time, it still hurt, but not as badly. After many times, you'd go numb and barely feel it. Sharing it with others wasn't a big deal.

"Brother Cal, come in. From the look of you, you can't wait any longer." Guen invited Cal into the room and brought out the Tempering Potion.

Seeing Guen actually produce the potion, Cal's heart pounded with inner turmoil, but he couldn't help the racing beat. He took the potion, his mouth dry, glanced at Guen as if afraid he'd change his mind, and downed a third of it. The moment it went down, Cal froze on the spot.

His mental energy had been fully ignited!

Guen didn't disturb him. Instead, he drank the remaining Tempering Potion in one gulp, and the powerful medicinal effect took hold instantly.

This time, Guen had experience. He used the Tempering Potion to attempt the third form of Flame Slash.

The first form, Huoguang, used emitted force to attack enemies from a distance.

The second form, Liaohuo, was all about extreme speed.

The third form, Tanhuo.

One slash could ignite a piece of charcoal!

The essence of Tanhuo was to release one's power in a single, explosive burst—quick and abundant. It sounded simple, but executing it was extremely difficult.

It involved highly advanced Force Multiplier techniques. Even with the Tempering Potion's help, Guen's repeated attempts at Tanhuo only felt half-right, like a vague imitation.

The Tempering Potion's effect came quickly and faded just as fast.

Soon, Cal emerged from that heightened mental state, but his body emitted a powerful suction, drawing in the surrounding energy and actively pulling from the broader Heaven and Earth.

Guen stopped his practice. The potion's effect was nearly spent, so he simply watched Cal. "You're about to break through."

Cal absorbed energy for quite a while before finally stopping. He let out a long breath, his eyes brimming with excitement. He lightly punched the air, and the released force sent the room's contents flying in disarray.

Cal let out a long howl before finally calming down.

"Congratulations, Brother Cal, on reaching Tier 5. From now on, you're no longer a Low Tier Fighter. You truly have the ability to threaten Low Tier Planetary Level fighters," Guen offered his congratulations.

The Flame God Armor, though A5 Grade and capable of defending against attacks from Planetary Level 5, was nearing its defensive limit. If the armor's owner wasn't high enough in rank, a Planetary Level 5 Fighter could injure them through the armor with shockwaves, slowly wearing them down.

Planetary Level 5 was a watershed in the Aoyu Empire. Reaching this level meant you had the capital to be respected in this circle.

Cal gave a wry smile. "I only have the ability to threaten. You actually killed a Super Tier Warrior. Tsk, and you're already at Planetary Level 2. This pace is unbelievable."

Cal looked at Guen in amazement.

Who would have thought that less than a year ago, Guen was just a Tier 7 Apprentice Fighter!

"Your strength is probably even greater, even more terrifying now!" Cal said gravely.

Guen shook his head. "You're wrong on that one, Brother Cal. My strength hasn't increased much. What lets me fight at this level is mostly this blade."

He patted the Meteor Light Blade at his waist.

Cal fell into thought.

Guen knew exactly where his combat power came from. It was the Second-order Force Weapon combined with the Secret Method Flame Slash that created his current fighting ability.

For an ordinary Fighter, rising from Planet First Order to Second Order would naturally be a massive leap. But for Guen, it had only boosted his strength by twenty or thirty percent at most—just more endurance, a slightly tougher body.

Advancing through the planetary ranks, from First Order to Ninth Order, was a matter of quantity. When wielding the Meteor Light Blade, there was little difference between Planet First Order and Ninth Order aside from raw power and technique.

So if Guen wanted real progress now, he had two paths. One: break through to Planet Fifth Order, where his physical strength would surge dramatically—that was a watershed, and he could multiply his combat power several times over. Two: master the third form of Flame Slash, Tanhuo.

A mere one or two realm breakthroughs would only help him so much.

"Let's go, Brother Cal. We've already wasted enough time. Maybe we'll run into a Planetary-level Beast today." Guen took off first, flying toward the coast.

Cal silently noted this debt of gratitude and followed.