Strength Surges

As the tenth training session concluded, Xu Ziming entered an Epiphany as he had hoped.

In this state, Xu Ziming's cultivation progress advanced rapidly.

[Five Prison Sword Art current level: Not Initiated (23.3%)]

[Five Prison Sword Art current level: Not Initiated (27.9%)]

[Five Prison Sword Art current level: Not Initiated (31.7%)]

Xu Ziming's body seemed to transform into a cage that suppressed all things; his blood energy circulated within him, forming prison after prison, gradually weaving a new network of blood energy.

Beyond the sword technique, even his Life Energy Level seemed to be rising in tandem, though the numerical value remained unchanged.

In this profound state, his control over his own body reached a brand-new realm, and his understanding of the Five Prison Sword Art improved significantly.

As his proficiency gradually climbed to (Not Initiated 40%), the prototype of a sword intent began to condense in his mind.

Unlike the sword momentum of the past, sword intent leaned more toward substance rather than simple pressure.

The core of cultivating sword intent lies in first condensing the prototype, then practicing the sword technique daily, allowing the blood energy within the body to flow in a fixed pattern.

Finally, it must be continuously converted into the material for condensing sword intent; this is not merely tempering one's blood energy, but a form of cultivation beyond words.

During this transformation, small wounds gradually appeared on Xu Ziming's body, mostly capillary ruptures caused by the blood energy suddenly shifting its path.

However, thanks to the Flame Spirit Clan's favor, Xu Ziming recovered quickly.

With the progress of the Five Prison Sword Art, Xu Ziming discovered that his swordsmanship skills had also undergone a certain change.

This was not a simple accumulation of quantity, but a true qualitative transformation.

In every move he made, there was already a hint of a master's poise.

"Hoo---"

Xu Ziming let out a long breath, finally finishing the experience of this Epiphany.

The time had already reached the evening.

He did not rest, but instead began the Nebula Mental Tempering Method; this was his first time practicing it since obtaining it.

To meet the requirements for cultivation, he unequipped the Sword Saint Body Technique and switched to the Star God's Favor entry.

This was the first time Xu Ziming had equipped this entry, and the moment it was equipped, he felt something different.

It was a vague sensation of being blessed by a high-level existence, a feeling that even the Flame Spirit Clan's blessing could not match.

Immediately after, he attempted to circulate the blood energy within his body to sense the cosmic stars tens of thousands of light-years away.

He sensed them!

Without any awkwardness or stagnation, the moment he cast his consciousness outward, the energy radiating from the starry sky surged into his body as if returning home.

It required no guidance from him at all.

However, to optimize the cultivation effect, he used his mental power to lead these starry energies to circulate through his body, finally channeling them into his mind.

A warm sensation emanated from his sea of consciousness; with the help of the starry energy, his sea of consciousness—or rather, his mental power—gradually began to form a physical entity.

However, it was merely like a speck of dust, impossible to see clearly.

Xu Ziming did not lose heart, instead continuing to channel the starry energy incessantly, pouring it all in to become a part of his spirit.

Perhaps because it was his first time using starry energy to temper his body and spirit, or perhaps because the Epiphany during his sword practice earlier that day was truly effective.

Xu Ziming felt a burning sensation in his body that usually only occurred during a breakthrough in Life Energy Level.

His last improvement had come from consuming an Alien Warrior Life Source Crystal; strictly speaking, in terms of cultivation, this was the first time in a week he had achieved a breakthrough in Life Energy Level solely through his own efforts.

Sure enough, after running the Nebula Mental Tempering Method five times, the burning sensation in his body reached its peak.

Following this came the notification sound from Yue'er's Equipment Slot.

[Life Energy Level breakthrough! Current level: 3.9]

Beyond this, the speck of dust in his sea of consciousness had finally condensed into a grain-sized bead.

Just as Xu Ziming prepared to continue his cultivation, a sharp pain shot through his mind.

His mental power had been exhausted to the limit; he could no longer practice the mental tempering method for the day.

Previously, it was his physical body that restricted him from practicing the Basic Body Forging Method, but later, with the continuous improvement of his physical fitness and the toughness of Iron Skin, he had gradually overcome this predicament.

He had not expected to encounter it again after a month.

Glancing at the time, those five sessions of cultivation had already consumed nearly five hours, meaning one hour per session.

It was now three in the morning, but Xu Ziming did not choose to rest; instead, he began studying his academic subjects.

The second mock exam was drawing near, and he had indeed been somewhat lax with his academic subjects lately.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, eight days passed, and the time arrived at late March, the very day the second mock exam began.

"Bang!" The door to the training room opened in response; Xu Ziming had been training for eight full days, having only slept once the previous night.

During this time, Mother Xu had delivered meals daily and told him that they had finished moving, waiting for him to return and take a look once he finished his training; as for his father, they still had not made contact.

Opening the door, Xu Ziming wiped his bare upper body with a towel, sweat streaming down the lines of his muscles.

His face appeared even more chiseled than it had eight days ago.

He tilted his head slightly to look at the body data page of his Equipment Slot.

[Host: Xu Ziming]

[Life Energy Level: 4.2]

[Cultivation Techniques: Basic Body Forging Method Great Success, Basic Sword Method Minor Success, Five Prison Sword Art Entry, Nebula Mental Tempering Method Entry]

[Equipment Affixes: "Qilin Body", "Star God's Favor", "Flame Spirit Clan Leader's Favor"]

[Permanently Solidified Affixes: Body Forging Acceleration, Natural Sword Bone, Steel Skin, Filter Charge]

[Equipment Slot Level: 3]

In eight days, Xu Ziming's Life Energy Level had increased by another 0.3, and beyond that, the Basic Body Forging Method had successfully reached the Great Success stage.

Upon entering the Great Success stage, his blood-qi density had increased by another fifty percent; he no longer had to worry about being unable to hold out.

If this astonishing speed were to get out, it would be enough to shock every high school student and even the general public in Pengcheng City.

If time could return to that night of "underground boxing," he would definitely not end up a "one-second man" again.

Perhaps Shen Xingyue only has this much strength? Feeling the power surging within his body, Xu Ziming thought to himself.

This was the effect produced by the constant stacking of affixes in the Equipment Slot, and this effect would snowball, becoming stronger and stronger.

Perhaps in the future, he would be able to increase his Life Energy Level by single digits in just a single day.