Preparations Before Awakening

Ye Hua's residence!

After breakfast, he brought Yang Tian back here, having asked another Grand Knight to handle the training in his stead.

Before them stood a wooden tub filled with medicinal liquid, and the room was thick with the smell of herbs.

"Before awakening, it's best to fully stabilize your body's foundation. Only then can you draw out all the potential of your internal spiritual power."

"We're short on time, so I've concentrated this medicinal liquid tenfold!"

Ye Hua explained everything carefully to Yang Tian.

There was no denying the truth of it.

Ideally, a sage-level assassin would use the Thousand Strikes Spirit Furnace to clear his twenty-four meridians.

But such opportunities were exceedingly rare.

"So you must follow my instructions strictly as you absorb it and temper your body!"

"Of course, it will be painful. Once the medicine takes effect, it will feel as though ten thousand ants are biting you..."

"If you want to give up, there's still time!"

Ye Hua offered that final warning.

After all he had said, these preparations before awakening were still something Ye Hua had worked out himself. They were meant to improve the chances of success, so Yang Tian's internal spiritual power would be less likely to turn out like his.

Thus, all of this was the fruit of Ye Hua's own research, and Yang Tian had become the one who would put it into practice.

"Teacher, I won't give up. To become strong, I have to endure extraordinary trials, no matter how painful they are!"

Yang Tian spoke with firm, unwavering resolve.

Ye Hua nodded. His disciple was more resilient than he had imagined.

"To become strong?" Ye Hua murmured.

"All right, get in. Once today, and once tomorrow."

"After you finish absorbing it tomorrow, you'll begin recovering to your best condition before awakening your internal spiritual power."

Finally, Ye Hua gave Yang Tian his instructions. He also wanted to see whether his method would work.

Before his own awakening, he had focused solely on raising his external spiritual power. Even though he had become Xiu City's genius, it had all amounted to a joke.

Yang Tian said nothing more. Although he knew what his teacher had been through, he could not truly feel that pain-the pain of having abysmally low talent.

Yet Ye Hua had never given up. Through his own efforts, he had advanced step by step to where he stood today. That alone was proof of extraordinary willpower.

As Yang Tian approached the wooden tub, a strong medicinal scent rushed into his nose.

It carried the fresh fragrance of herbs, along with a coolness like a refreshing breeze in summer.

He took off his clothes, then stepped into the wooden tub.

"Hiss..." Yang Tian suddenly drew in a sharp breath.

The medicinal liquid felt like blocks of ice, filling him with a penetrating chill.

After sitting cross-legged, he sensed a hidden power beginning to wash through his body.

It was the energy concealed within the medicinal liquid, the source of its Marrow Cleansing.

Then the chill spread through every limb and bone in Yang Tian's body.

Watching from outside the tub, Ye Hua was deeply astonished.

"This boy's body is unusually strong. He must have undergone intensive training. It seems his own hard work accounted for at least half of his progress to an eighth-level Squire!"

The perfectly defined muscles of Yang Tian's body had clearly been forged through rigorous training.

Cold. Yang Tian was so cold that he began to shiver.

But this was only the beginning. Next came the stage Ye Hua had described, when ten thousand ants would seem to bite him.

A gnawing pain and itch began, mild at first, before spreading throughout his body.

Yang Tian's body trembled.

It hurt!

It was far too painful!

He gritted his teeth and held on, but the effects grew even more intense.

"Don't give up! If you give up now, all the suffering you've endured will have been for nothing!"

Seeing that the Marrow Cleansing stage had begun, Ye Hua shouted a reminder.

Yang Tian heard him and continued to endure.

His hands, resting on his crossed legs, curled into fists, letting his nails dig deep into his flesh.

He bit his tongue, but not to kill himself.

Instead, he used that pain to keep Yang Tian more alert.

The medicine's effects continued for some time.

Yet in that span, noon arrived in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Afterward, only a faint sensation of ants biting seemed to remain, leaving his body tingling and numb.

He had weathered the hardest stage. Now it was time to slowly absorb the medicinal liquid.

"It worked!"

"The Marrow Cleansing succeeded. If I'd had resources like these before my awakening, my internal spiritual power would surely have exceeded twenty!"

"With twenty points of innate internal spiritual power, I would certainly be able to strive for Radiant Knight by now!"

Watching Yang Tian succeed, Ye Hua felt both excitement and a sense of loss.

The past could not be changed. There was no starting over.

And in Yang Tian, he saw a reflection of himself.

Ye Hua valued this disciple of excellent character deeply and intended to place all his hopes on him.

For instance, under his guidance, Yang Tian would surely be able to contend for one of the Holy Temple's Divine Seal positions.

Gradually, Yang Tian felt his body grow light.

Eventually, he became so relaxed that he nearly fell asleep, but he kept holding on and finally began meditating!

Only when a foul smell reached him did he open his eyes.

Ye Hua was still before him.

But the medicinal liquid in the wooden tub, originally green, had now turned black and foul-smelling.

"Those are the impurities from your body. We knights believe in light, our sole element!"

"Expelling some of those impurities will allow your talent to manifest more fully."

"All right, that's enough preparation for today. Go back and get some rest. It won't be so painful tomorrow!"

Seeing Yang Tian wake, Ye Hua spoke calmly.

Yang Tian's physique had clearly grown stronger. Everything was evidently moving in the right direction.

"Yes, Teacher!" Yang Tian replied respectfully.

Yet as he looked at Ye Hua, he was deeply moved.

Could Teacher have stood here watching over me all day?

In the end, Yang Tian could only engrave this kindness firmly in his heart.

After Yang Tian left, the plump Temple Master appeared.

"It seems your research succeeded. I've witnessed another of your successes!"

"I just wonder how much potential this child will ultimately be able to uncover."

Looking toward the doorway, Nalan Shu spoke to the stiff-faced Ye Hua.

"His innate internal spiritual power should be at least thirty points!"

Ye Hua confidently gave that figure.

"Heh, your research succeeded, but using medicinal liquid like this is still far too expensive!"

"Just two treatments will consume half the wealth you've accumulated!"

"Children from poor families still won't be able to afford it!"

"Of course, its effects are somewhat better than the methods used by those powerful, influential families."

Nalan Shu directly pointed out the shortcomings of this experiment.

Buying the medicinal ingredients required a great deal of money.

One gold coin was enough to support an ordinary family for half a month.

Then what about hundreds or thousands of gold coins? What an enormous sum that was.

"I can still make adjustments, replacing some ingredients with cheaper herbs that have milder effects!"

"Every family has its own methods of nurturing talent. Mine is more aggressive, but it also suits Yang Tian's current situation!"

Ye Hua spoke calmly.

There were drawbacks, but the advantages were undeniable as well.

Finally, Ye Hua said, "All right, we'll wait and see the results tomorrow!"