Ch.15: Let's Build Some Muscles!
--<3rd PoV>--
[Tang Ya has accepted the trade you proposed.]
[Tang Ya has presented an attribute-less cultivation technique.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the 'Mysterious Heaven Skill'!]
{Technique}
[Name: Mysterious Heaven Skill]
[Type: Aura Cultivation Technique]
[Grade: Beginner Heaven Rank / A-]
[Description: A foundational internal Qi cultivation method of the Tang Sect, capable of cultivating both the body and soul power (mana) simultaneously. Its core functions include enhancing strength, stamina, and resistance to toxins and physical pressure. It purifies the body, boosts cultivation efficiency, and increases mana affinity and control. The resulting mana is highly concentrated, gentle, and nourishing.]
"Looks reasonable enough," Ray muttered, as a book titled 'Mysterious Heaven Skill' materialized in his hand.
[Compatibility Rate: 69%]
"Ugh... that's a painfully low compatibility rate. I mean, it's decent—but it could definitely be better," he thought aloud, frowning slightly. But then, his gaze shifted to another reward he had just received from his personal quest.
A Technique Optimization Card.
"Honestly, I wanted to save this for a technique I might buy later... but time doesn't exactly allow for that kind of luxury. Looks like I'll have to rely on myself to modify skills in the future anyway."
Ray sighed, a helpless expression crossing his face. It was a reasonable reaction—after all, while he had now obtained a cultivation technique, it was one that only worked for attribute-less aura.
And considering he possessed not one, but two high-ranked innate elements, it would be a complete waste not to utilize them properly.
Unfortunately, that meant he would eventually have to create or modify techniques suited to those elements on his own unique mana circuits.
And was not gullible enough to believe that that personal quests will hand him everything on a silver platter.
That's where the difficulty began to appear.
His grandfather, Kaelen Virelios, a knight known to be one of the most talented individuals of his generation had taken over 160 years to develop the 'Dark Spirit Unification' technique.
Something which his precious grandson just sold of without hesitation, as if it had come easily.
But creating a technique like that took more than just talent, skill, and ideas.
It took patience.
And it was something Ray did not have.
So why not save the optimization card, then?
Well, the truth was: the optimization provided through gift or trade merely made the skill usable for the recipient. In contrast, the Technique Optimization Card actually tailored the technique specifically to the user.
With it, the technique's grade could potentially increase, and more importantly, compatibility would be pushed all the way to 100%.
And that 100% wasn't just some arbitrary number—it didn't just mean a 20% increase in energy efficiency or speed. It was far beyond that.
It doesn't help that this prop only works on things he obtains from the chatgroup. Otherwise he has a transcendent grate technique for a heirloom to use.
"Alright. Let's just go ahead and use the Optimization Card on it," Ray said decisively, not hesitating for even a moment as he activated the prop he had just received.
[Congratulations! The rank of 'Mysterious Heaven Skill' has increased to Transcendent Grade!]
[Compatibility has been increased to 100%!]
[Skill's effect on body refinement has increased by 200%]
[Skill's effect on cultivation efficiency has increased by 200%]
[Multiple additional effects have been added.]
[All previously available aspects of improvement brought by the skill have increased by 200%!]
With a rush of notifications, the book in Ray's hand vanished.
It dissolved into a stream of radiant light that swiftly entered the space between his brows.
In an instant, the full set of information related to the newly upgraded Mysterious Heaven Skill flooded his mind.
"Nice. Let's try it out right now!" Ray said, a rare, satisfied smile forming on his face. After all, he had just acquired a Transcendent Grade cultivation technique and even that was now perfectly tailored to him.
'Now, I'm not lagging behind the so-called geniuses of any noble family,' he thought proudly, clenching his fist with a smile on his lips feeling satisfied.
But what he didn't realize was that he was overestimating people of this world.
Even the strongest individuals, those who had created techniques of their own, usually only managed to have around 60–70% compatibility with their creations. And that is considered very good.
Only those people practicing a technique and refining it for a long time manage to reach over 90% and then also they have to actively cut out part which are not important and modify it so it is only best used by them.
Yet here he was, sitting at a perfect 100%.
Of course, his knowledge was currently limited to just himself and Tang Ya.
And among the two, Ray had used a special Optimization Card, while Tang Ya had simply been lucky.
Regardless, that wasn't something Ray paid any mind to at the moment. He was far too eager to test out his newly enhanced technique.
Without further delay, he got straight to it.
...
Aura Burst.
It is not merely the manifestation of aura.
Rather, it represents the level of the soul that has been cultivated by the martial artist over time.
This level is determined by the life they have lived—the intensity of their training, the obstacles they've faced, and most importantly, how they've overcome them.
It is this depth of experience and perseverance that defines their aura burst, the strength of their soul, and ultimately, their rate of progress on the path of martial cultivation.
Take Seraphina, for example. Each morning, without fail, she wakes up at exactly 4:30 AM. From that moment until 10:00, she immerses herself in rigorous swordsmanship training. Her regimen covers everything from basic sword techniques to advanced forms, physical conditioning to precise aura channeling.
And that is only her morning routine.
In the afternoon, another session begins, one that lasts until late at night—day after day, without exception.
In short, her reaching the peak Aura Expert stage is not a fluke. It is something she has undeniably earned.
'Whereas there's me… someone who's never even held a weapon properly for practice, let alone undergone any formal martial arts training.'
And so, Ray finally understood why—even after two full hours of cultivation—the only noticeable benefit was a impressive increase in his mana levels. At this rate, he estimated he could reach the current capacity of mana his body can handle which should be equivalent of level 10 in just under half a week.
That was still impressive by most standards. He had started from nothing the moment he awakened his martial soul—essentially a blank slate, barely touching level 2 in soul power or mana.
Now, after just two weeks, he was already approaching level 6, thanks to his mana circuits unconsciously absorbing ambient mana from the surroundings.
With the addition of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he was confident he could reach level 10 in just a few more days.
"Even if it's not yet effective for forming aura, this is still incredibly valuable for building up both mana reserves and physical strength," he muttered to himself.
With that realization, Ray decided it was time to revise his plans.
There were still ten full days left before his scheduled departure from the town.
Which meant—it was time to start building some actual muscle.
So he outlined a new strategy for himself.
He would join Seraphina in her morning training sessions. Then, during the day, he would familiarize himself with the various uses and characteristics of his martial spirit. Finally, at night, he would focus on cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
"This is still the afternoon, and there's plenty of time to get things started," Ray said aloud. With a decisive nod, he put on his coat, resolving to place an order for the necessary training materials and equipment immediately.
Meanwhile, the three elemental spirits still hovered faithfully around him.
One floated at his left, another at his right, and the third trailed closely behind—forming a subtle yet clearly defined triangular formation around him like a protective shield.
Naturally, people gave him strange, curious glances as he passed by.
But whenever their eyes met Ray's gaze—one brimming with cold arrogance and thinly veiled ridicule—they quickly looked away, as if scorched by his presence.
And thus, a certain image of Ray was cemented in the minds of the townsfolk.
The impossibly handsome yet insufferably arrogant noble, always seen flanked by three adorable, hovering elemental spirits in a perfect triangular formation—an image both captivating and detestable in equal measure.
...
--<1st PoV>--
The next morning dawned crisp and quiet.
At precisely 4:00 AM, I snapped awake, my eyes catching the faint glow of dawn through the mansion's windows.
A quick glance outside confirmed my order had arrived—the training ground was now a fortress of fitness. The equipment I'd requested stood ready, gleaming under the early light.
These weren't just any tools. Modern gym gear dominated the space: racks of weights, benches, and barbells, alongside structures straight out of a calisthenics park. Bars, rails, and platforms stretched across the grounds, built for bodyweight exercises—pull-ups, dips, muscle-ups, you name it.
In my past life, I'd dreamed of sculpting a physique capable of such feats, but my grueling job and endless hours chained me to a desk.
All I had were reels and short videos, packed with fitness gurus flipping and flexing. I'd devoured their advice, memorizing how to start calisthenics, progress steadily, and avoid injuries.
But here? Injuries were a joke. Did I even need to worry when Super Recovery could yank me back from the brink? Its passive effect was humming through me already, knitting my muscles stronger with every heartbeat.
I kicked off the day with my usual sprint—25 laps around the mansion, clocking in under 25 minutes.
A new personal record, each lap averaging a blistering minute.
For perspective, each loop spanned 450 meters. That's 11,250 meters—nearly seven miles—in under half an hour.
A normal person would've collapsed.
Me?
I barely broke a sweat.
I couldn't pinpoint why, but since awakening my martial spirit, my body's adaptability had gone berserk.
My daily gains were climbing, shattering the limits of my past life. With Super Recovery's insane healing, it was no surprise.
I'd long surpassed what any human back then could dream of.
Sure, I could outrun almost anything now—perfect for escaping trouble. But that wasn't the endgame.
"I'll master every trick I saw on those damn social media feeds," I vowed, my green eyes blazing with greed.
"Flips, finger handstands, the works—and beyond." Who wouldn't want to flex like that, given the power?
I strode to the pull-up bar, gripping it with purpose. "Let's see how many I can crank out first try. Target: 75." I hauled myself up, muscles coiling.
One
Two
Ten…
Just like that I kept progressing steadily until I hit 132 before a dull soreness crept in.
I could've pushed further, but why risk it? I don't want to accidently break a bone and use my todays quote of one time 'Factory Reset' here, better save it for emergency.
I moved on, tackling each exercise with the same fire—calisthenics, weights, everything—until the clock hit 5:30.
"One hour, done," I grunted, racking a 200-kg barbell after my 100th rep.
I'd cycled through every station, then doubled back, chasing the burn with the heaviest weights available.
My body screamed, a fiery ache pulsing through every fiber. It felt like I was ablaze.
But the passive recovery was already acting up, making steam rise from my body making the burning sensation even more vivid.
Across the grounds, Seraphina was deep in her swordsmanship drills.
Her body drenched in sweat gleamed like brightest of gems, her fire daring me.
Her focus was ironclad, eyes locked on her blade, not sparing a glance elsewhere. That girl was strict as hell with her training.
'I bet she just made sure I wasn't playing around with any magic related thing and left quietly back to her business.'
Sweat drenched me, and the urge to bail tugged hard.
But watching Seraphina's relentless swings, my competitive streak roared. "No way I'm weaker than some girl," I muttered, hauling myself upright.
My jade green eyes were still burned fire which said, I am the best.
Then, catching a whiff of myself, I grimaced. "On second thought… lets bath first."
__________________________
To Be Continued:
[Word Count: 2075]
A//N: Sorry for the late update guys, last part of my college exams was up and I really didn't want to fail in a killer subject following which there was a chaos for Project submission and stuff.
So, I think I will be able to upload, 3 to 5 times a week from now on if things go alright.
And more importantly, give me the power stones.