Ten days passed in a flash, like the whooshing of a breeze. Lian was currently in the training center, crouched on the ground, his breathing steady but deep from the intense regimen he had been following.

  Over the last ten days, he had devoted himself relentlessly to the Heavenly Steel, Heavenly Pillars Body Refinement Technique, pushing his body to its limits. Each day had been a test of endurance, strength, and will. The series of poses and exercises laid out by the technique were far from simple. Initially, they were excruciating—pain coursed through his muscles, joints, and bones with every attempt. But as the days rolled by, the pain slowly diminished, his body adapting, becoming stronger, more resilient.

  Now, the movements that had once felt torturous had become fluid. His body, once unaccustomed to the rigorous demands of the exercises, now moved with ease. The discomfort he had once felt barely registered, as though his body had grown numb to the strain or, more likely, it had simply grown stronger. He could feel the changes in himself, not only in his agility and strength but in the very composition of his physique.

  Lian had always been the plump boy, ridiculed by those around him for his soft, rounded figure. But that version of himself was gone. His fat had melted away, revealing lean, defined muscles beneath. His once round face was now sharp, his jawline chiseled, and his body had transformed into something closer to the ideal athletic form. He wasn't overly bulky, but his muscles were well-defined, giving him a more powerful appearance. He now appeared more solid, with a bit of bulk beyond the average, but without losing the agility that came with the refinement process.

  The transformation was nothing short of breathtaking. In just twelve days, his body had gone through a metamorphosis that left those around him astounded. Fellow trainees in the center, those who had seen him before he started, couldn't hide their surprise. They had watched him undergo this dramatic change, from the plump boy to a figure that radiated strength and vitality. It was clear to everyone that this was no ordinary body refinement technique.

  Naturally, this drew attention. People began approaching him during breaks in training, their curiosity piqued. They wanted to know what technique he was using, where he had acquired it, and how it had worked so quickly. Lian didn’t see a need to hide the truth, he told them plainly—he had acquired the technique from a shop. Yet, despite his straightforward answer, the reaction was far from positive.

  When they heard the simplicity of his explanation, many frowned, their expressions darkening with suspicion. They found it hard to believe that such a powerful technique could be so easily obtained. They were certain that a method capable of such transformation had to come from some secret organization, or perhaps even a sect. To hear Lian attribute it to a mere purchase felt like an insult to their intelligence. The disbelief and displeasure were palpable.

  Some accused him outright of lying, mocking him for what they believed was an attempt to deceive them. Their displeasure only grew as they voiced their suspicions. Others, though quieter, couldn’t shake the feeling that Lian was withholding the truth. Why would he lie, they wondered? The more they thought about it, the more they convinced themselves that Lian was hiding something significant. And so, with a mix of disappointment and irritation, most of them walked away, leaving Lian to continue his training in peace.

  Now, seated on the training floor, Lian suppressed a sigh and closed his eyes. He began circulating the Boundless Light within him, allowing it to flow through the Heavenly Nodes that had opened during his practice. The Boundless Light was a unique energy that he had been granted, and though it was different from the spiritual energy others used, it seemed to enhance his training in remarkable ways.

  At first, whenever Lian trained, the Heavenly Nodes would only remain open for a short time. After a session, they would gradually fade, and each new day of training would require him to reopen them by following the illustrated poses from the body refinement technique. However, something had changed over the past few days. The nodes had become more stable, their disappearance less frequent. Whereas before, he would feel them gradually close and fade away, they now lingered for longer.

  It wasn’t until yesterday that Lian realized something even more significant—the nodes hadn’t disappeared at all. He had gone through the previous day’s training, expecting them to fade as usual, but they remained open, steady, and unchanged. This puzzled him. The technique’s description had clearly stated that the nodes would only become permanent after several months of continuous training. Yet here he was, barely two weeks in, and the nodes seemed to have permanently stabilized within him.

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  Lian was skeptical. Was this a mistake? Was it possible he had misinterpreted the technique's instructions? To be certain, he wen through every exercise meticulously yesterday, following each pose and illustration exactly as before. Yet the result was the same—the nodes hadn’t faded. They were as vibrant and active as they had been the day before.

  Sitting there now, deep in meditation, Lian couldn’t help but wonder why this had happened. He was no one special, at least not compared to others with more talent or spiritual energy. Could it be the influence of the Boundless Light? The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be the only explanation. The Boundless Light was unlike any energy he had encountered before. It felt purer, stronger—closer to divine power than to ordinary spiritual energy.

  The realization sent a shiver through him. If the Boundless Light had accelerated his progress in such a profound way, what other effects might it have in the future? Was this only the beginning of what it could do?

  Suppressing the whirlwind of thoughts, Lian pushed the speculation aside. There would be time later to contemplate the mysteries of the Boundless Light. For now, what mattered was that the Heavenly Nodes had become permanent—a milestone in the Heavenly Steel, Heavenly Pillars Body Refinement Technique. This marked the completion of the first stage: foundation layering.

  With his foundation now stable, Lian knew it was time to move forward. The next step would be to channel the Boundless Light through his body and begin condensing his own aura.

  As this thought surfaced in his mind, Lian sank deeper into meditation, focusing inward to sense the Boundless Light within him. The Heavenly Nodes were still actively absorbing the light, but he noticed a subtle change—the vortexes of the nodes were slowing down. It was clear they were nearly full. Once they reached their limit, he would be ready to proceed with the aura condensation.

  Just as Lian prepared to focus completely, his concentration was interrupted by the distant sounds of chatter. From across the training center, voices echoed.

  “What? The Duke himself is visiting Elandor? Are you serious?” a voice exclaimed, the surprise in their tone catching Lian’s attention.

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard,” another voice chimed in. “Apparently, it’s for some diplomatic discussions with the Count. But it’s pretty clear that Lord Alaric’s recent success is a big part of why he’s visiting.”

  Lian sighed softly as the conversation floated into his ears. The name Alaric had been on everyone’s lips ever since the news broke. The brat had actually managed to gain admission into the Empire’s Cohort, an achievement so monumental that the entire city had been buzzing with it. Ever since the news spread, it had become impossible to go anywhere without hearing someone discuss it.

  Lian didn’t know much about the Empire’s Cohort itself, but what he had gathered over time painted a clear enough picture. The Empire’s Cohort was a prestigious academy within the Ethereon Dominion, the largest and most powerful empire on the Valaryn Continent. Getting admitted into the cohort was a near-impossible feat—not just talent was required, but also incredible effort, resources, and an alignment with stringent criteria that only a handful ever met.

  The fact that Alaric had been accepted meant his future was all but guaranteed. The Empire was a force like no other, and Alaric was likely the first person from the whole of Ardenthall to ever achieve such a thing.

  Elandor, being far from the Empire’s central power in the west, was rarely involved in matters of such magnitude, making Alaric’s accomplishment a spectacle for the whole city. It was understandable why there was so much talk—Alaric was now poised to surpass even his father, the Duke, in authority once he graduated and rose through the ranks of the Empire’s Cohort.

  Reflecting on this, Lian couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. The very thought of Alaric made him grit his teeth. He couldn’t forget the humiliation he had suffered at Alaric’s hands that day. The shame, the beating—those memories had been seared into his mind, fueling his determination ever since. His desire for revenge was one of the key motivations that now drove him to become a warrior. Alaric’s success only deepened his resolve, but it also stung to know that while he was still struggling to find his path, Alaric was rising higher, outpacing him.

  Pushing his anger aside, Lian let out a long breath and cleared his mind. Now wasn’t the time for emotions to cloud his focus. He needed to center himself again. This was the moment he had been preparing for. His foundation was complete, and now it was time to condense his aura.

  The last time he had attempted this, he had done it recklessly while on the infirmary bed, with his body too weak to handle the force of the Boundless Light. The result had been a painful backlash, a lesson he had learned well. But now, after completing the foundation layering, his body was much stronger. He was ready.

  He focused inward, stirring the Boundless Light within him. It felt like ripples across the surface of a calm lake at first, but soon those ripples grew, swelling into waves of energy. The Boundless Light moved slowly, deliberately, as Lian guided it with caution. This time, there would be no rash movements, no missteps. The energy swirled faster, becoming more turbulent, but he remained in control.

  As time passed, he could feel his body saturating with the Boundless Light. It filled every part of him—his muscles, his bones, his very skin hummed with the energy. The Heavenly Nodes, which had been absorbing the light for so long, were now completely full. They had stopped absorbing altogether, signaling that it was time to move forward.

  Lian carefully began channeling the Boundless Light, just as he had learned from the methods of aura condensation. Slowly and steadily, he guided the light, expecting it to flow directly into his body as it had done before. But something different happened this time.

  The Heavenly Nodes, instead of merely absorbing the light, suddenly flared open. They expanded like funnels, connecting the Boundless Light with the deeper parts of his being. The light didn’t simply rush through his body; it branched out in multiple streams, like tributaries of a great river, each stream entering his flesh, his bones, and even spreading to the surface of his skin.

  It was an entirely new sensation. Lian could feel the Boundless Light being absorbed not just into his muscles, but into the very core of his being.

  A cool sensation spread through him, his bones hardened, his skin toughened, and his muscles felt as though they were being refined by the light itself. Every part of his body was being filled with this strange energy, and at th

  is moment, his body seemed to be surrounded with a faint glow.