Chapter 7: A Year Of Grueling Training

After learning about the origins of the Tyrant Fist from Whitney, it was not difficult to imagine how much effort Quentin had put into it. He had indeed risked his life. Such familial devotion further fueled Connor's determination to train relentlessly. He seemed to have no concept of exhaustion. There was only one thought flashing through his mind—training. Whether for his father or himself, he could not give up. He had to persist and never surrender, no matter how difficult. Whenever he encountered obstacles, he charged forward with unwavering determination. Through such intense training, a year quickly passed. During this year, Connor spent his days solely focused on cultivation. Whitney, Bailey, and others had visited him, but he never revealed that he was training. Bailey was also immersed in her rigorous training and determined to become the next Butterfly Queen. As a result, the two of them no longer saw each other as frequently as before. On this day, the scorching sun blazed in the sky. Standing tall amidst the rushing currents, Connor remained unmoved. No matter how fierce the water flowed, his body stood firm. His arms extended forward in a pushing posture as if trying to block the torrent. At this moment, the battle energy within Connor's body was gathering from his limbs and meridians, slowly converging toward his core nexus, following a fixed circulation path, continuously accumulating immense power. As his battle energy surged with increasing intensity, the rushing current before him seemed to split apart as though avoiding his body. The water flowed to the sides, forming a half-meter vacuum zone around him. Deep within, Connor concentrated his battle energy. All his energy converged into his core nexus, where it began rotating. The rotating grew faster, and the external water flow formed a swirling vortex in response. The vortex expanded rapidly, gaining speed. This was the sign of Connor breaking through to the lower Advanced-level. Through a year of arduous training, relying solely on his relentless effort and extraordinary talent, he progressed from generating battle energy to reaching his current upper Intermediate-Level. If the Shayle family knew about this, they would undoubtedly be shocked. The Shayle family was Lanshire City's sole ruling force, with nearly thirty percent of its experts hailing from the Shayle family. Quentin set the fastest training record in the family, reaching the lower Intermediate Level in one year. The second-best record was reaching middle Novice-level in one year, whereas most people required one or two years to break through a single rank. Yet, in just one year, Connor attempted to ascend to lower Advanced-level, surpassing Quentin's record. As Connor pushed toward the lower Advanced-level, his battle energy spun wildly, forming an enormous vortex that extended to the edges of the waterfall's pool. The vortex was about to reach the shore. Suddenly, a roaring boom erupted from Connor's body. His battle energy fluctuated violently, and his strength doubled in an instant, exceeding his previous level. Boom! The moment he broke through to lower Advanced-level, the vortex exploded, sending water soaring into the sky and forming a massive hollow water column. Connor stood right in the center of it. As the water column crashed, a drenched Snow appeared on the shore. Snow flailed its tiny paws and growled angrily. Its snow-white fur was soaked and clung to its body, making it look utterly ridiculous. Connor burst into laughter as he walked out of the water. Grinning, he picked up a scroll. "I've finally reached the lower Advanced-level! Now I can train in the Tyrant Fist!" Over the past year, aside from training, even during meals, Connor had been studying the Tyrant Fist. He knew this technique was incredibly profound, so he had begun analyzing it long before being qualified to practice it. Through his research, Connor discovered that while the Tyrant Fist appeared to be a combat technique, it was fused with the dominance of thunder, the explosiveness of fire, the flexibility of water, the solidity of earth, and the swiftness of wind. It combined the characteristics of all five elements, integrating the essence of top-tier battle techniques. Rather than a single combat technique, it was more akin to the fusion of five elements and multiple high-level techniques. However, using it required substantial battle energy. The minimum cultivation level was lower Advanced-level. Any lower and the lack of energy would result in severe backlash. After reviewing the scroll once more, Connor put it away. He took a step back and assumed a stance. Following the training method described in the Tyrant Fist, he began practicing. Battle energy surged into his arms, which moved in interwoven, rapid motions. Simultaneously, his body swayed according to a precise rhythm. Once unleashed, the Tyrant Fist resembled the king of dragons. Fierce and imposing, its aura exuded overwhelming dominance. As he moved, rocks on the shore were swept into the air, flying chaotically in all directions, whistling through the air and striking nearby stones and trees with sharp, cracking sounds. Connor leaped and spun, his arms weaving through the air. His movements became an illusion of a dragon capable of toppling mountains. Each punch carried explosive force, generating powerful shockwaves. At last, Connor felt more in sync with the Tyrant Fist. With a mighty roar, he descended from midair and struck the ground with his fist. Boom! The earth trembled beneath his punch. From the point of impact, cracks radiated outward in all directions. Roar! The commotion in the mountains from Connor's training attracted a magical beast—a Demonic Bull, a lower Advanced-level creature. The bull was not only powerful but also wielded earth-elemental magic. Among lower Advanced-level magical beasts, it was a formidable foe. Awoken from the tremors, the Demonic Bull charged out of the forest in fury. Connor, still exhilarated from his breakthrough and newfound ability to train in the Tyrant Fist, casually pointed at the Demon Bull and beckoned with his finger. Enraged by the taunt, the Demonic Bull stomped its hooves, shaking the ground. Its immense strength cracked the solid earth, sending a fissure racing forward as if to split the mountain in two. Connor smirked, shrugged, and acted as if the bull's efforts were trivial. This provoked the beast further. With bloodthirsty eyes, the bull's black fur bristled, its fury reaching its peak. The enraged bull stomped the ground again. This time, it unleashed its earth magic—Earth Spikes. Countless sharp spikes erupted from the ground, aiming to pierce through and gravely injure or even kill Connor. Boom! Connor stomped his foot. A dominant shockwave burst from beneath him. Every single Earth Spike shattered instantly. Connor grinned at the bull and waved a finger—taunting, "Not good enough." Roar! The Demonic Bull charged in a frenzy. Renowned for its raw power, its charging force could crush countless beasts and warriors alike, easily shattering boulders over ten meters tall. Connor's eyes flashed coldly. Golden light flared in his hands as he threw a punch. Boom! Dazzling golden light blinded the area. Connor stood firm, unmoved. Meanwhile, the unstoppable Demonic Bull rolled backward for seven meters. This was the power of the Supreme Emperor Technique Connor strode forward. In just five steps, he reached the fallen beast. The bull, struggling to rise, lowered its head to ram him. "Die!" Connor threw another punch. With a final, anguished howl, the bull collapsed, dead. Excited, Snow jumped and scurried over, quickly gathering firewood beside the fallen bull. Connor rolled his eyes. He had thought Snow was celebrating his victory. As it turned out, it was just excited to eat the bull. After feasting, the duo burped in satisfaction. They then returned to the Shayle residence, where the heroic and beautiful Bailey was already waiting at the entrance. "What were you two up to?" Bailey asked.