Chapter 5: Martial Artists

Words : 2345 Updated : May 22nd, 2025

Liam slowly opened his eyes. If anyone had been paying attention, they'd have seen his eyes shining brightly. After a while, the light slowly faded. "This Astral Tempering Technique is the top Foundation Establishment method. After just my first try, I broke right through into the early Foundation Establishment stage. If I keep going at this pace, I'll hit Profound Enlightenment in six months," Liam thought. He hadn't expected to make such fast progress on Earth, a wasteland for cultivation. It showed just how amazing the Grandpath Sect's Foundation Establishment method was. Liam stood up and gave himself a good shake. His body made a series of cracking and popping sounds. He clenched his fist, feeling like his whole body was overflowing with strength. Suddenly, he threw a punch at a nearby willow tree. The old tree was so big it would take two people to wrap their arms around it, but it shook like crazy and dropped many leaves. When Liam pulled his fist back, he saw a fist-sized dent several inches deep in the trunk. The willow tree must've been over a hundred years old, and it was tough. A punch like that would go straight through a person. Breaking the whole tree with a single punch would be nothing once Liam got further along. He hadn't even used his true essence, just pure physical strength. The Astral Tempering Technique worked on both energy and the body. At this point, Liam was already half a superhuman. But this was nothing compared to his past life when he could crush stars with a snap of his fingers. "Still got a long way to go," he sighed. Just then, he saw the sun rising over the lake and realized he'd been sitting there all night. Weirdly enough, he didn't feel tired. He felt great. The only problem was that his stomach was growling like crazy. He was still a mortal and hadn't reached the stage where he could skip meals. Of course, he was starving after not eating all day and night. Liam patted his stomach and decided to head back for a good meal. Three people came walking toward him as soon as he left the willow grove. A woman in a white martial arts uniform was helping an old man who looked about seventy. Behind them was a young guy with sharp eyes who seemed harsh. The most eye-catching was the woman in the martial arts outfit. She had a calm, aloof vibe, was tall and athletic, and her chest was hard to ignore. She was just as attractive as Catherine, but had more of a badass, heroic feel. Liam still rode high from his breakthrough and didn't pay them much attention. He just glanced at them and kept walking. However, the three of them had noticed him. As they passed each other, the young guy stared at Liam hard. After Liam walked off, he looked back at the old man, as if asking for instructions. The old man just shook his head. "Probably just some kid out for a run. Pure coincidence." Back at the Lakeside Community, Liam hit up a breakfast stand and stuffed himself. Then he swung by the supermarket for daily products and stopped at a shop to order herbs. By the time he got home, it was already noon. Just then, Leila called and asked if he wanted to come for lunch. But the thought of dealing with George and Catherine's icy faces hurt his head, so he said he needed to study and turned her down. After he hung up, he realized that his parents hadn't called to check in since he had come to Cadell City for school. Did they even care at all? "Honestly, I think Mrs. Leila cares more about me than my mom does," Liam thought, shaking his head. But he quickly put those thoughts out of his mind. The herbs he ordered had already arrived. Just relying on cultivation alone was too slow. Even though the herbs on Earth were young and not that potent, they were better than nothing. Liam didn't bother with complicated stuff like herbal baths. He drew a formation on the floor, sat inside it, and spread the herbs around. He activated the array with a snap of his fingers, and fragrant smells drifted toward him. Spirit Seizing Array was one of the most basic formations in the cultivation world. Anyone at Foundation Establishment could set one up. It draws out the spiritual energy from herbs and allows you to absorb it. The cultivation world at the center of the universe had all kinds of advanced techniques. Nobody bothered with old-school stuff like boiling, stewing, and soaking herbs anymore. That was for amateurs. Depending on how well you set it up, the Spirit Seizing Array could suck energy from not just spiritual herbs but all kinds of materials, such as spirit stones, spirit jade, and even spiritual treasures. Liam was no doubt a top-level array master. He kept cultivating until evening before opening his eyes. "One afternoon of training beats a whole night's worth of progress. Too bad I can't keep this up," Liam frowned. "These herbs are so average, but cost a fortune. The money Mom gave me is almost gone. There's barely enough left for another round." "Guess I'll have to go back to that spiritual hotspot from last night," Liam thought. Who would've thought that even a big-shot cultivator like him would end up broke? "Seriously, why doesn't my rich mom give me more pocket money?" he grumbled. After a good night's sleep, Liam woke up around 5 a.m. and ran straight to the cultivation spot he found yesterday. But when he arrived, he was shocked to see someone else had already claimed it. That same woman in the white martial arts uniform was practicing her moves under the lakeside willow tree. The old man stood nearby, sometimes coughing and giving her pointers. The tough-looking young guy leaned against a black SUV, watching everything. "Weren't they the three from yesterday morning?" Liam wondered, approaching. The elder glanced at him but then returned his attention to the woman. Yesterday, Liam had hurried off without observing closely, but now he noticed something different. The woman had a tall, graceful figure, striking features, and an athletic, spirited presence. Her movements were powerful, and her waist accentuated her striking chest, a unique blend of grace and strength. Yet, Liam sensed traces of true essence within her. "Could she be a cultivator?" Liam was astonished, not expecting to encounter a fellow cultivator on Earth. "No, wait!" On closer inspection, he noticed something amiss. "Her true essence is far inferior to that of a real cultivator. With such weak true essence, she couldn't cast a spell or even draw a talisman." Examining her martial arts attire and the elderly man's silent guidance, Liam realized, "Is this what they call inner strength?" Growing up in Chiton and watching martial arts dramas, Liam was familiar with martial arts and inner strength. But as he matured, he realized martial arts were fictional. Yet, as a cultivator, he occasionally pondered whether martial arts might be a diluted form of cultivation. Like Liam, who, even at the Foundation Establishment stage, could exert tremendous physical power without using his true essence. In martial arts novels, he'd be considered a master. However, the woman's inner strength paled compared to a cultivator's true essence or magical power. Martial artists were like gasoline-powered cars, while cultivators' true essence was aviation fuel, capable of propelling planes or even rockets. Though both were fuels, the difference was vast. As the skills advanced, cultivators could wield spells, divine abilities, and treasures, even harnessing the forces of nature. Realizing this, Liam understood the vast gulf between the woman and true cultivators. He relaxed and, observing her martial arts, couldn't help but shake his head. His shaking didn't go unnoticed by the woman. Annoyed by his scrutinizing gaze and dismissive shake, she stopped her practice and approached him with a calm expression. "Why are you shaking your head? Do you even know what you're looking at?" she shot back.

Chapter 5: Martial Artists

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