Chapter Five: The Shortcut to Cultivation (Part Two)

Returning to his room, Zhao Li dove headfirst into the internet, searching for the military's method of achieving success. Although it was impossible for any explicit cultivation techniques to appear on public networks, some practitioners had detailed the effects of their training. The military's method could indeed swiftly shatter the bottleneck at the fourth level, and the approach was distinct from the gradual progression taught to the general public. What delighted Zhao Li most was that this method would not hinder the continued cultivation of advanced techniques in the future.

All Zhao Li wanted was confirmation of the legend's authenticity; now that he had it, his excitement was impossible to contain. If previous experiments showed that practicing the basic physique-strengthening technique only affected results below the third level, then what would happen if he skipped the first and second-level techniques entirely, moving straight from the basic strengthening to the military's method? That would mean leaping directly into the fourth level and quickly breaking through its bottleneck.

It was a bold idea, untested by anyone. Yet once the thought arose in Zhao Li's mind, it surged like a flood breaking through a dam, unstoppable and consuming all his focus.

He was determined to continue the basic strengthening technique; previously, he had planned to persist for only half a year. But now, a more tempting path lay before him. He could maintain the basic technique throughout high school, never revealing his secret, and it would not interfere with his military cultivation. When his progress accelerated, he could easily attribute it to the military method.

This perfect concealment of his secret was something Zhao Li had always hoped for. In high spirits, the inexplicable disturbances in his cultivation state seemed to vanish, and he resumed his practice.

Whether it was punishment or simply overexcitement, his training once again plunged him into a chaotic state. Waking from the haze, Zhao Li broke into a cold sweat, carefully checking his body, but found nothing amiss—only then did he relax.

Years of practicing the basic strengthening technique had made the cultivation route instinctive. Compared to others, Zhao Li's rapid progress meant the flow of true energy through his body was far greater than normal. His meridians, especially the central channels, seemed to have been widened into a high-speed highway; true energy coursed through them without resistance.

This meant that Zhao Li barely needed to consciously control the flow of his true energy. The foundational work was complete, his meridians fully adapted, and there were no longer any factors requiring intense focus during cultivation—hence the tendency to drift off during habitual practice.

In this respect, Zhao Li deserved the title of genius. He had completed his foundation in a third of the time it took others, achieving results superior to most.

Though Zhao Li always tried to concentrate, the physical comfort brought by cultivation easily lulled him into complacency, making it hard to stay alert for long. This made him cautious, and his parents noticed his training during the holidays seemed much more moderate; every day he waited at home, and the family shared a reunion dinner. Zhao Li no longer showed signs of confusion or worry.

Soon, Zhao Li realized that the warmer the family atmosphere, the happier everyone was, and the easier his practice became. He discovered that mood could influence results.

Still, the chaotic state during cultivation often returned. The first few times, Zhao Li was quite anxious, always checking himself carefully, but nothing was ever wrong. As it happened more often, he grew less concerned, only taking care to check his body, but without the former panic.

After a month, Zhao Li had completely adapted to these frequent chaotic states during practice. To be honest, they caused no harm and were even comfortable, allowing him to rest more thoroughly. He laughed at his previous nervousness, seeing no reason for alarm.

Another week would mark the start of school. Zhao Li contacted close friends several times, only to find they were all busy with their own cultivation. He wasn't anxious, continuing his practice at a steady pace. After all, it was basic training—nothing to worry about.

Awakening from one of those chaotic states, Zhao Li opened his eyes and habitually checked the time: it was only one o'clock at night. The room's lighting was soft, never harsh during practice. He got up and drank a glass of water prepared in advance, but suddenly his body shuddered and he quickly turned to check the time.

It was indeed a little past one, but Zhao Li broke out in a cold sweat. He remembered clearly checking the time before practice—it had been after eleven. Now, with the clock just past one, he'd spent nearly two hours in cultivation.

With his speed, two hours should allow true energy to circulate through his meridians a dozen times. But the problem was, nine cycles was the upper limit for the basic strengthening technique. Zhao Li normally completed nine cycles in less than an hour. This time, it had taken two hours—what did that mean?

He hurriedly checked his body again, finding no abnormalities, and felt somewhat reassured. He had checked himself many times before, so he didn't expect any strange results.

He tried another cycle of the strengthening technique; in just a few minutes, one cycle completed smoothly, true energy returning to his core—everything normal.

By now, Zhao Li was used to oddities in his body. Though a bit shocked, he wasn't particularly afraid; especially since nothing was wrong after inspection, his mind eased.

It was easy to understand that geniuses might experience things others did not. Zhao Li reassured himself, yet couldn't help but ponder: if his cultivation speed hadn't changed, then two hours of practice meant true energy had circulated at least a dozen times, exceeding the nine-cycle limit.