C12 Hardship Cultivation

Lee Yi was on the verge of achieving Small Completion, yet no matter how hard he tried, the final transformation eluded him. He executed the Sword Slashing Technique repeatedly, exerting himself to the limit, but to no avail.

Mastering the Sword Slashing Technique proved to be far more challenging than he had anticipated. Considering the short time he had been practicing, reaching the rudimentary level was quite an accomplishment. Many had attempted to master it before him, and some couldn't even grasp the basics after six months, let alone achieve Small Completion.

Nevertheless, Lee Yi's resolve was unshakable. He wasn't deterred by this setback. After much contemplation, he identified the root of his struggle.

The cultivation of the Sword Slashing Technique required a step-by-step approach. One needed to grasp the essence of the sword technique to a certain degree before progressing. This principle applied to all spells, but the Sword Slashing Technique demanded an exceptionally deep understanding.

Previously, Lee Yi had been fixated on cultivating rapidly, neglecting to fully comprehend the Sword Slashing Technique. This oversight led to an unstable foundation and an inevitable bottleneck.

With this realization, Lee Yi settled his mind. He refrained from mindlessly practicing the sword and instead devoted himself to understanding the Sword Slashing Technique, delving into its most esoteric aspects.

On the surface, the Sword Slashing Technique appeared straightforward. However, being derived from a move within the Heavenly Sword Technique, it harbored complex principles beneath its simplicity. These were conveyed in an incredibly subtle and concise manner, akin to a fog-enshrouded enigma, challenging to penetrate.

Lee Yi racked his brain, guessing and conjecturing, but made little headway.

Possessing the general principles of the Heavenly Sword Technique would have made comprehension smoother, but such knowledge was exceedingly rare, almost as unattainable as the heavens themselves for Lee Yi.

Most would have abandoned such a daunting challenge, opting to pursue other magical techniques. But Lee Yi was resolute, driven by an urgent need for power, leaving no room for retreat.

Days passed, with the sun rising and setting in its steady rhythm. Lee Yi remained motionless in the courtyard, his figure becoming one with the environment, dust and fallen leaves gathering on him unnoticed, as if he had transformed into a statue.

Seven days later, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Lee Yi's eyes snapped open. A subtle transformation had taken place within him, and his gaze brimmed with powerful self-assurance.

The fog that had once enshrouded the "Sword Slashing Technique" had at last cleared, revealing a bright clarity. Lee Yi could even faintly perceive the true essence of the enigmatic Heavenly Sword Technique.

With a single swing, eighty-one variations coalesced into an immensely heavy sword force that he unleashed with a fierce slash.

Boom! A deep fissure split the hard stone ground. Such a sword strike, if it were to land on a person, would cleave them in two instantly, rendering it unstoppable.

The "Sword Slashing Technique" had finally achieved the Small Completion state!

A smile of satisfaction spread across Lee Yi's face. His arduous days of training had paid off. Combined with the Wind Magical Power, this sword's might would be even more formidable.

It was well-known that the Sword Slashing Technique's strength lay in its forceful and potent strikes. Yet, this was also its flaw; the heaviness of the moves could make them predictable and easy to evade. This was one of the reasons the technique was considered of the Yellow Grade. However, the Wind Magical Power, unmatched in speed, excellently compensated for this shortcoming.

In turn, the Sword Slashing Technique compensated for the Wind Magical Power's deficiency in attack strength.

Cultivating the Wind Magical Power, however, was significantly more challenging than mastering the Sword Slashing Technique. Lee Yi had previously practiced with the Dark Iron Bow, but its effectiveness had waned. He needed to discover a more potent method.

After much contemplation, an idea struck him. "I've got it!"

Between Caflin City and the Nether Forest flowed a river known as the Heavenly River, spanning over ten thousand miles with fierce, surging waters that were unfathomably deep. The name "Heavenly" was given to signify that even the sky could be submerged by its might.

Furthermore, since the Heavenly River cut through the Nether Forest, it was home to various bizarre and formidable beasts. Drifting downstream, these creatures likely had lairs along different stretches of the river. The average person wouldn't dare enter the water; to do so could mean death without understanding how or why. Even those living near the riverbanks seldom dared to approach the treacherous waters.

In the dead of night, a young man emerged on the banks of the Heavy Sky River.

The water's roar was thunderous, echoing like a stampede of a thousand horses, enough to strike fear into anyone's heart. Yet, the young man's face bore an expression of unwavering resolve, showing not a hint of fear.

This youth was Lee Yi.

His purpose here was to practice the Wind Magical Power, though exactly how he intended to do so was unclear.

From his determined look, it seemed he planned to brave the treacherous currents of the Heavy River. But the river was known for its perilous flow, and beneath its surface lurked demonic beasts. Even with the Demon Refining Spell at his disposal, the underwater environment was alien to him. Moreover, as a human, he couldn't hope to match the aquatic prowess of the water-type demons.

Descending into the river would be fraught with danger, far more so than venturing into the Nether Forest.

Lee Yi stood motionless for a while, seemingly wrestling with the decision to descend. Eventually, he turned and started walking towards Caflin, apparently deeming the risk too great and opting to head back to the academy.

However, to everyone's surprise, he soon returned, this time with a colossal boulder on his back, towering over him and likely weighing thousands of pounds, resembling a moving mountain.

Each step he took caused the ground to quiver and rumble as if a massive beast tread upon the earth.

Lee Yi, undeterred by the Heavy River that others dared not even approach, was set on descending into its depths. Anyone witnessing this would surely think he had a death wish.

He stepped into the Heavy River and, in the blink of an eye, plunged beneath the surface, sinking faster than a falling star. The river's current was swift and merciless, capable of sweeping away an ordinary person in an instant. But with the boulder on his back, he sank like a needle steadying the sea, anchoring him to the riverbed.

Below, the currents were even more turbulent, the force of the water several times stronger than above. Lee Yi felt the relentless power pummeling him. Though the boulder's weight kept him steady, the impact of the water's force was undeniable, causing a dull ache in his chest and a profound discomfort.

The River Styx plunged nearly a hundred feet deep, and the immense pressure of its waters weighed heavily upon Lee Yi. The crushing force, compounded by the mass of the boulder and the river's powerful currents, made the task of moving against the flow an arduous one; even shifting his toes was a struggle.

Lee Yi could circulate the mana within his body to hold his breath temporarily, but even his substantial reserves had their limits. The significant drain on his energy meant he couldn't sustain this for long.

These challenges nearly drove Lee Yi to consider retreating to the shore, not to mention the added peril of a lurking demon beast that could heighten the danger at any moment.

Yet, driven by a desire to enhance his strength, Lee Yi persevered, silently invoking the Wind Magical Power. Suddenly, the water around him surged, and sediment swirled as a massive column of water enveloped him, easing the pressure significantly.

The potency of the Wind Magical Power was formidable. With renewed confidence, Lee Yi began to ascend against the current. With the power's aid, he took a painstaking step forward, each movement more laborious than a turtle's crawl.

On land, his speed was remarkable when he harnessed his magical power. But here, under such oppressive force, it was a feat just to move. Yet, it was precisely this extreme pressure that allowed him to refine his Qi and blood further, enhancing his mastery of the Wind Magical Power.

With each step, his Qi and blood grew denser. After about fifty steps, Lee Yi felt a noticeable lightness; his Wind Magical Power had leveled up, quickening his pace slightly.

This progress was incredibly motivating. Despite the vast depletion of his physical strength, the visible results gave him the drive to continue his upstream battle.

The depths were pitch-black, and visibility was non-existent. Lee Yi had chosen to train in the dead of night partly out of concern for attacks from demonic beasts. Typically, these creatures would have retreated to their nests to rest by this hour, significantly lowering the odds of an encounter.

After taking another hundred steps, Lee Yi felt his body lighten once more, and the might of his Wind Magical Power surged anew. Initially, his pace had been slower than a tortoise's, but now, it was nearly the same, even slightly quicker. In such conditions, even the slightest increase in speed became magnified once he reached the shore.

Lee Yi gritted his teeth and pressed on, losing himself in his determination to grow stronger. No amount of hardship could deter him; fatigue and pain were as if they didn't exist.

Two hours in, he managed to push himself to three hundred steps before pausing, his mind reeling from the immense depletion of his mana and physical strength. But his rest was brief; he resumed his grueling advance. The pain was intense, yet it served a purpose: to extract every ounce of his latent potential and catalyze his growth in power.

For a fortnight, Lee Yi dedicated his days to mastering the Sword Slashing Technique and his nights to honing his Wind Magical Power by the Heavy River. The blood essence of the Wind Wolf he had consumed was only partially assimilated. A remnant of it lingered deep within him, unmerged and untapped.

Beneath the crushing depths of the Heavy River, that dormant essence was finally roused and fully integrated, infusing Lee Yi's every bone and sinew with enhanced vigor.

One deep night, after what seemed an eternity of riverbed cultivation, Lee Yi could no longer recall the number of steps he had taken; it felt as though he had traversed endless terrains.

With a fierce roar echoing in his soul, Lee Yi suddenly sprang forth, striding mightily into the distance.