Chapter 65: 2nd layer completed
Victor slowly closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to sink inward.
The eight breathing techniques flowed through his mind like eight vast rivers. Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wind, Lightning, Light, and Darkness. Each technique possessed its own unique circulation routes, its own rhythm, and its own method of drawing elemental energy into the body. Every pathway had been designed to suit a specific element, and every element followed laws that often contradicted the others.
Under ordinary circumstances, combining even two elemental breathing techniques would have been considered impossible. The conflicting energies would interfere with one another and destroy the entire cultivation process. Many talented practitioners had attempted similar experiments throughout history, and most of them had failed.
Attempting to combine all eight techniques at once was beyond madness.
Yet Victor remained perfectly still.
Hours passed without the slightest movement.
His breathing gradually slowed until it became almost imperceptible. The outside world faded from his awareness while his mind focused entirely upon the countless streams of information flowing through his consciousness. Every circulation route was examined. Every weakness was analyzed. Every contradiction was identified and corrected.
Within his mental world, the eight techniques continuously shifted and evolved.
Pathways merged together.
Unnecessary sections disappeared.
New structures emerged.
Time gradually lost all meaning.
Nova floated nearby and watched the process in complete silence. Even she did not dare interrupt him. She understood that Victor had entered a state of comprehension that few beings in existence could ever achieve. Any disturbance might break his concentration and ruin the entire process.
Ten hours passed.
Suddenly, Victor’s body trembled.
At that exact moment, a familiar mechanical voice echoed throughout his mind.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated.]
[Ding! Analyzing breathing techniques.]
[Ding! Fire Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Water Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Earth Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Metal Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Wind Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Lightning Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Light Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Darkness Breathing Technique integrated.]
[Ding! Creating new cultivation method.]
Countless symbols immediately appeared within Victor’s consciousness. Ancient runes, circulation diagrams, and streams of information flashed before his eyes at incredible speed. The process lasted only a few seconds, yet it felt much longer from his perspective.
Then everything stabilized.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension has successfully combined eight breathing techniques.]
[Ding! New cultivation technique created.]
[Ding! Eight Elemental Breathing Technique.]
Victor slowly opened his eyes.
A smile appeared on his face.
Success.
The new cultivation method flowed naturally through his mind. It was vastly superior to the original techniques. Rather than being a simple fusion of eight separate methods, it had become an entirely new system. The circulation routes were smoother, the energy conversion efficiency was greater, and the compatibility between the eight elements had reached a level that should not have been possible.
Nova immediately sensed the change.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him.
"You succeeded?"
Victor nodded calmly.
"The technique is complete."
For several moments, Nova simply stared at him.
The original breathing techniques had required countless generations of experts to develop and perfect. Entire civilizations had contributed to their creation. Victor had taken all of that knowledge and rewritten it in only ten hours.
"Monster," she muttered under her breath.
Victor ignored the comment.
His attention shifted toward the eight crystal vials resting before him.
The real challenge was only beginning.
Taking a deep breath, he reached forward and opened the first vial.
Crimson fire essence flowed out.
Then came azure water essence.
Golden earth essence.
Silver metal essence.
Emerald wind essence.
Violet lightning essence.
Radiant light essence.
Finally, pitch black darkness essence emerged from the final vial.
The moment the last seal was removed, powerful elemental fluctuations filled the entire room. The surrounding mana became unstable as the eight elemental essences interacted with one another.
Victor removed his shirt.
Without hesitation, he poured every drop of essence across his bare body.
The liquids spread across his skin and formed a thin layer that covered him completely.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Victor closed his eyes.
Then he activated the Eight Elemental Breathing Technique.
The reaction was instantaneous.
A violent explosion of energy erupted throughout the room.
The eight elemental essences came alive and rushed into his body simultaneously. They surged through his flesh, blood, and organs with terrifying force.
Victor’s body shook violently.
"Ahhhhhhh"
A scream escaped from his mouth.
The pain was beyond description.
It felt as though molten lava had been poured directly into every blood vessel and nerve within his body. Every cell seemed to be tearing itself apart under the pressure of the invading elemental energies.
Blood burst from his eyes.
More blood flowed from his nose.
The corners of his mouth became stained crimson.
Cracks rapidly spread across his skin.
Nova’s expression changed dramatically.
"This is insane!"
Even she had not expected the reaction to become this violent. The eight elemental essences were attempting to tear Victor apart from the inside. Any ordinary practitioner would have died within seconds.
Victor gritted his teeth and endured.
His vision blurred.
His entire body screamed for him to stop.
Instead, he raised one trembling hand.
"Regeneration."
A brilliant white light erupted around him.
Elite Rank Light Magic activated immediately.
Immense quantities of mana surged through his body. The damaged muscles began healing. Torn blood vessels regenerated. Ruined tissues reconstructed themselves at astonishing speed.
The destruction continued relentlessly.
The healing continued just as fiercely.
Soon the two opposing forces reached a perfect balance.
Nova stared in disbelief.
"What a ridiculous monster."
Mana cultivation and martial cultivation followed entirely different systems. Attempting to use both simultaneously should have been impossible. Yet Victor was forcing them to coexist through sheer ability.
The only reason the process remained stable was because his mana reserves were absurdly large.
His nearly limitless mana continuously fueled the regeneration spell while the breathing technique relentlessly tempered his body.
Hours passed.
The elemental essences circulated through every layer of his skin. They destroyed damaged structures and rebuilt them into stronger versions. The process repeated endlessly as the first layer of body refinement progressed.
Eventually, three hours passed.
The final traces of elemental essence settled.
Victor’s breathing gradually stabilized.
The unbearable pain finally disappeared.
When he opened his eyes, a powerful aura surged outward from his body.
His skin looked normal on the surface, yet every inch contained incredible durability. It felt as though a layer of invisible armor now protected him.
The first layer.
Skin Refinement.
Had been completed.
The remaining elemental essence gathered quietly within the left ventricle of his heart.
Nova immediately floated toward him.
"How much stronger are you?"
Victor clenched his fist.
The difference was obvious.
His body felt lighter.
Stronger.
More resilient.
A transparent status screen appeared before him.
[Physique: 460]
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"It increased by one hundred sixty points."
Nova froze.
"What?"
Victor repeated himself calmly.
"One hundred sixty."
The little AI nearly exploded from shock.
"That is impossible."
She immediately began calculating.
"One elemental technique normally provides around twenty points during the first layer. You cultivated all eight simultaneously."
Her eyes widened further.
"Eight times the effect."
She stared at Victor as if he were some impossible lifeform.
"If every layer provides similar growth, then your final physique will reach an absurd level."
Even she could not accurately estimate the outcome.
Victor was equally satisfied with the results.
Without wasting time, he shifted his focus toward the next stage.
Muscle Refinement.
The second layer.
The elemental essences resting within his heart suddenly became active as he activated the next phase of the technique.
The peaceful energy instantly transformed into a violent storm.
Thousands of streams of elemental power erupted from his heart and crashed directly into his muscles.
Victor’s entire body arched backward.
A horrifying scream filled the room.
The pain was at least ten times worse than before.
Every muscle fiber felt as though it was being shredded apart. His arms split open under the pressure. Cracks spread across his chest. Blood splattered onto the floor.
Even breathing became difficult.
Without hesitation, Victor cast Regeneration once again.
Brilliant healing light enveloped his body.
The damage slowed.
The recovery accelerated.
Another fragile balance was established.
Nova watched silently.
A complicated expression appeared on her face.
"He should be able to maintain this until the fourth layer."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But after that, things will become much more dangerous."
The later stages would involve organs, bones, marrow, and eventually the very foundation of the body itself.
Yet Victor never considered stopping.
Days passed.
One day became two.
Throughout the entire period, he remained seated in the same position. The elemental essences continuously destroyed and rebuilt his muscles. Every cycle made them denser, stronger, and more resilient than before.
Destroy.
Rebuild.
Destroy.
Rebuild.
The process repeated countless times.
Finally, two days later, the refinement ended.
Victor slowly opened his eyes.
A terrifying pressure spread throughout the room.
Every muscle beneath his skin contained explosive strength. He felt as though he could shatter mountains with his bare hands.
The status screen appeared again.
[Physique: 1260]
Nova immediately flew forward.
"How much did you gain?"
Victor looked at the number. A smile appeared on his face.
"Eight hundred points."
Silence filled the room.
Nova simply stared at him.
A single layer had increased his physique by more than many martial practitioners gained throughout entire cultivation realms.
After several seconds, she finally calmed herself.
"Will you begin the third layer now?"
Victor shook his head.
"No."
Nova blinked in surprise.
"No?"
Victor slowly stood.
His grimoire instantly appeared behind him. Ancient runes rotated across its cover while powerful mana fluctuations spread through the surrounding area.
"I am still a mage."
The pages of the grimoire turned slowly.
"My primary goal has always been magical advancement."
Nova remained silent as she listened.
Victor clenched his fist and felt the tremendous strength now flowing through his body.
"I only started martial cultivation because it can accelerate my future breakthroughs."
His gaze shifted toward the floating grimoire.
The physical foundation he needed had already been established. For now, further body refinement was no longer his priority.
Magic remained his true path.
"I have comprehended three elements so far."
"Seven still remain."
Five ordinary elements still awaited comprehension. Beyond them stood Space and Time, two concepts that were vastly more complex than ordinary elemental forces.
Even Victor could not accurately predict how difficult those comprehensions would become.
Then he sat down once more. The grimoire floated before him.
Victor closed his eyes.
Once again, he stepped into a world of endless comprehension.
