Chapter Forty-Five: Self-Destructive Cultivation

"That boy has a good character. I have no objection to you helping him. And who says one cannot advance their cultivation while practicing array formations?" Elder Wu, unwilling to be outdone by Elder Mo, spoke up before Lin Xiaobao could say anything.

"Then let us begin!" At this moment, Lin Xiaobao was unwilling to waste even a single second.

Following Elder Mo’s instructions, Lin Xiaobao prepared a vat of medicinal solution. Though there were parts of the formula he did not understand, he simply committed them to memory, deciding to ask about them in two years’ time.

Elder Wu then began inscribing a spirit-gathering array and a hundredfold gravity array on Lin Xiaobao’s body, using powder from second-grade spirit jades. This was already the maximum burden Lin Xiaobao could endure at his current level.

Next, Elder Mo had Lin Xiaobao set up dozens of massive Heavenly Stone blocks in the back garden. Heavenly Stones were similar to Star Stones, both common in this world. However, Star Stones were exceedingly heavy, while Heavenly Stones were exceptionally hard.

"The pinnacle of martial arts lies in strength, and from strength arises energy. If you wish to quickly surpass the Postnatal Warrior stage, you must continuously stimulate the dormant potential within your body. For now, temper your flesh; once you reach your physical limit, immerse yourself in the medicinal solution and train in the Supreme Celestial Fire Technique." When everything was ready, Elder Mo instructed.

When a martial artist cultivates their strength to the limit, they can develop a sense of qi and become a Postnatal Warrior. Afterward, most focus on cultivating the more potent internal energy, neglecting the fact that the body’s potential remains largely untapped. If one continues to temper the body during this stage, even greater reserves of qi can be forced out.

Yet, this process is not something ordinary people can endure. Moreover, only someone like Elder Mo, whose mastery of alchemy was profound and whose understanding of the human body had reached an extraordinary level, could devise such a method.

Stripping down to only his shorts, Lin Xiaobao gathered all his internal energy into his dantian, leaving none circulating through his body. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly sprinted forward and crashed headlong into a Heavenly Stone as tall as a man.

A muffled groan escaped him as he fell to the ground. Without the protection of his internal energy, Lin Xiaobao was no better off than an ordinary person; the impact made his organs churn painfully, and after retching a few times, he forced himself to stand and began the next round of collisions.

Again and again, he fell, and again and again, he rose. Apart from his deliberately protected face, the rest of his body soon became a bloody mess. The last time he collapsed, he lay on the ground for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the shock of the impacts and the torn flesh making him nearly give up.

At such moments, he would take out the Frost Order and look at the fifty thousand contribution points inscribed upon it, which gave him the strength to rise again and again.

"This boy is ruthless," Elder Mo murmured to Elder Wu, out of Lin Xiaobao’s earshot.

Elder Wu nodded. "Don’t be fooled by his usual selfishness. If someone treats him well, he will repay them with his life."

At last, Lin Xiaobao felt he could not even stand. Crawling and rolling, he plunged into the vat, the medicinal solution soothing his battered and broken skin with a tingling comfort. But there was no time to enjoy it—he immediately settled his mind and began cultivating the Supreme Celestial Fire Technique.

Soaked in Elder Mo’s meticulously concocted solution, as soon as he activated the technique, Lin Xiaobao felt internal energy continuously arise throughout his body, flowing into his meridians and, guided by the method, circulating before settling in his dantian.

Mixed with the internal energy were traces of spiritual energy absorbed by the spirit-gathering array. Since neither elder had warned him of any harm, and his sole focus was advancement, Lin Xiaobao welcomed it all.

Energy kept manifesting from his flesh, soothing his wounded body and spirit. Immersed in this state, he lost himself in the technique, pushing the Supreme Celestial Fire Technique to its limits.

After about three hours, when no more energy could be drawn out, Lin Xiaobao knew he had exhausted his body’s potential. Yet his injuries would still require two more hours in the medicinal bath to heal, and with his experience, he could now assess his wounds without Elder Mo’s guidance.

Time could not be wasted. Setting aside the Supreme Celestial Fire Technique, Lin Xiaobao began cultivating the Mindwave Technique. Though this technique did not enhance his cultivation, it was a powerful weapon in combat, and having tasted its benefits, Lin Xiaobao would not let this opportunity slip by.

Two hours later, Lin Xiaobao leaped from the vat and resumed his grueling regimen.

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Tian watched Lin Xiaobao abuse his own body, knowing full well that it was all for his sake. Several times he wanted to step forward and intervene, but in the end, he hardened his heart. Although Lin Xiaobao did this for him, Lin Tian understood that Lin Xiaobao’s late start in cultivation meant he would only achieve greatness through effort far beyond that of others.

From the beginning, Lin Tian had placed no hopes on Lin Xiaobao. Having advanced through the ranks himself, from Postnatal to Innate to the Spiritual Path, he knew that each step became harder, especially at the Innate stage, where accumulating spiritual power was so arduous that many could not advance even one level in a year.

But whether Lin Xiaobao obtained that inner core, or even if he failed to win the competition among the direct disciples, such relentless cultivation could bring him only benefits, not harm.

Still, witnessing such self-destructive training, Lin Tian could not help but feel compassion. Over time, he found himself visiting the back garden less and less.

Seasons changed, flowers bloomed and withered, and a year and a half passed as Lin Xiaobao trained ceaselessly, day and night.

Now, the gravity array on his body was set at a thousandfold, and the spirit-gathering array was inscribed with supreme-grade spirit jades. The medicinal ingredients used for his body soaks had also risen in quality, until, from the fifty thousand contribution points Lin Tian had given him, only a four-digit number remained on his Frost Order.

Submerged in the medicinal solution, Lin Xiaobao was drenched in sweat; his face turned from pale to red, then from red to purple, his whole body convulsing, teeth chattering as if enduring some unimaginable agony.

After another day, Lin Xiaobao’s face paled once more. He exhaled deeply, opened his eyes, and said with some impatience, "It’s always just a little bit short. What is the Dao? How does one truly comprehend it?"

Thanks to his extreme training, Lin Xiaobao had broken through from the fifth stage of the Postnatal Warrior realm to the Innate realm in merely half a year.

The Innate realm required the accumulation of spiritual power. With Elder Wu’s spirit-gathering array, Lin Xiaobao’s accumulation of spiritual energy was far beyond ordinary comprehension. Combined with his relentless self-torture to stimulate his potential, he reached the pinnacle of the ninth level of the Innate realm within a single year.

Yet, at this peak, he had spent an entire month striving in vain to break through to the Spiritual Path. No matter how hard he tried, he always fell short at the critical moment.