Chapter 48: The First Spar
The First Spar
Ten minutes later.
Victor finally walked out of the bathroom.
A fresh black robe covered his body.
Golden embroidery of a majestic dragon ran across the fabric, catching the light whenever he moved. The robe was simple, but it suited him far better than the clothes he had been wearing earlier.
Skyla walked beside him.
Her face was still crimson.
She wore her green robe, and despite the lingering blush on her cheeks, there was a bright smile on her face that she couldn’t quite hide.
Her blonde hair remained slightly damp from the bath.
A few strands rested against her cheeks.
Her green eyes sparkled with obvious happiness.
Victor glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
He couldn’t help smiling.
Skyla noticed the look.
“What?” she asked softly.
“Nothing.”
“You’re smiling.”
“So are you.”
Skyla’s cheeks immediately became even redder.
She looked away.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Victor chuckled.
He didn’t tease her any further.
The two of them eventually headed downstairs.
They ate dinner together.
The atmosphere was relaxed.
There was no hurry.
No fighting.
No cultivation.
Just a quiet meal after everything that had happened.
Skyla seemed unusually cheerful.
She talked more than usual, occasionally laughing at something Victor said.
Victor mostly listened.
Every now and then, their eyes met.
Whenever that happened, Skyla would quickly lower her gaze.
Victor found it amusing.
After dinner, they spent some more time together before eventually retiring for the night.
The day finally came to an end.
The next day.
Victor signed in again.
As soon as he completed the sign-in, the system rewarded him with ten Skin Tempering Pills.
Victor looked at the pills in his hand.
There was no hesitation.
He immediately began another round of body tempering.
The moment the medicinal energy entered his body, a familiar sensation spread through his skin.
During his previous tempering sessions, the pain had been intense.
This time, however, it was different.
The discomfort was still there.
But it was much easier to endure.
Victor sat quietly and allowed the medicinal energy to spread through his body.
It slowly seeped into his skin.
Every strand of energy seemed to burrow beneath the surface.
His skin tightened.
His muscles trembled slightly.
The medicinal energy continued to circulate.
With each passing moment, his skin became tougher.
More resilient.
Stronger.
It was gradually developing a durability similar to leather armor.
Victor could feel the difference.
His body was slowly changing.
It wasn’t some dramatic transformation that happened in an instant.
Instead, it was gradual.
Quiet.
Almost imperceptible.
But Victor knew his foundation was becoming stronger.
He continued until the tempering process was complete.
Only then did he open his eyes.
A faint gleam flashed through them.
Victor clenched his fist.
The feeling was different.
His body felt sturdier than before.
He was becoming increasingly resistant to physical damage.
That was exactly what he wanted.
Without wasting any time, Victor took out the Superior Grade Mana Stone.
He sat down and began cultivating.
Mana immediately began flowing toward him.
The Superior Grade Mana Stone contained a dense amount of energy.
It was far more useful than the ordinary stones he had used previously.
Victor guided the energy through his body.
His breathing gradually became slower.
His mind became focused.
One cycle.
Then another.
Time quietly passed.
As his cultivation continued to rise, Victor noticed something that had been bothering him for a while.
His cultivation speed was slowing down.
At first, the increase had been obvious.
Every session brought noticeable progress.
Now, however, things were different.
The higher he climbed, the more difficult each step became.
He needed more energy.
More concentration.
And more time.
Victor wasn’t surprised.
Cultivation had never been something that could be rushed forever.
The stronger he became, the harder it would be to advance.
He simply needed to adapt.
So he continued.
For the next four hours, Victor remained completely focused on cultivation.
He didn’t move.
He didn’t speak.
He didn’t allow his attention to wander.
The energy within his body grew denser.
His foundation continued to strengthen.
Eventually, a subtle change occurred.
Victor opened his eyes.
His cultivation had reached the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm.
He slowly exhaled.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Another breakthrough.
It wasn’t as dramatic as his earlier advancements.
But Victor knew that every increase mattered.
His body was becoming stronger.
His foundation was becoming more stable.
And, most importantly, he wasn’t relying purely on breakthroughs.
He was building his strength step by step.
Victor put away the Superior Grade Mana Stone.
After sitting for several more moments, he stood up and stretched.
His muscles felt slightly sore from the long cultivation session.
He didn’t mind.
That soreness reminded him that his body was changing.
Victor eventually left the room and walked into the garden.
The morning air felt refreshing.
A gentle breeze passed through the garden.
Leaves rustled softly overhead.
For a moment, everything was peaceful.
Then Victor heard something.
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
He stopped walking.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
There was another sound.
A sharp wooden impact.
Then another.
Victor turned his head toward the source.
“What are they doing?”
The sounds continued.
Victor became curious.
He followed the noise through the garden.
The farther he walked, the clearer the sounds became.
Soon, two figures entered his field of vision.
Victor stopped.
In the middle of the garden, Skyla and Lane were fighting with wooden swords.
Victor raised an eyebrow.
Neither of them was using a real weapon.
There was no killing intent.
This wasn’t an actual battle.
They were sparring.
Even so, Victor’s attention was immediately captured.
He remained where he was.
He didn’t interrupt them.
Instead, he watched.
The next exchange began.
Lane stepped forward.
Her wooden sword swept toward Skyla’s shoulder.
Skyla immediately shifted her body.
The wooden blade just passed few inches from her robe.
She countered with a quick strike.
Lane blocked it.
Clack!