Long Zai Tian returned to the Heaven Awakening World to find a new dawn breaking over the village. He headed straight to the [Origin] platform and summoned new residents. Twenty-five people appeared: thirteen able-bodied men, five young women ranging from their teens to their thirties, three elderly men, and five young boys. Among them, four possessed Silver-grade talent, and one man held a Gold-grade talent.
After welcoming them, Long Zai Tian took the thirteen men to the [profession Change] platform and turned them into soldiers. This brought his total force to 23 soldiers. He handed them over to Bai Qi to integrate into the training drills. Meanwhile, he ordered some soldiers to gather timber for additional housing.
Later, he spoke with Li Si, noting that it was time for the people to eat meat, making hunting a necessity. He then commanded Bai Qi to assemble the soldiers for their first hunt. Armed with swords and bows from the smithy, the group ventured into the forest.
In the woods, they successfully hunted several ordinary rabbits and birds. Suddenly, a magical beast lunged from the tall grass. It was a Violent Flame Rabbit—larger than a dog, hideous and feral, far different from a normal rabbit. It glowed with a menacing orange-red aura and immediately spat a fireball toward them. The young soldiers dodged quickly, and with the speed of the wind, Bai Qi struck. With a single flash of his blade, he decapitated the beast.
[Ding! System Alert: Your General, Bai Qi, has slain an Elite Magic Beast: Violent Flame Rabbit. He has gained 6 Achievement Points.]
[Ding! You have gained 3 Achievement Points.]
Long Zai Tian and his retinue continued their hunt for two more hours before returning to the village with an abundant harvest of deer, rabbits, and birds. The residents gathered around, eyes wide at the sight of the bountiful haul, and immediately began lighting fires to prepare the feast. Long Zai Tian entered the [Village Hall], where he took the wheat seeds and handed them to the young women, instructing them to begin planting in the fields.
Soon, the aroma of roasting meat filled the air. The atmosphere was celebratory and warm as everyone sat around the fires. Long Zai Tian joined them, and for an hour, the village was alive with vibrant conversation and the joy of a shared meal.
Eventually, Long Zai Tian stood up, drawing the attention of everyone present.
"Where are you heading, Your Majesty?" Li Si asked respectfully.
"I am going to my manor to cultivate," Long Zai Tian replied. "Continue your meal; do not let me disturb you."
"As you wish, My Lord. If you require anything, please inform me," Li Si said.
"I will, Li Si."
Long Zai Tian turned and walked toward his manor. Once inside his private chamber, he sat in a meditative posture and began to chant the Great Qin Cultivation Mantra:
Tian ming gui Qin…
(The Mandate of Heaven returns to Qin)
Huang tian zai shang, hou tu zai xia…
(The august heavens stand above, the yielding earth lies below)
Di qi fan yong, hei long mai bo su xing…
(Earth's Qi surges forth, the Black Dragon's pulse awakens)
San qi gui yuan, ba fang ding xu…
(Three energies return to one, the eight directions stabilize)
Hun dun shou xu, wan xiang gui xu…
(Chaos submits to order, all forms return to their origin)
Yi wo zhi ming, lian qi hua yuan…
(By my command, Qi is refined into essence)
Yi wo zhi ling, kai mai tong tian…
(By my will, the meridians open and reach the heavens)
Hei long mai bo ting ling… bu de bu cong…
(The Black Dragon's pulse hears my decree—it cannot refuse)
Di qi ru chao… bu de bu ju…
(Earth Qi rises like a tide—it cannot but gather)
Zhong zi po ke… gen xu shen zha…
(Seeds break their shell, roots pierce the void)
Wan wu fu su… sheng ming zai xing…
(All things revive—life stirs once more)
Gui yu yi… ning yu xin…
(Return to unity… settle within me)
Wan ling gong shou… gong ying Qin ming…
(All spirits bow—and answer the command of Qin)
Wan wu… cun!
(All things… Be)
Black Qi began to gather around him, a darkness as deep as the void—the unique aura of the Great Qin Mantra. The energy coalesced before surging into his body. As it flooded his meridians, the chime of the system echoed in his mind:
[Ding! You have broken through to the Strength Training stage.]
In this world, the first seven stages of cultivation were:
1. Strength Training
2. Flesh Training
3. Viscera Training
4. Altering Muscle
5. Bone Forging
6. Pulse Condensation
7. Tempering Marrow
Following these were the Houtian and Xiantian realms, and the stages beyond. However, a cultivator was only considered "true" once they reached Pulse Condensation, the stage where the meridians fully open, allowing Qi to flow through them freely. The seventh stage, Tempering Marrow, was an optional path for those seeking to master the Body Transformation system. It provided the skeletal foundation and physical durability required for the higher levels of the Eight Gates of Hidden Celestial Stems.
Long Zai Tian was ambitious. He intended to cultivate the three Great Paths: Body, Soul, and Energy. He knew with absolute certainty that if he achieved success across all three paths simultaneously, he would become truly invincible under the heavens.
Long Zai Tian continued his cultivation relentlessly until he reached the peak of the third stage: Viscera Training.
At that moment, he took a deep breath, drawing in the essence of the room, and exhaled with sudden force. A sharp arrow of air shot from his mouth, cutting through the space for a full meter before vanishing.
"My strength has been forged, my flesh tempered and hardened, and my internal organs have been reshaped by Qi," Long Zai Tian muttered to himself. "My breath is now long and continuous, like the breath of a serpent—the true mark of the Viscera Training stage. To think I reached this level in just a single cultivation session... truly remarkable."
Long Zai Tian continued his cultivation throughout the night until the first light of dawn broke. By then, he had reached the peak of the fourth stage: Altering Muscle.
He leapt from his bed with a brilliant, fluid motion, his feet landing on the floor with a lightness that belied their immense power. With this newfound strength, he felt as though he could almost take flight. He threw a sudden punch into the empty air, and the force of the strike produced a sharp, thunderous crack.
"I must be careful with this new power," Long Zai Tian whispered to himself. "I am now at the fourth stage, the stage of Muscle Alteration. An ordinary soldier at this level possesses a strength of 4,000 kg. But with my Jade Rank and Imperial Bloodline, my strength is doubled—8,000 kg. This is truly refreshing. I can hardly imagine the heights I will reach in the higher realms..."