Zar had never heard of anything beyond the Mortal Rank, but even if there were such a thing within Verndale, it likely only existed in the abodes of Core Formation Realm Cultivators. Any Verndale citizens below such a realm would definitely have never been in possession of an Above-Mortal Rank Technique.
Although Zar could approximate the huge increase in his cultivation speed, it was far from precise. Wishing to see just how much his cultivation speed had increased, Zar started spamming the Lifespan button next to his Cultivation Level.
[10 years of cultivation with the Unmastered Low-Yellow 'Diamond Foundation' Technique and Inferior Tri-Heavenly Spirit Roots have allowed you to touch upon a whole new realm!]
[You have cultivated for 15 years with your Unmastered Low-Yellow 'Diamond Foundation' Technique and Inferior Tri-Heavenly Spirit Roots. Because of these above-average prospects, you have reached the point of undergoing Tribulations!]
[The 1st Lightning Bolt struck hard, yet you managed to get through it without a scratch.]
[The 2nd Lightning Bolt dealt twice as much damage as the first, but you survived with minimal injuries.]
[Lightning Bolt number 3 hit you like a freight train, knocking the wind out of you.]
[The 4th Lightning Bolt crashed down with a vengeance, giving you severe burns and serious internal bleeding.]
[The 5th Lightning Bolt killed you…]
"Welp," Zar shrugged. "This is why I have Lifespan."
[You have cultivated the Low-Yellow Diamond Foundation Technique for 30 years, yet even with that and your Inferior Tri-Heaven Spirit Roots, the Foundation Establishment Lightning Tribulation proved to be too much. You died on the 5th Lightning Bolt.]
[After 50 years of cultivation with the Low-Yellow Diamond Foundation Technique and Inferior Tri-Heaven Spirit Roots, you finally survived the 5th Lightning Bolt!]
[But the 6th Lightning Bolt quelled your ambitions…]
[Even after 75 years of cultivation, the 6th Lightning Bolt deemed you unworthy of life. You have failed the Lightning Tribulation!]
[The 6th Lightning Bolt has killed you!]
[You have failed…]
[You have failed…]
[You died…]
[You failed!]
[The 6th Lightning Bolt looks on at you in disappointment before killing you once more!]
[120 years of cultivation have led to the 6th Lightning Bolt murdering you one last time…]
[At 121 years of cultivation, you successfully survive the 6th Lightning Bolt!]
[The 7th Lightning Bolt strikes down with five times the strength, vanquishing you in an instant!]
[You died…]
[You failed…]
[You died and failed…]
[Died again. Failed again. Die and die. Fail and fail.]
[After dozens of deaths and 200 years of cultivation with the Low-Yellow Diamond Foundation and Inferior Tri-Heaven Spirit Roots, you finally survive the 7th Lightning Bolt!]
[Even if only within an inch of your life, you survive all seven Lightning Bolts, successfully crossing your Foundation Establishment Realm Lightning Tribulation!]
[Half-step Foundation Establishment → Foundation Establishment (1st Layer)]
[You have spent 230 years cultivating with the Low-Yellow Diamond Foundation Technique and Inferior Tri-Heaven Spirit Roots, bringing about a breakthrough into the 2nd Layer of Foundation Establishment!]
[After 275 years of cultivating while using the Low-Yellow Diamond Foundation Technique and Inferior Tri-Heaven Spirit Roots, you ultimately achieve a breakthrough into the 3rd Layer of Foundation Establishment!]
[320 years…]
[365 years…]
[Nearing the final hundred years of your lifespan, with 400 spent on cultivating with the Low-Yellow Diamond Foundation Technique, you achieve your last breakthrough!]
[Your cultivation settles down in the 6th Layer of Foundation Establishment!]
'Oh, sh*t!'
Feeling something massive well up from inside him, Zar almost immediately realized his blunder. He hadn't expected his cultivation to improve by so much in such a short timeframe, but now that it had, he needed to get as far away from Verndale as possible!
Zipping through the Great Forest of Jargon at increasingly quicker speeds, Zar just kept on running. As his aura exponentially rolled out in waves, worry crept onto his expression, for he feared there wouldn't be enough distance between him and Verndale even if he escaped to the very ends of the sectioned-off landmass.
But he had to try!
— Some time later, in the richer parts of Verndale —
A wizened old man inside a mythic-style manor suddenly looked toward the north. A bit of curiosity formed as he thought he felt something very unusual begin to surge.
However, after checking again, and more in-depth this time, he came up empty-handed. His Divine Sense picked up nothing more than the usual.
"Was it just my imagination?" he wondered before being abruptly interrupted by the slamming of a door.
"M-My apologies, Grandmaster Nero!" The man who burst through the door immediately bowed, nervously stuttering. "I-It's just that…"
"Just what?" Grandmaster Nero narrowed his eyes, slowly setting down the cup of tea he had been sipping on.
Gathering the necessary courage, the subordinate man replied, "One… One of your Hunter Parties has been wiped out! The one who did it then went on to slaughter several of our Foundation Establishment Realm Masters! And though we don't know who exactly this person is, we've been scouring the Great Forest of Jargon for months…!"
"Ho?" Grandmaster Nero grew intrigued. "I believe I heard tale of this recently. Well, have you found the culprit?"
Nervously, the now kneeling man answered, "N-No, not yet, Grandmaster Nero! B-But soon, we will—"
SPURT!
"Wha…"
With a friendly smile plastered across his wrinkled face, Grandmaster Nero emotionlessly watched as the headless corpse of a Peak Qi Condensation Realm Therian collapsed. Looking back out his window, the Grandmaster picked up his tea and began drinking it again.
"Deal with the problem," he commanded the figures hiding in his shadow. "Bring me back the corpse. Oh, and get someone to clean up this putrid mess. I don't like it when garbage is staining my perfectly good floors."
The shadowy figures gave no audible response, but with them leaving at swift speeds, their compliance was all but guaranteed.
"Someone in this small location actually still dares to go against the higher local powers?" Grandmaster Nero mused. "How unusual. Resources allotted to those not in the loop have been limited for this very reason, but it would appear that a few have escaped the net. I should report this higher up."
Taking out a transmission talisman, Grandmaster Nero had a private conversation with the ones who stationed him here.