A storm raged across the training grounds as Zhao Tian stood before his grandson, his expression unreadable. The sky above the Zhao Clan estate darkened with rolling clouds, mirroring the ominous intensity in the old man's gaze. The training had officially begun.
"From today, you are no longer a child," Zhao Tian's voice was like steel. "I will break you down completely… and forge you into something that even gods will fear."
The boy stood firm, his black hair flowing in the wind, eyes unwavering. There was no fear in him—only excitement. He had long waited for this moment.
🔥 The First Test: Physical Destruction
The first step in Zhao Tian's training was endurance. If the boy's body was to become a weapon, it needed to be unbreakable.
Zhao Tian threw him into a gravity chamber, increasing the force pressing down on his body until it was five times normal gravity. The ground beneath him cracked under the weight, and his body screamed in agony.
"Ten laps around the field," Zhao Tian commanded.
He gritted his teeth. He could barely lift his leg, but he forced himself to move. Every step sent shocks of pain through his muscles. By the time he completed the laps, his body was covered in sweat, and his muscles burned like fire.
"Good. Now do it again."
This time, Zhao Tian activated pressure talismans, doubling the weight. He collapsed to one knee but clenched his fists, dragging himself forward. He wouldn't quit. He couldn't.
❄️ The Ice & Fire Ordeal
After the brutal endurance session, Zhao Tian moved to the next phase: elemental resistance. He had the boy meditate beneath a freezing waterfall, where the water felt like knives slicing through his skin.
"Control your breathing," Zhao Tian instructed. "Feel the cold, but do not let it consume you."
He sat cross-legged, his body trembling violently. He could feel his qi circulating unconsciously, trying to adapt. After an hour, he no longer shivered—the cold no longer affected him.
"Good. Now, we move to fire."
Zhao Tian led him to a pit of flames, where he had to endure the heat without activating his qi defensively. Sweat poured from his skin, but his body slowly adjusted. He had no dantian to regulate his qi like normal cultivators, yet his body instinctively absorbed the energy from the flames.
Zhao Tian's eyes narrowed. "This kid… something is different about him."
👻 First Glimpse of Phantom Step & Suppression Palm
After endurance, it was time for martial techniques. Zhao Tian demonstrated Phantom Step, a technique that made the user's movements unpredictable, almost as if teleporting.
"This is the foundation of speed-based combat," Zhao Tian explained. "Copy my movements."
He watched closely, then tried to imitate. At first, he stumbled, unable to grasp the flow of movement. But as he kept repeating it, something strange happened—
His body started adjusting on its own.
His steps became lighter, his movements smoother. Within hours, he was performing the technique flawlessly.
Zhao Tian's brows raised in shock. "That fast?! Impossible…"
Next was the Heavenly Suppression Palm, a technique that crushed opponents with sheer force.
"Focus your energy into your palm, compress it, and then strike."
He followed the instructions, and when he unleashed the palm strike, the training dummy exploded into dust. Zhao Tian blinked.
"…We need to reinforce the dummies."
💭 A Memory Awakens…
That night, after a day of brutal training, he sat in meditation. As he closed his eyes, a memory surfaced—
A bedroom filled with manga posters. A screen glowing with anime. A voice speaking… his own voice…
"Reincarnation stories are the best. I'd love to live in one."
His eyes snapped open. That was not a dream.
The memories were fragmented, unclear, but something in his chest stirred. Who was he before? Why did he remember this now?
Zhao Tian noticed his distraction. "Something wrong?"
He shook his head. "No… I just feel like I've seen this all before."
"Good," Zhao Tian smirked. "Because tomorrow will be worse."
As he laid back on the ground, staring at the night sky, he couldn't help but smirk. This was just the beginning.
🔥 Next Chapter: True Martial Training Begins!