Embracing Moon Peak, Lakeside Training Ground
Under the amplified gravitational stress simulated by an array in inspiration of the Gravity Crag, Torvin ran with a pounding, ground-eating stride of a purely physical being pushing against unseen resistance. Sweat streamed down his face, soaking his plain Outer Disciple robes. Each step felt like wading through thick syrup, each breath a conscious effort.
[Bio-Interface: Gravitic Stress Simulation Active - Intensity Level: 8x Baseline. Physiological Strain: High. Cellular Adaptation Progress: Nominal. Qi Contamination Levels: Decreasing (Slowly). Recommend maintaining current intensity for optimal adaptation.]
Not far away, leaning casually against the branch of an ancient, crooked-neck willow tree, Wu Qingcheng observed him. Gone were the opulent palace robes and intricate hairpins. Today, she wore a practical, close-fitting crimson tunic and trousers, her obsidian hair tied back in a simple high ponytail. The attire emphasized her lithe, powerful form, radiating a sharp, focused energy, different from her usual imperial detachment.
'Eight times baseline gravity simulation.' Torvin thought, gritting his teeth as he rounded the lake again. And she calls this 'basic conditioning'. His Viltrumite smart atoms were constantly working, reconfiguring, strengthening under the stress, but it was a grueling process. Added to that was the lingering internal disruption from the Grand Elder's Qi attacks – his biology, fundamentally alien to this world's energy, struggled to purge or even adapt to the contamination. His regeneration was significantly slower than it should be.
'She watches. Analyzing. But there's nothing wrong with a beauty watching me...' He stole a glance towards the willow tree. Her presence was a constant pressure, distinct from the simulated gravity – the scrutiny of a predator examining potential prey, or perhaps, a researcher studying an anomaly. Her reasons for keeping me close… still unclear. Control? Curiosity? Strategic asset? Or just here to admire my looks?
"Focus!" Wu Qingcheng's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp as a whip crack. Simultaneously, a tiny pebble, flicked with casual precision, struck his left buttock with surprising force. "Your internal energy – your bloodline power – feels chaotic when you're distracted. Maintain concentration, even under duress."
'She can sense my thoughts? Damn! Her cultivation level allows for incredibly fine perception!' Torvin stumbled, momentarily losing rhythm. "Yes my Empress!," he grunted, forcing himself back into the punishing pace. 'Damn this simulated gravity!'
He completed another lap, lungs burning, muscles screaming. Wu Qingcheng gracefully dropped from the tree, landing silently beside the path as he approached.
"Sufficient for baseline exertion," she declared, though her expression suggested she found his current limits unimpressive. "Now, we address the core issue: your utter lack of qi, or specifically, integration with the world's ambient spiritual energy."
Wu Qingcheng waved a dismissive hand. "While your inherent physical power is… impressive, especially during those temporary surges, its incompatibility to harmonize with Qi renders it crude, inefficient even. True strength here requires harmonizing with the Dao, manipulating spiritual energy." She produced a shimmering scroll, bound with jade clasps. "We will attempt, once more, to ascertain if any conventional path is open to you."
Torvin eyed the scroll. "Purple Firmament Golden Phoenix Divine Scroll?" The name, ornate and gendered, seemed ridiculous. "An Upper Earth Grade technique," Wu Qingcheng stated, a hint of pride in her tone despite herself. This was a manual coveted by countless cultivators.
"Long name," Torvin muttered under his breath. "and it sounds ga— effeminate."
Wu Qingcheng's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You dare find fault?"
"Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!," Torvin amended quickly, remembering the earlier pressure and the convenient needle jabs. "Is there perhaps a Heaven's Way Tribulation Lightning Art? Heretic God's Secret Arts? Or something more… suitable?"
"Insolence!" Wu Qingcheng snapped. "Countless disciples would bleed for a chance to glimpse an Earth Grade manual! You dare complain about the name? Attempt the cultivation sequence. Now."
'A real man knows when pragmatism outweighs pride.' Torvin sighed internally. He accepted the scroll, sat cross-legged on the grass as instructed, and unfurled it. Intricate diagrams, flowing script detailing Qi pathways, dantian rotation methods… It was utterly alien, conceptually incompatible with his understanding of his own Viltrumite biology. Still, he made a genuine effort, following the initial breathing patterns, attempting to sense the 'ambient spiritual energy' the scroll described.
Half an hour later, the result was unchanged. Nothing. No Qi sensation, no internal energy flow, just the steady thrum of his own alien physiology and the faint, persistent ache from his injuries.
[Bio-Interface: Attempting Qi Cultivation Interface... Failed. No resonant energy pathways detected. Conclusion: Host physiology incompatible with standard Sifang Continent Qi cultivation methodologies.]
Wu Qingcheng watched his failed attempt, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features before being quickly masked. She had held a sliver of hope, despite Bai Ji's assessment, that the Aptitude Stele had somehow malfunctioned. The reality, however, seemed clear. He was a physical anomaly, potent in short bursts, but fundamentally disconnected from the world's power system.
She turned away, walking towards the edge of the lake, hugging her knees as she sat gazing across the water. Her back, usually held ramrod straight with imperial bearing, seemed momentarily slumped. An Emperor Realm cultivator… bound to a consort utterly incapable of sharing her path. The political implications were initially complex, but the personal reality… unexpectedly disheartening. She had chosen him for his anomalous nature, his potential as an unknown factor, a tool. Yet, a small, rarely acknowledged part of her had hoped for… more.
Torvin observed her quiet disappointment. He couldn't truly comprehend the nuances of a cultivator's desire for a compatible Dao partner, but he recognized setback, frustration. His inability to conform to this world's power structure was clearly a complication for her plans, whatever they might be.
He stood up, dusting off his robes. The cultivation scroll felt useless in his hands. On impulse, driven partly by a desire to break the melancholic atmosphere and partly by sheer pragmatism, he tossed the valuable Earth Grade manual into the lake with a quiet plop.
Wu Qingcheng spun around, alerted by the sound, phoenix eyes flashing with anger. "You dare?! That scroll—!"
Before she could unleash her fury, Torvin acted again. He reached into his spatial ring – Bai Ji's reluctant gift, now serving as his primary inventory – and pulled out the strange, metallic artifact he had previously given Bai Ji. It was another dead smartphone.
"A distraction," Torvin stated, holding it up. He pressed the power button – a futile gesture, he knew, but meant to draw her attention.
Wu Qingcheng paused, her anger momentarily overridden by curiosity. 'It's that strange object again.' She watched as Torvin tapped futilely at the dark screen.
"This device to you remains unknown," Torvin continued, "but its construction is unique. Perhaps analyzing its internal structure could yield insights? A puzzle, to occupy the mind." He offered it towards her, not as a gift, but as an object of mutual interest, a change of subject.
Wu Qingcheng hesitated, then slowly walked over, taking the inert phone. She turned it over in her hands, examining the unfamiliar symbols, the smooth glass, the strange ports. It pulsed with no Qi, held no discernible power, yet felt… alien— a genuine mystery in a world where most things could eventually be categorized by cultivation principles.
"Indeed," she murmured, her curiosity momentarily eclipsing her disappointment. "Its origins are… perplexing." She pocketed the device. "Return to your conditioning. I am going to double the intensity of the array."
Torvin nodded, accepting the command. Back to the grind. He turned back towards the lakeside path, focusing inward.
[Bio-Interface: Adjusting to Gravitic Stress Simulation. New Intensity Level: 16x Baseline. Warning: Physiological strain approaching critical limits. Monitor closely.]
He took a step, and his knees nearly buckled under the immense internal resistance. 'Sixteen Gs… this is going to hurt.' But pain was progress. Everything was for becoming stronger.
'Strong enough to understand this world, strong enough to survive Wu Qingcheng, strong enough, eventually, to leave.'