[DING]

[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully acquired a body barely capable of sustaining General Sun Wuk's spear technique.]

Finally, the agony came to an end. But I wasn't in the mood to stand just yet, so I just lay there and waited.

I raised my hand, and the sensation that filled me was slightly different from the simulation.

My body was weaker, less refined here, but there was no mistaking it—my cultivation had advanced. I had broken through to the Body Refining Stage.

To avoid confusion with the terms, I decided to follow the monk's cultivation path. If I remembered correctly, he had only reached the Qi Refining Stage.

In comparison, I estimated that General Sun Wang was at the Core Refining Stage, the next level after the Body Refining.

(Mortal Breathing > Root of Qi > Qi Refining> Body Refining > Core Refining and so on...)

The monk's memory held knowledge of higher stages, but to me, they seemed more like myths. They were secondhand information, filtered through stories rather than firsthand experience.

'System, why didn't I directly jump to Core Refining?'

I asked, posing the million-dollar question. But there was no answer.

[DING!]

[Rewards shall be granted in accordance with the Host's performance within the simulation.]

[Downloading Innate Skills…]

-Heavenly Spring Physique-

The host's muscles and tendons now possessed extraordinary elasticity. Each contraction stored and released kinetic force like a coiled spring, enabling explosive acceleration.

-Willow Vein Physique-

The host's inner pathways flexed and flowed like water through roots. Elixirs that would rupture ordinary bodies were calmly digested, their essence seamlessly distributed through the qi network.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the translucent screen.

These two innate gifts were the very reason General Sun Wang stood unrivaled, and now, they were mine.

Frankly, I only expected to gain a few skills from the simulation. But to think I would hit the jackpot right from the start… as expected of the Asura Grade.

Every other card looked like a toy next to it.

[Downloading Learned Skills…]

What—there's more? What the fuck?

Is it Christmas already? Did Santa hijack my system or something, dropping gifts like I've been on his nice list all year?

Before I could process what was happening, a series of notifications chimed in, sounding like jingle bells.

-Basic Spear Technique -

-Advanced Spear Technique -

-Master Spear Technique -

-Legendary Spear Technique-

Scenes and movements flashed before my eyes—countless drills, stances, and forms.

In that brief moment, I obtained what others would bleed decades for.

A grin tugged at my lips. The power-up was so absurd I actually felt like kissing my damn system.

[Downloading Active Skills...]

My grin froze halfway. Wait, more?

A shiver ran down my spine. It felt like I was burning through all my lifetime luck right here and now.

-Moon Devouring Spear Style-

Allows the Host to tap into the very essence of spear techniques from the School of Moon Devouring Arts.

When performing a technique related to this style, Strength and Speed are increased by 20%.

-Mountain Tempering Style-

A rare body art modeled after the resilience of mountain trees—firm in calm weather, flexible under the storm.

Host learned to shift his body between hardness and softness at will, letting force pass through or rebound with devastating power.

I raised my brow in disbelief. I was certain I never used the 'Mountain Tempering' in the simulation.

To think I managed to win with an incomplete form… it only proves how fearsome the true Sun Wang was. He could have ended that battle in mere seconds.

Now, I wondered how he would fare against the high ranking Seekers in this world.

Most of my guesses about rankings came from Ace's memories, which were based solely on watching the news and reading articles.

Personally, I only fought two people, and without knowing their ranks, I couldn't get a clear sense of where I stood.

It was better to discard all my initial assumptions and gather information firsthand.

'Time to get up,' I muttered, pushing myself off the ground—

crack!

My body shot upward, and I slammed face-first into the ceiling.

'Fuck, I misjudged my strength.'

Even though I had Sun Wang's powerful body, I still weighed less and needed to adjust my control.

Otherwise, I would end up breaking everything I touched.

With that in mind, I decided to use my free time to practice. I was too full of energy to sleep anyway, so might as well be productive.

Fortunately, this place got plenty of open space, and with my shadow ability, slipping through without alerting anyone was a piece of cake.

Out in the woods, I breathed in the cold night air. In this place, it didn't feel like the whole city was enclosed by walls—everything was just so massive in scale.

Raising my head, I saw the moon still hanging in the sky.

My breathing began to stabilize, and the light from it was soothing me.

'Shadow Manipulation.'

At my command, a spear—resembling the one I had used in the simulation—materialized. It formed faster prior to my rank up, and the details were more defined.

However, there was one thing off about it: the weight.

It felt as weightless as holding a paper, allowing for faster swings,

Yet, this lack of density countered the entire spear technique advantaged, which relied on mass to generate momentum.

The difference was like throwing a stone from a ten-story building versus tossing a feather.

Both traveled the same distance, but no one would argue that the stone would hit the ground faster and harder.

'Maybe I could increase its density if I focused,'

I tightened my grip on the spear and willed the shadows to obey.

'Think of it like building a foundation. Right now, the inside is hollow, so I just need to fill it up.'

Gradually, I felt more weight being added to the spear until it reached 20kg.

But beyond that, the energy consumption increased dramatically.

Sensing this, I started using my Qi as a replacement for the shadow energy.

It was just an experiment, but to my surprise, my Qi got converted pretty easily.

At the 50kg mark, things started to get interesting. My spear began expanding and widening, starting from the shaft.

This would defeat the purpose, so I focused harder to counter the expansion.

As I did, the spear began to vibrate and release black smoke.

Needless to say, the energy consumption doubled.

Sweat formed on my forehead as I focused on controlling my breathing to channel more Qi, but in the end, I reduced the weight and settled for 20kg.

Anything heavier would just be a waste of time and energy—and honestly, I was better off getting a real spear.

I stood in a neutral stance, my feet firmly planted, the shadow spear held lightly in my hands.

SWOOOSH!

My spear thrust forward, clean and sharp, the tip slicing the air. It wasn't as powerful as in the simulation, but the momentum was there.

Next, I swung into the sweeping technique, pulling the spear back and sending it in a wide arc.

Thanks to my spring‑like muscles and tendons, I could twist my wrist better, making my swings faster and more powerful.

SWOOOSH!

I continued experimenting with different pose and angles, giving my body the chance to adjust.

'This feels so good. I can't wait to test it in a real fight.'

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Author's Note: I've decided to post the second chapter later, along with the bonus chapter.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.