In the world of cultivation, strength was not inherited—it was climbed.
One breath at a time. One scar at a time.
And every step began with a single, unshakable foundation.
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🧘♂️ **The Path of Power – Cultivation in the wilderness World**
Cultivation was divided into four major stages, each consisting of **nine levels** of advancement. These realms shaped the mortal body into something capable of carrying divine might, bridging the gap between dust and eternity.
1. **Foundation Building Realm**
The very beginning.
The cultivator awakens the dormant potential within their body and stabilizes their inner balance.
It lays the **spiritual groundwork** for all future progress.
Without a solid foundation, any advancement beyond this stage would be flawed—and fatal.
2. **Muscle and Skin Forging Realm**
A stage of external strengthening.
Skin is tempered to resist cuts and blades.
Muscles are trained to burst with explosive strength and rapid response.
It is the realm where the body begins to separate itself from that of mortals.
3. **Blood Refining and Bone Polishing Realm**
A painful but vital transformation.
The blood is refined to carry spiritual energy more efficiently, and the bones are hardened, often shattered and regrown through brutal tempering.
After this realm, a cultivator's body is said to be nearly indestructible among mortals.
4. **Energy Condensation Realm**
The realm where the cultivator finally makes direct contact with **Qi**—the energy of Heaven and Earth.
Spiritual essence begins to take form within the dantian, slowly unlocking mystical abilities and techniques.
Once a cultivator reaches the **peak of Energy Condensation**, they are recognized as a:
🥋 **Martial Artist**
The title is not honorary. It is the gateway to a true path.
Martial Artists can channel Qi, use spiritual techniques, and begin forging their legacy.
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In this structured world, advancement was everything.
And so was secrecy.
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Thunderstorms were not rare in the Wilderness Continent. Lightning fell without warning across forests, mountains, and cities alike—often triggered by powerful cultivators making breakthroughs or dueling across the skies.
No one paid it much attention.
And if anyone had noticed the pillar of divine thunder that had reduced a remote hut to ash three days ago, they would have dismissed it like any other strange fluctuation of Heaven's mood.
Even if they discovered it had fallen near Shadow's quarters… they would have scoffed.
> "A waste can't cause a storm."
> "Lightning? Probably a mistake."
> "He won't last another week anyway."
And so, **Shadow remained hidden in plain sight.**
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His body was still wrapped in pain, but the core had stabilized.
The **Heaven-Stealing Sutra** was functioning.
And Shadow had reached the **first level of the Foundation Building Realm.**
Slowly, he rose to his feet, wincing with every movement. His muscles ached. His skin was tender. But he stood tall.
Eyes calm.
> "Now that I've stepped into the first level of Foundation Establishment," he murmured, "I qualify to enter the **Martial Arts Pavilion.**"
He turned toward the inner sect road in the distance. The Martial Pavilion stood behind it—an ancient structure where approved disciples could select martial techniques according to their cultivation rank.
In most sects, only inner disciples had access to even basic martial forms.
But Verdant Moon, despite being a third-rate sect, offered a rare opportunity: any outer disciple who reached Foundation Building could choose **two techniques**—a reward for effort, and a test of self-control.
> "It's time I picked mine."
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### 📜 **Martial Arts – The Ranking System**
Martial arts were not equal.
They were ranked according to their **material grade** and **tier**, reflecting their origin, power, and complexity:
1. **Wood Rank**
- The most basic forms.
- Used for training, refining movement, and reinforcing fundamentals.
- Split into: *Low*, *Mid*, and *High Wood*.
2. **Iron Rank**
- The first true combat techniques.
- Strong enough to harm beasts and low-level cultivators.
- Often used by outer disciples across smaller sects.
- Split into: *Low*, *Mid*, *High Iron*.
3. **Bronze Rank**
- Rare and powerful techniques.
- Require deeper comprehension and stronger bodies.
- Only available in **first-rate sects** or by royal permission.
- Some high-ranking Bronze skills can level cities.
Above these, in legend only:
4. **Silver Rank**
- Said to command the environment—wind, flame, thunder.
- No record of anyone ever using them in living memory.
5. **Gold Rank**
- Divine.
- Techniques that warp reality.
- Believed to be created by the ancestors of the Great Empire themselves.
But Shadow wasn't seeking myths.
> "Even a low-tier Iron technique… if understood deeply… can become deadly."
He had no Qi to waste.
He had no sect master to guide him.
But he had one thing they all underestimated.
> **Comprehension.**
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Shadow smiled faintly.
He wouldn't rush.
He wouldn't show off.
He would walk into the Martial Arts Pavilion like a fragile outer disciple.
Choose something simple.
And start watching.
> "I need a blade technique. Control. Observation."
> "A simple footwork technique… and a basic palm art, first observe and decide."
> "The rest, I'll learn by watching others fail."
He turned his back to the ruined hut, now silent and cold.
What had once been a grave… was now a forge.
And he had been reborn.
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