He had successfully broken through to the Qi Gathering Realm, Third Stage, a feat of silent, unheralded genius. His spiritual core, once a boundless sea, was now a nascent ember, steadily drawing in the 'life force' of this world, adapting his ancient techniques to its unique spiritual essence. Yet, he knew this was merely the beginning of the spiritual path. The other half of his chosen dual cultivation—the physique cultivation—demanded immediate and specialized attention.
At four years old, Ace's body was a marvel of innate purity and accelerated growth, thanks to the constant intake of 'nutrient meat' and the subtle absorption of ambient 'life force.' He was stronger, faster, and more resilient than any normal child his age, his movements unnervingly precise. However, it remained the body of a four-year-old. It was small, its bones still pliable, its nascent muscular structure too fragile for the rigorous, bone-shattering, meridian-forging exercises he had once performed in his past life.
To push this immature physique too hard would be catastrophic, Jiang Chen mused, perched on a sun-warmed rock overlooking the sprawling East Blue. His small hands, surprisingly firm, clutched a freshly caught fish—his silent contribution to Dadan's larder, and a continuous source of high-quality energy for himself. My physical foundation, though pure, is nascent. Any heavy impact, any overly strenuous training, could lead to micro-fractures, stunted growth, or even irreparable damage to the very meridians I am meticulously re-establishing. That would set me back decades, perhaps even centuries.
His goal was to lay an unshakeable foundation for his 'special physique', a vessel capable of housing immense spiritual power and perfectly integrating any future Devil Fruit's 'Dao fragment' without suffering the hidden damage he now understood so intimately. This required a subtle, methodical approach, a tempering rather than a brute-force assault.
He closed his eyes, dipping into the vast, crystalline ocean of his past memories—a boundless library of cultivation knowledge accumulated over millennia. He bypassed the galaxy-shattering martial arts, the continent-splitting body refinement techniques, the methods suited for an adult, or even adolescent, body. He delved deeper, searching for the ancient, forgotten arts, the fundamental teachings from the dawn of cultivation, designed for the most delicate and nascent of forms.
A spark ignited in his mind. Ah, yes. The "Turtle Breathing Tempering Technique."
The name itself brought a faint, internal grin to his lips. It was an archaic method, often overlooked by ambitious young cultivators eager for rapid, flashy progress. It focused not on explosive power or aggressive energy absorption, but on slow, steady, foundational strengthening. It taught deep, rhythmic breathing patterns coupled with isometric contractions and subtle internal energy circulation, gradually enhancing bone density, toughening muscles, and purifying blood. Its true power lay in its ability to slowly, meticulously refine the very essence of the body, making it a perfect vessel for future growth. It was like forging a supreme weapon from the ground up, starting with the purest ore and tempering it painstakingly, patiently, over countless cycles.
This is it. Perfect. His mind, usually reserved, felt a surge of genuine excitement. It's perfectly suited for an infant. It will not cause undue stress, yet it will temper my body at a cellular level, ensuring unparalleled density and resilience for the next breakthrough into the Qi and Blood Realm.
He knew the Qi and Blood Realm was crucial for physique cultivation. It was the stage where one's bloodline was purified, and the physical body began to truly awaken its latent potential. While his spiritual cultivation was focused on 'life force' from universe and 'sea spirit' absorption, his physical cultivation needed dense, internal refinement, starting with the very flow of his blood.
The very next day, Ace began his new routine. He found a secluded spot behind the bandit hut, hidden by thick underbrush and the natural contours of the mountain. Here, unseen by Dadan or the rough-and-tumble bandits, he began to practice the Turtle Breathing Tempering Technique.
He would sit cross-legged, his tiny back unnaturally straight. His breathing became deep, slow, and resonant, so subtle that one might think he was merely sleeping. With each slow inhalation, he would subtly tense every muscle in his body, from his toes to his scalp, holding the tension for a precisely calculated duration, then slowly releasing it with an equally measured exhalation. He wasn't relying on raw force, but precise, intricate control of his internal energies and muscular contractions.
He focused on guiding the ambient 'life force' he absorbed, not just into his spiritual core, but into his bones, his muscles, his blood vessels. He felt the subtle vibrations, the minute restructuring within his fragile form. It was a tedious process, demanding absolute concentration. For a normal child, it would be an impossible task, a testament to the immense willpower that now defined Ace. He trained for hours each day, dividing his time between this new physical tempering and his spiritual breathing method.
Three months crawled by, each day a cycle of meticulous breathing and internal focus. Three months of discreetly devouring extra portions of Dadan's 'nutrient meat', the raw vitality of wild beasts surging through his veins, providing the necessary fuel for his body's profound transformation. Three months of silent, unwavering determination.
And then, deep within his chest, a subtle warmth began to spread, intensifying with each carefully controlled breath. It wasn't the ethereal glow of spiritual energy, but a dense, robust power emanating from his very essence. It felt like his blood itself was thickening, becoming more potent, circulating with renewed vigor. His muscles, though not visibly larger, felt incredibly dense, like finely wrought steel beneath his skin. His bones resonated with a deep, humming strength.
A distinct, internal 'thrum' reverberated through his entire being. He felt an undeniable surge of physical vitality, a sensation of immense robustness.
Qi and Blood Realm, Sixth Stage!
Ace opened his eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible tremor running through his small frame. He had expected progress, but not this rapid. In just three months of practice, he had not only entered the Qi and Blood Realm but had broken through six foundational stages. This was unprecedented, even for the most gifted cultivators of his past life specializing in physique.
This rapid progress… it is undoubtedly due to the nutrient meat, he mused, the initial surprise giving way to scientific analysis. The 'life force' within these wild creatures, combined with the unique properties of this world's ambient energy and my own ancient knowledge, has created an incredibly potent concoction. My pure, untainted infant physique is absorbing and processing it with unparalleled efficiency. He could feel the raw vitality from the beast meat directly fueling his bloodline purification and physical tempering, allowing him to condense Qi and Blood essence at an astonishing rate.
However, a familiar bottleneck appeared as he attempted to push further. The Qi and Blood Realm was divided into nine stages. The first six were relatively straightforward for a talent like him, especially with his unique resources. But the late stages—Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth—required an exponentially greater amount of refined energy and pressure to condense the Qi and Blood to its ultimate purity and density.
Advancing to the late stages of the Qi and Blood Realm is notoriously difficult, he thought, recalling the struggles of countless physique cultivators in his old universe. The body begins to resist further refinement, hitting a limit where external pressure or extremely potent resources are required to force the next breakthrough.
He needed something more. Something to provide immense, sustained pressure without causing physical harm. His gaze drifted to the endless blue expanse of the sea. The 'sea spirit'. He had used it for spiritual cultivation. Could it also be used for physique?
An audacious idea formed in his mind, sparking a fierce gleam in his four-year-old eyes. The ocean… the pressure. Yes!
The very next day, Ace vanished. Or rather, he made himself scarce to Dadan and the bandits. His target: a spot along the coastline where the water deepened rapidly, a secluded area he had scouted weeks ago. He slipped into the cool, embracing depths, the familiar 'sea spirit' washing over him.
He swam downwards, his small but incredibly powerful body cutting through the water with effortless grace, driven by his pure, internal vitality. He didn't need to hold his breath; his 'Turtle Breathing Tempering Technique' allowed him to slowly absorb dissolved oxygen from the water, a function he had specifically unlocked with his breakthrough. He reached a depth of approximately twenty feet, the pressure of the water an immense, omnipresent weight pressing against his small frame.
This is it, he thought, settling himself onto a relatively flat rock formation on the seabed. The sunlight filtered down from above, creating an ethereal, shifting glow. The fish swam by, oblivious to the ancient soul practicing cultivation in their midst.
He initiated the Turtle Breathing Tempering Technique once more, but this time, the process was amplified a hundredfold by the surrounding pressure. The immense weight of the ocean, which would crush a normal child and make even a trained adult struggle, became his ultimate cultivation tool. With each slow, deliberate breath, the external pressure forced the 'life force' and 'sea spirit' he absorbed to condense far more effectively within his body. His blood pulsed with a new, profound vigor, its every drop undergoing a deeper, more rigorous purification. His bones vibrated, growing denser, tougher, like fine jade being compressed into adamant.
For fifteen days, Ace immersed himself in this brutal, exhilarating routine. He would spend hours underwater, cultivating, then return to the surface, briefly replenish his energy with nutrient meat and fresh fish, and then dive once more. The physical strain was immense, a constant, crushing force that would have broken even a Vice Admiral-level Marine, but Ace's will was unbreakable, his focus absolute. He felt the subtle aches, the deep burning in his bones, but these were welcomed pains, signs of profound progress.
On the fifteenth day, deep within the silent, watery world, a colossal wave of energy erupted from his core, far more potent than his previous breakthrough. It wasn't just a 'pop'; it was a resounding 'boom' that reverberated through the water, causing small fish to scatter. His entire body hummed with a newfound, terrifying power. The physical density he felt was almost unbelievable.
Qi and Blood Realm, Seventh Stage!
A silent, internal roar of triumph erupted within him. The breakthrough felt monumental. The Qi and Blood of his body had condensed to an astonishing degree, making him feel almost invulnerable. He continued his underwater training, pushing even harder, driven by an insatiable desire for absolute strength.
One month after breaking into the Seventh Stage, immersed in the crushing embrace of the deep ocean, the pinnacle of the Qi and Blood Realm finally yielded. With a final, resonant 'crack' that echoed only within his refined senses, his body reached its absolute physical limit within this foundational stage.
Peak of Qi and Blood Stage!
A triumphant grin spread across Ace's four-year-old face as he floated effortlessly in the water, his body now a miniature fortress of honed vitality. He wasn't just strong for his age; he was strong, period. He could feel the raw, devastating power humming beneath his skin, the kind of power that could shatter rock and tear through steel.
Hahahah! a booming, internal laugh erupted from Jiang Chen, shaking his tiny frame. A four-year-old Vice Admiral of strength! Indeed! He pictured the burly Marines, the very ones who had shot his mother. He could now, with a single punch, probably flatten them into the ground. He had bypassed years, decades even, of this world's arduous physical training through sheer cultivation mastery and strategic resource utilization. The gap between a child and a true powerhouse was now insignificant. His path back to the Dao of Saint Realm was accelerating, far beyond the expectations of this world's native inhabitants. The joy of reclaiming his power, of feeling the familiar surge of true strength, was intoxicating.
Back at the bandit hut, a short while later, Ace was sitting outside, munching on a piece of dried meat with a peculiar, self-satisfied grin on his face. He chuckled softly to himself, an almost adult-like, internal rumble that somehow escaped his lips.
Dadan, watching him from the doorway, sighed, a plume of tobacco smoke escaping her lips. "That kid…" she muttered, shaking her head. "Always laughing to himself for no reason. What in the world does he think about all the time? Do I need to bring him to a mental clinic?" She flicked her cigarette, dismissing the bizarre behavior as just another facet of the incomprehensible child she was forced to raise. Little did she know, she was witnessing the silent, rapid ascension of a cosmic emperor.