While the rest of the palace reeled from his aftershocks—a king wrestling with paranoia, a crown prince descending into obsessive hatred, a warrior questioning his life's purpose—Amrit was an island of perfect calm. He returned to his chambers, the Obsidian Kiss now resting on a simple cloth on his table, its dark blade seeming to drink the light from the room.
He felt the waves of emotion emanating from his family members like distant storms on his spiritual senses. His father's intense scrutiny felt like a focused beam of heat. Arjun's rage was a chaotic, sputtering fire. Bhim's confusion and awe were a slow, heavy current. He observed these feelings with a detached curiosity, like a scientist studying meteorological phenomena. They were part of the world he now had to navigate, but they did not touch the core of his peace.
His previous life on Earth had been one of quiet desperation, a constant, low-level anxiety about deadlines, bills, and a pervasive sense of unfulfillment. This new life, for all its looming dangers and epic stakes, had given him something he'd never had before: a sense of absolute agency. He was the architect of his own fate, and the feeling was more calming than any meditation he had ever known.
He sat on his meditation cushion, not to cultivate, but to plan. The King's mandate was clear: dominate the Sky-Piercing Academy selections in three months. It was a test, a leash, and an opportunity all in one. Raw power, as he had demonstrated, was shocking. But to truly dominate, he needed more than just a powerful foundation and two heaven-defying techniques. He needed depth. He needed to build a true, unshakable cultivation base, not just a series of system-enhanced miracles.
The system was a divine tool, a god-tier shortcut. But a shortcut to the top of the mountain is useless if you don't know how to stand once you get there. His transcendent foundation was a start, but he needed to consciously and methodically walk the path of cultivation, even if he walked it a million times faster than anyone else.
His gaze fell upon the original scroll of the Lotus Breathing Compendium, which he had placed beside his bed. He had already achieved 'Transcendent Mastery' of it thanks to the system, but that was a purely intellectual understanding. He had not yet truly practiced it. He had used it to absorb Prana and to consolidate his core, but he had not worked his way through the nine distinct stages, one by one, to experience the journey of cultivation.
He unfurled the ancient scroll again. With his new understanding, the esoteric text was as clear as a child's primer. The nine stages were not just about absorbing energy; they were a holistic process for remaking the body and spirit.
Stage 1: The Seed. Drawing the first wisp of Prana and planting it in the dantian. (He had done this, but without intention).
Stage 2: The Sprout. Nurturing the seed, making the Prana circulate through the major meridians, beginning to nourish the flesh.
Stage 3: The Stem. Strengthening the circulation, pushing Prana into the smaller meridian branches, toughening the skin and muscle.
Stage 4: The Bud. The Prana begins to actively temper the body, refining the organs and bones.
Stage 5: The Unfurling Leaf. A significant increase in Prana capacity and control, allowing for external release of energy.
Stage 6: The Blooming Lotus. The body reaches peak physical condition, Prana flow is effortless, and a sense of harmony between body and energy is achieved.
Stage 7: The Pollen's Scent. The Prana gains a spiritual quality, beginning to affect the cultivator's aura and presence, subtly influencing the world around them.
Stage 8: The Nectar of the Gods. The Prana becomes incredibly pure and potent, beginning to nourish the soul itself, laying the groundwork for the Spirit Sea.
Stage 9: The Floating Seat. The body and spirit are in perfect harmony, the dantian is a vast sea, and the cultivator is ready to take the step into the next realm, their spirit strong enough to exist independently.
He had brute-forced his way to Stage 9's result with a [10,000x Crit]. But he had skipped the journey. He decided, then and there, to walk the entire path in a single night.
He closed his eyes and began.
He started with Stage 1, The Seed. He deliberately released the pearl of Spirit-Prana in his dantian, letting it dissolve back into a vast, formless sea of energy. Then, he isolated a single, tiny wisp, just as a true beginner would. He guided this wisp, this 'seed', to the very center of his dantian.
He then began the breathing pattern for Stage 2, The Sprout. It was a gentle, rhythmic breath, designed to coax the seed of Prana into a simple, circular path. As he did so, he focused his intent. Action: Practice Stage 2 of the Lotus Breathing Compendium with perfect intent.
[Cultivation Action performed.]
[Crit Chance detected…]
[…Triggering a 10x Crit!]
It was a small multiplier, but the effect was profound. The wisp of Prana didn't just circulate; it did so with ten times the efficiency. It branched out, creating a perfect, miniature root system in his dantian in seconds, anchoring itself firmly. The nourishing effect on his flesh was amplified, making his skin glow with a faint, healthy luster.
He seamlessly transitioned into Stage 3, The Stem. The breathing pattern became stronger, more forceful. The Prana, now firmly rooted, pushed outward into his entire meridian network.
[Cultivation Action performed.]
[…Triggering a 50x Crit!]
The Prana flooded his meridians, not with overwhelming force, but with a perfectly controlled pressure that expanded and tempered them fifty times faster than normal. The feeling was exquisite, like a warm, energizing balm spreading through his entire body.
He continued like this, a man methodically and deliberately building a skyscraper floor by floor, but each floor was being built by a team of a thousand master craftsmen working in perfect sync.
Stage 4, The Bud. [20x Crit!]. His bones and organs, already enhanced, absorbed the Prana, humming with a deep, resonant power.
Stage 5, The Unfurling Leaf. [100x Crit!]. His control over the Prana sea in his dantian became absolute. He could shape it, condense it, and command it with a single thought.
Stage 6, The Blooming Lotus. [30x Crit!]. His entire physical form reached a state of perfect harmony. He felt no separation between his thoughts, his energy, and his physical actions. He was a single, unified being.
By the time he reached Stage 7, The Pollen's Scent, something new happened. This stage was about the spirit, the aura. As he practiced the breathing pattern, his newly acquired Spirit-Tempered Body reacted powerfully.
[Cultivation Action on a Spiritual Level.]
[…Triggering a 200x Crit!]
The spiritual quality of his Prana exploded. The air in his chamber began to change. A faint, calming fragrance of lotus blossoms filled the room. The very atmosphere seemed to become peaceful and serene. His aura, which had been like a contained sun, now began to gently radiate outward, not with pressure, but with a palpable sense of tranquility. It was the kind of presence that could calm a raging beast or soothe a troubled mind.
Finally, he reached Stage 8, The Nectar of the Gods, and Stage 9, The Floating Seat. He performed these final two stages with a single, continuous breath. His Spirit-Prana, already incredibly pure, underwent a final refinement. It became so clear, so brilliant, it was almost invisible, like distilled moonlight. The vast sea of energy in his dantian began to spin, slowly re-forming the pearl, but this time it was not a forced compression. It was a natural, willing coalescence.
The pearl that formed this time was smaller, no larger than a grain of rice, but its density and purity were on another level entirely. It was a perfect, self-sustaining star in the universe of his soul.
The entire process, a journey that would take a supreme genius a lifetime, had taken him less than three hours.
He opened his eyes. The room was the same, but his perception of it was different. He had not gained any more raw power, but his control over it, his understanding of it, and his integration with it were now absolute. He had not just skipped to the end of the book; he had read and lived every single word. His foundation was no longer just a system-generated 'perfect.' It was now a self-realized, consciously constructed 'transcendent.'
He looked at the scroll of the Lotus Breathing Compendium with a new appreciation. It was a beautiful, profound path. He simply had the privilege of walking it at the speed of light.
A knock came at his door.
"Your Highness," a servant's voice called softly. "The moon is high. Lord Bhim has sent a gift of late-night calming tea."
Amrit smiled faintly. His brother, the silent mountain, was trying to extend an olive branch in his own awkward way. First, the warning from their father. Now, a gift. Bhim was not an enemy. He was a potential ally, adrift in a sea of confusion.
"Thank you," Amrit called out. "Leave it by the door."
He knew he could not remain an island forever. The waves from the storms he was causing would eventually reach his shore. But now, he was ready for them. He had his foundation. He had his techniques. He had his plan.
Tomorrow, he would begin the true work of becoming a weapon. He would combine the Ghost-Flash Steps and One Sword, and forge a fighting style that this world had never seen. The Sky-Piercing Academy was waiting, and he intended to arrive not just as a participant, but as a reckoning.