Among the countless races in the universe, humans’ cultivation system was the most convoluted, as complex as 80% of all the universe’s systems combined.
As the sheer number of systems was mind-boggling, there was no one in the history of humanity that could say they understood them all, not to mention the universe’s races as well.
The humans’ system was restricted to its area. Take Earth for instance. China used the Eastern system, approved only locally, while the West used an entirely different one.
Yet the system recognized by all the races of the universe was the simplest of them all, only having ten levels.
The gap in any two consecutive levels was pretty large. A first level cultivator had his most redeeming feature his constitution, power, soul or perhaps some kind of advantage in a specialized field that rose him above the masses.
A second level cultivator, like a body cultivator, had to have his punch exert a force of minimum of 1.5 tons. While third level required one to have 2.5 tons of force.
As for the fourth level, it was considered a dividing line. Anyone who relied on brute force or a gift had no way of reaching it. For one to enter this level, they had to make an all-around improvement to themselves.
Constitution, soul, power, spiritual qi. One needed two of these four to reach a certain standard and he’d be classified as a fourth level cultivator.
A fourth level soul cultivator’s body was strong enough to bite a bullet, to even come out of an explosion unharmed. This was the minimum threshold for anyone at this level.
Going a level further, a fifth level had to withstand a blow as strong as a nuclear blast.
Li Mo’s Earth Fist’s first move surpassed such standard, the reason why he could kill Domon in one strike.
Robb withstood it not because he was stronger than Domon. It all came down to his silver sacred armor trait. No power below the seventh level could even dent his shell.
Be that as it may, the silver sacred armor wasn’t infallible. Its growth was set and couldn’t be improved. If he met a true seventh level power or a ruler in the universe at the eight level, that armor would turn useless.
As one who was living his second life, Li Mo knew full well of this defect. He used the first move of the Earth Fist just to gauge his power.
But the result left Li Mo sorely disappointed. He hoped he could at least harm Robb and thus prove he had the power of a seventh level.
His body just couldn’t make the cut.
“Ha!”
Facing the speeding Robb, Li Mo’s power exploded. At this very second, Li Mo broke through to the Life Spring Stage and becoming a fourth level cultivator!
It was not a careless move out of anger, but one brought about by ample preparation. Li Mo could’ve risen to the fourth level at any time. He waited since he didn’t want to do it while he was focused on refining his body.
Without a stable foundation, it would crumble the higher one’s cultivation reached, just like a frail building.
Bang!
Li Mo was smacked by Robb’s supersonic charge just as he advanced and spat blood. Robb was unphased as he turned around for another attack.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The faster he was the stronger he became. A supersonic attack was bad enough but add to that the Silver Armor race’s silver sacred armor trait, Li Mo was hit by a force equal to a nuclear warhead, and each time at that.
Robb ran for the 26th time into Li Mo when he finally showed signs of fatigue. He gasped and trembled, from the drain of energy from the supersonic attacks as strong as a nuclear blast.
Li Mo however was bloodied from head to toe, with not an inch of him intact.
“How… how are you still alive?!” Robb cried in shock.
Robb was fully aware his supersonic rush packed a mean punch. A fifth level would’ve succumbed by now after 26 constant blows.
Yet why was this feeble human different?
Li Mo spat blood and wobbled as he entered the Earth Fist’s stance.
“If I hadn’t chosen to take on your attacks, you wouldn’t have hurt me. I only did that to toughen my body.”
Body Tempering Stage didn’t end when one advanced in stages. It could grow and grow endlessly regardless of one’s stage.
A Half God Emperor Stage’s cultivator’s body and a first level cultivator’s body were both refined, but could their degree ever compare?
Black blood leaked from Li Mo’s wounds. After all that hammering, his body grew in strength by another degree.
“Earth Fist’s second move!”
With his shout, a yellow spiritual qi wrapped around Robb from beneath his feet. He panicked and changed places, making the yellow spiritual qi vanish.
Whoosh~
But the next second, it rose again from where he stood.
Robb jumped again and the spiritual qi vanished only to reappear in his new spot.
Robb forced himself to jump one more time, all while his speed was dropping. He used a supersonic charge not too long ago and was unable to attack again. He hoped to finish Li Mo off but his body was so weary it was hard to even move.
Robb’s running slowed even more and the yellow spiritual qi gradually wrapped around him.
When enough yellow spiritual qi surrounded Robb, his running grew to a halt.
“Abolish!”
Li Mo strode over and punched Robb.
The Earth Fist’s second move’s range was far shorter than the first move. The first move allowed unleashing power beyond one’s level while the second move used spiritual qi to abolish the enemy’s power, weakening him.
If only Robb could move the fist wouldn’t have landed since he had his supersonic speed to easily evade.
Pff…
The result was anticlimactic, to say the least. Li Mo’s strike simply popped Robb’s head.
The yellow spiritual qi withdrew and Robb’s headless body wobbled twice before hitting the dirt.
Li Mo was also kneeling, bleeding from every inch, and gasping for breath.
“My body still isn’t strong enough. I’ll have to find a great number of resources to resume refining, and fast.” Li Mo panted.
Be it the first move or the second move of the Earth Fist, they both required a strong body to withstand the blowback.
“Your strength amazes me. Silver Armored Robb, a fifth level being, one that can withstand a nuclear blast had his brains blown by just one punch. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it. “
A voice came from behind Li Mo.
Whoosh~
A dark red soul strike hacked at Li Mo.
