In the days that followed, Raqin devoted himself entirely to refining his combat systems.
His Asura Killing Strikes became the core of his sword path.
Each day, he executed over a thousand controlled strikes—every motion deliberate, every breath measured. With each swing, he threaded Nanoblade Qi into the blade, pushing the technique toward its true potential.
The system broke the technique into three evolving principles:
Precision — targeting vital points with surgical accuracy
Lethality — adjusting attack angles mid-strike using Nanoblade Qi threads
Stealth — delaying and detonating Qi within inflicted cuts
Three steps. Simple in structure… terrifying in execution.
His Void Crushing Fist followed a different philosophy.
Where the sword was finesse, the fist was domination.
Raqin subjected his body to relentless impact training—striking stone, metal, and reinforced surfaces until his bones trembled. He guided Nanoblade Qi into his muscles before every impact, compressing force internally before release.
Each punch grew heavier. Denser. More destructive.
Then came movement—his Phantom Step Sequence.
Speed was life.
By stimulating his muscles with Nanoblade Qi, he sharpened reaction time to its limits. Footwork drills blurred into afterimages, while breath control stabilized his rhythm under extreme motion.
Soon, his training formed a perfect cycle.
Morning — Phase One: Body Activation
He awakened every fiber of his body, circulating Nanoblade Qi through muscles and meridians. A brief refinement followed, reinforcing his foundation.
Phase Two: Sword Training
Precision strikes.
Technique repetition.
Weak-point targeting drills.
Phase Three: Fist Conditioning
Impact training.
Close-combat sequences.
Internal force release.
Phase Four: Movement Mastery
Speed drills.
Reaction sharpening.
Combat footwork.
At night… everything merged.
Movement flowed into sword strikes.
Strikes transitioned into crushing fists.
Fists created openings for repositioning.
A seamless killing cycle.
All of it recorded, analyzed, and optimized by the system—each flaw reduced, each motion refined toward perfection.
Two days later…
Raqin completed his Skin and Muscle Refinement to its absolute limit.
His body shimmered faintly—like jade infused with gold.
Strength surged through him.
At the peak of the First Mortal Realm, he could now defeat ten versions of his past self—even those who had reached the Third Realm through mediocre cultivation.
Yet what he didn't know…
Outside, most practitioners at this stage only displayed bronze or silver refinement.
A rare few—gifted and well-resourced—could barely touch gold.
But Raqin?
Jade… and gold intertwined.
An impossible foundation.
Now… it was time.
Second Mortal Realm — Bone and Tendon Refinement.
Meanwhile… Outside
Through the eyes of the Drakehound…
Hunger stirred.
Its gaze locked onto a distant prey—a horned rabbit with a whip-like tail.
It crouched low, preparing to strike.
Then—
The prey fled.
Confusion flickered in its instincts.
I haven't even moved…
Moments later, the reason appeared.
A swarm.
Blood Monkeys.
Dozens of them surged forward, chasing a group of humanoid figures.
The Drakehound remained hidden, observing.
These humans… felt wrong.
Familiar. Yet not.
Among them, a middle-aged man stopped.
"Go!" he shouted. "Head for the outskirts—I'll hold them back!"
A young girl cried out, "No, Daddy! Let's run together!"
He didn't turn.
Only sighed.
Then—
His arms transformed into serrated mantis blades.
A fierce aura erupted.
"Not one of you beasts leaves here unharmed."
The group fled.
The man stood alone.
The battle… didn't last long.
Within breaths—
His arm was torn off.
One leg shattered.
An eye lost.
Blood soaked the ground.
Hope faded.
Yet… there was peace in his expression.
At least… they'll live.
He closed his eyes.
Waiting.
Then—
ROOOAAARRR!!!
The Drakehound descended.
Like a storm.
Claws tore through flesh.
Fangs crushed bone.
A massacre began.
In less than five minutes, only a fraction of the Blood Monkeys remained.
Their leader stepped forward—beating its chest in challenge.
Same Tier.
Lower rank.
It sensed no danger.
A fatal mistake.
The Drakehound moved.
A blur.
The leader was ripped apart before it could react.
Silence fell.
The middle-aged man trembled.
What… is that creature…?
A Tier 1 beast… yet far beyond its level.
Without a glance at him, the Drakehound pursued the fleeing survivors—
And wiped them out completely.
Aftermath
The man staggered back to his group.
Tears. Relief. Shock.
"Is this place safe?" he asked.
"…Sort of."
They explained—the Stone Cobras, the desperate climb, the strange boundary the beasts could not cross.
He looked down the mountain.
Dozens of cobras lingered…
But none advanced.
Something was stopping them.
They didn't know—
This mountain…
Was Raqin's domain.
And the restrictions Ivan left behind still held.
"Then we stay," the man said quietly.
"This… is our sanctuary."
Elsewhere — Blood Monkey Territory
The Drakehound stood amidst silence and ruin.
Its hunt complete.
But something unexpected caught its attention.
This wasn't a wild nest.
It was… organized.
Primitive—but intelligent.
Fermented fruit wine
Stored wild honey
Preserved beast blood
Resource caches
The remnants of a crude civilization.
The Drakehound's eyes gleamed.
Its master would have use for this.
It settled down.
Claiming the territory.
Waiting…
For the moment it would reconnect with its main body.
As Raqin remained in seclusion, pushing his limits without rest, he finally arrived at the threshold—
The bottleneck of the Second Mortal Realm.
He paused his cultivation.
"…Drakey."
Their connection activated.
Through the Drakehound's senses, thoughts, and instincts, Raqin absorbed everything that had transpired over the past few days.
The strange humanoid group…
The blood monkeys…
The mountain… the restriction…
"So they look human… but don't smell human."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting."
After a brief silence, he issued a command.
"Monitor them. Do not interfere unless necessary."
"As for the resources—use what benefits you. Store the rest."
The connection faded.
Silence returned.
Raqin exhaled slowly.
"I need to grow stronger… faster."
His gaze turned cold.
"I need to leave this prison."
The thought of Ivan surfaced.
A contingency.
A cage within a cage.
"…That bastard never once considered failure."
A faint smirk appeared.
"Then I'll be the first."
He closed his eyes again.
And sank back into cultivation.
His breathing slowed…
Then disappeared entirely.
It was as if he no longer existed within the world.
Beneath his skin—
Nanoblade Qi awakened.
Like countless microscopic threads, it flowed in intricate patterns. But this time, it did not remain within flesh and muscle.
It went deeper.
Probing.
Searching.
Mapping.
Raqin activated his foundational technique—
Heavenly Sword Dragon Circulation.
Nanoblade Qi surged.
Faster.
Denser.
Sharper.
Until—
He was completely immersed in it.
Then—
Pain.
Not on the surface.
Not in the flesh.
But deep within…
His bones.
Cracks formed.
Faint at first.
Then spreading rapidly—
Like fragile glass under immense pressure.
His jaw tightened.
Veins bulged.
But his mind remained perfectly still.
This is the path…
Pain is expected.
Pain is necessary.
Then—
The Qi changed.
No longer flowing…
It drilled.
Thread by thread, Nanoblade Qi pierced into his bones—
Carving microscopic channels.
Breaking.
Refining.
Rebuilding.
At the same time—
His tendons reacted violently.
They trembled…
Then stretched.
Then compressed.
Like steel cables being reforged.
A normal cultivator would rely on external energy…
Rare herbs…
Precious resources…
Raqin used none of it.
He was rewriting himself from within.
Blood began to seep from his pores.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
But his focus never wavered.
"System…"
His voice was low. Calm.
"Use Nanoblade Qi to compress—"
"Do not expand."
The response was immediate.
Instead of swelling his bones—
The Qi condensed them.
Layer by layer.
Structure by structure.
Density increased.
Strength multiplied.
Hours passed in silence.
Then—
A deep sound echoed within him.
KRRRNNGGG…
Like metal being forged in a divine furnace.
His spine straightened.
His skeletal frame aligned perfectly.
Every tendon—
Locked into precise tension.
Balance.
Power.
Control.
His eyes snapped open.
A faint purplish-blue glow flickered within them.
Breakthrough.
Raqin slowly rose to his feet.
Crack…
The ground beneath him fractured slightly.
Not from force—
But from imperfect control over his new weight and density.
"…So this is the true Second Mortal Realm."
He flexed his fingers.
His body felt completely different.
His bones—
No longer mere support structures.
They felt like forged pillars of metal.
His tendons—
Like coiled springs, storing explosive energy with every subtle movement.
Every step…
Every motion…
Carried elastic force and structural stability.
He clenched his fist.
SNAP.
The air itself cracked slightly.
Not from impact—
But from compressed force leaking outward.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Five times stronger…"
"And this is only my base."
His gaze sharpened.
Cold.
Focused.
"Now…"
"Let's see how far this body can be pushed."