Surpassing the original protagonist [Litrpg]

Volume Ⅰ: Beginning.

Arc Ⅱ: Survival Trial.

Chapter 22: Xu Long enters the body-tempering realm.

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[ Ding! Your Supreme Body became stronger!

Rank 1

+3 Strength +2 Defence +2 Agility +10 Constitution +5 Vitality ]

Lei Chang anticipated that his supreme body would grow stronger with each realm breakthrough, however he didn't care about those enhancements, as the major advantages of the supreme body lay in its abilities rather than stat increases.

Xu Long had never heard of or seen anyone break through two stages simultaneously.

Luckily, he doesn't know that Lei Chang is in the body-tempering realm's third stage, or else he would have cried.

Outside the cave -----

The sky turned gold with flashes of golden lightning, confined to a mere 40 to 50 meters. Because of its limited range, no one could perceive the golden sky.

A golden light descended from the sky and fell into the cave.

-----

[Ding! You make the impossible possible in the era of the '42$%%$42']

[Ding! Heaven is impressed by your feat! 

It has decided to reward you! ]

Lei Chang looked at the sudden pop-ups on his status.

'Heavens is impressed? I've never seen something like this before?' Lei Chang fell into doubt.

In the novel, such an extraordinary feat has never occurred. No one has ever succeeded in impressing the heavens!

"Whoa!" Xu Long rubbed his eyes and took another look as a golden light descended upon Lei Chang from sky.

[ Ding! You have received 5000 Exp ]

[ Ding! You have received the enlightenment state.

( Duration of 5 Minutes ) ] 

Lei Chang's lips turned into a curve, seeing the rewards; he didn't expect a reward as he wasn't the only one to do this feat.

The golden light dissipated once he received the reward, returning the sky to its usual state.

He started stretching his body as he opened his status.

[ Name: Lei Chang

 Body Realm: Body-Tempering Realm Third Stage

 {Rank 1 Status}

 HP: 460/460

 Strength: 34 (1 stat point means strength of Nine-marked Bull )

 Agility: 16 (1 stat point means the speed of 10 m/s)

 Defence: 32 (1 stat point means defence of Nine-Marked Bull.)

 Constitution: 46 ( A Nine-Marked Bull has 3 )

 Vitality: 43 ( A Nine-Marked bull has 9) ]

'Rank 1 Status.' Lei Chang remembered that with each major realm, the stats increase exponentially.

So, to keep the numbers small, status is classified as rank 0 status, rank 1 status, and so on.

Each rank uses different beings for comparison.

Rank 0 status, considered mortal human for comparison, while similarly, rank 1 status, considered nine-marked bull for comparison.

Nine-marked bull is a mortal bull but is of primordial race, granting it tremendous power. It has a strength of 1 ton and a defence of 1 ton. Its constitution is also one of the highest among mortal beings.

He was satisfied with his stats and started stretching his body; it was a little stiff.

'What is going on?' Xu Long fell into disbelief. 'I am dreaming?' He pinched his cheeks; the pain confirmed that he was awake.

He stopped practicing and instead looked at Lei Chang, who was stretching his body with a look of 'I am useless and trash'.

"Pwww." Lei Chang stopped stretching, took a deep breath, and smiled. 

'I have taken the first step; I must surpass the original MC, and this is only the beginning.' He thought to himself while smiling. 

His efforts over the past fifteen years have come to fruition at this moment. Then he climbed on a rock.

"Crazy Chang, please help breakthrough?" Xu Long jumped on Lei Chang and started crying while asking. 

Lei Chang looked at him and understood that he might have lost his confidence.

"I will help you. Don't worry; you will enter the body-tempering realm first stage today." Lei Chang confidently said to Xu Long, trying to cheer him up. 

He decided to help Xu Long very long ago. If he becomes strong quickly, it would be good for him as well.

"Let's start with 'Form' first, fatty." Lei Chang said while pulling Xu Long into the spiritual water back, only keeping their heads out.

"No, that's not right. Your left arm is bending too much." 

"Your breathing is not correct. Take a deep breath in the tenth step; now let out that breath in the eleventh step."

"Stop breathing in the sixth step and stretch your right arm properly." Lei Chang said sharply as he corrected Xu Long's movements and breathing pattern.

According to Lei Chang's words, Xu Long changed his movements and breathing pattern. He felt his movements and breathing pattern were about to sync. 

"How did it become so easy to understand 'Form' now?" Xu Long confusedly asked himself, as coaches had been teaching him for almost 10 years, and he couldn't understand. 

He had fainted in spiritual water, which raised his understanding to top-notch, and his aptitude for cultivation increased as well. 

While Xu Long doesn't know, his marrow was washed, his tendons were cleaned, and his meridians thickened when he fainted in spiritual water. 

Just after a few minutes. ----

[Ding!

Cultivation technique: White-tiger body-tempering art {Rank 1 low level}

Level: 'None' levelled up to 'First Form-Projection' (Lv.1) ]

"I levelled up." Xu Long shouted with joy.

"Here, take this." Lei Chang said, throwing an orb over.

"What is this?" Xu Long asked doubtfully; he had never seen an exp orb in his entire life.

[ Ding! 

Do you want to use rank 1 peak-level exp orb?

Yes or No ]

He understood what the orb was once he caught it. 'It is exp orb.'

"Thanks."

Xu Long accepted the orb, as he knew that Lei Chang wouldn't take it back once he handed something over.

[ Yes ]

[ Ding!

+500 Exp ]

Xu Long added the exp he gained to his realm to breakthrough.

[ Ding! 

-100 exp 

Exp Bank: 990.166 ]

[ Ding!

 Body Realm: Mortal

+100 exp

 Exp: 100/100 ]

A white tiger made of pure energy manifested over Xu Long.

Seeing the white tiger, Lei Chang distanced himself from Xu Long with a smile and started to absorb spiritual water.

[ Ding! 

Due to having the max level aptitude, absorbing 'Spiritual Water' can no longer increase your aptitude

+ 0.05 Exp ]

----

[Ding! 

Due to having the max level aptitude, absorbing 'Spiritual Water' can no longer increase your aptitude

+ 0.05 Exp ]

------

----

[Ding! 

Due to having the max level aptitude, absorbing 'Spiritual Water' can no longer increase your aptitude

+ 0.05 Exp ]

Coach Chen is a body-tempering realm third-stage expert, and he has been coaching for some time; his teaching skills are far better than Lei Chang's.

He had taught better than Lei Chang in his past classes. But now, a change has appeared in Xu Long's aptitude, which has allowed him to understand 'Form' easily.

That doesn't mean his past efforts were a waste. He was just struck in

some places where he couldn't understand even with Coach Chen's help, but he overcame them with his increased understanding.

Even without Coach Chen's and Lei Chang's help, it was a matter of time before he understood 'Form.'

Xu Long continued his practice to speed up his breakthrough. Unlike Lei Chang's white tiger, his white tiger projection doesn't make movements and sounds, as it was only level 1.

Xu Long continued his practice for a few hours, and then the black liquid was eliminated from his body.

[ Ding! You have entered the first stage of the 'Body-Tempering Realm' ] 

[ Ding! You gained the passive ability 'Strong body (Lv.1)' ]

[ Ding! Your status has been changed to rank 1 ]

[ Body Realm: Mortal → Body Tempering Realm First Stage ( Rank 1 Low-level ) ]

"Ahaana. I finally reached the body-tempering realm first stage." Xu Long stopped his practice and said while laughing out loud.

"Congrats." Lei Chang said, patting Xu Long's shoulders, coming closer.

"Thanks, but how long has it been since I fainted?" Xu Long asked Lei Chang, as he knew that he had fainted in the water.

"I guess two days or so." Lei Chang said, spreading his hands, as even he didn't know the exact time.

"What! That long." Xu Long was shocked.

'Even with spiritual water, it took him more than one day to recover.' Lei Chang thought, deciding to warn Xu Long not to use his innate ability excessively.

"So, should we leave?" Xu Long asked, rubbing his stomach, wondering why he didn't feel hungry even though it had been two days since he ate.

"No, we can absorb the spiritual water down here. It is free exp." Lei Chang said, jumping into the water.

"Free exp." Xu Long, who heard Lei Chang, didn't waste time, as he also jumped.

They started absorbing the spiritual water.

[Ding! 

Due to having the max level aptitude, absorbing 'Spiritual Water' can no longer increase your aptitude

+ 0.05 Exp ]

-----

[Ding! 

Due to having the max level aptitude, absorbing 'Spiritual Water' can no longer increase your aptitude

+ 0.05 Exp ]

They both got exp as Lei Chang's aptitude is max and Xu Long's aptitude increased while he fainted, so his aptitude couldn't increase any longer as spiritual water can only increase one's aptitude by only one level.

Two more days passed by as they focused on absorbing spiritual water.

[ Ding! 'Spiritual Water' has no effect on you ]

"I can no longer gain my exp." Xu Long said aloud, hearing his notification.

Xu Long came out and spotted that Lei Chang was already waiting for him by meditating.

[ Exp Bank: 6390.166 ]

'500 exp.' Lei Chang counted the amount of exp gained from spiritual water.

He was very happy, as he had gained more experience than he had spent in this cave.

"Let's leave." Lei Chang answered, looking around to confirm that he didn't miss anything.

As a Rank 1 first-stage expert, it is easy for Xu Long to climb out of a 100-meter pit. Lei Chang followed in the back and overtook Xu Long quickly.

"Slow down. Crazy Chang." Xu Long said as he looked at Lei Chang, who was above his head.

Within less than one minute, Lei Chang came out of the pit and reached the opening of the cave.

Even though Lei Chang started climbing last, he came out of the pit first.

The sun just rose with warm light.

Lei Chang took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Let's go to the treehouse." Xu Long said with a smile while walking towards Lei Chang.

He felt that this cave opportunity was the best; he achieved something greater that would have taken a quarter of his lifespan.

Lei Chang looked at the ground, where there should have been corpses of wolves with blood.

"There is nothing." Xu Long said solemnly as he looked at the place where there should have been corpses.

Even if many days passed, there should be at least dead bodies, but there are none.

It is no mistake; ghosts have appeared. Only they would eat the entire corpse and drink blood. Even the blood from the ground has been licked clean!

"We didn't use talismans at night, right? Are we under an illusion now?" Xu Long asked while shivering, believing that his entering the body-tempering realm was just an illusion.

He just remembered that these days, they didn't use talismans. 
Illusion is one of the common abilities of ghosts!

"No, we don't require talismans; as we were in that cave, it is that cave's specialty." Lei Chang said, patting the shivering Xu Long to reassure him.

"Okay, it has spiritual water and exp orbs. So, it should be special." Xu Long said, believing Lei Chang's words like a fool.

'That cave has something special; why didn't ghosts enter the cave?' Lei Chang pondered doubtfully, looking at the cave.

Lei Chang doesn't have a plot amour, so it means he shouldn't have gotten the chance like the original Mc; he just came here with the intent to try his luck.

But he got the chance; this implies that there is really something in the cave, but that was good to him.

In the cave. -----

"That kid is a freak in cultivation; even with a supreme body, one cannot be that fast, and even the heavens was impressed by him." 

"Hoo, it looks like they doubt the cave, but that doesn't matter; even if you are in the second super realm, you can only superficially sense me." The smoky figure murmured and laughed.

All the spiritual water, spiritual fruits, and exp orbs were, in fact, arranged by him!

End of the chapter. _____________________________

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