The next few days passed in a blur of pain, exhaustion, and quiet triumphs.
From the moment Ren Zian opened his eyes each morning until the sun dipped low behind the walls of New Moon City, his life became a strict regimen of brutal training. His father, Ren Zhantian, showed no mercy, pushing him relentlessly through sparring drills, astral energy control exercises, and body refinement meditations that made every muscle in Zian's body scream in protest.
If Zian thought he had known hard work before, he had been wrong. Very, very wrong.
Zhantian's philosophy was simple: Absorb. Harden. Adapt. Repeat.
Zian's progress, however, was undeniable.
Each day, his command over the Regal Domain improved. At first, he could only extend it a few meters before the pressure backfired on his own body, but by the fourth day, he was able to maintain a stable domain that could suppress anything weaker than himself within a ten-meter radius.
He also began developing limited control over his Regal Dragon Transformation. The first attempts were messy and painful. Golden scales sprouting randomly across his body, unbalancing him, but with each effort, he grew more familiar with the power slumbering inside him.
His muscles thickened slightly. His reflexes sharpened. His mind became clearer, his will honed through constant testing.
"Hey, Dad," Zian wheezed one afternoon after barely surviving another beating. "Isn't there some child labor law about this?"
Zhantian didn't even blink. "You stopped being a child when you bonded to a Fourth Layer Vein, brat."
Zian collapsed onto the dirt, groaning. "Abuse. Pure abuse. Someone call the city guards."
Zhantian snorted, tossing a water bottle at his head. "Maybe after you land one clean hit, we'll talk about rights."
If nothing else, Zian was learning to treasure small victories.
Today was different.
Today was the day before the Public Awakening Ceremony, the day before everything changed.
And today, Zian intended to break through to the Late Stage of the Astral Foundation Realm.
Morning sunlight bathed the courtyard in a soft glow as Zian sat cross-legged, deep in meditation. His father stood watch nearby, arms folded, silent.
Zian's body already thrummed with Astral Energy, dense and rich compared to just a week ago. The training had pushed him to his limits and beyond, and now he could feel the tipping point approaching.
Inside his body, astral energy coursed like molten rivers, but they weren't smooth yet. His pathways, astral meridians, had expanded significantly, but gaps still remained, turbulence disrupting the flow.
To advance to Late Foundation, he had to complete his internal astral circulation cycle. Not just moving energy through the body, but seamlessly fusing it into a living loop.
'Alright, time to do this,' Zian thought, drawing a deep breath.
He visualized the energy paths mapped within his body. Each meridian lit up in his mind's eye, like trails of golden fire criss crossing his flesh.
He willed the Astral Energy forward, forcing it into a stable, constant rotation. The first few circuits were rough. Energy crashed against bottlenecks, turbulence building like a storm inside him.
His hands tightened into fists.
If he couldn't stabilize the circulation, he would fail.
The energy pushed harder, slamming into the weak points of his meridians. Pain flared through him. His chest tightened. His mind wavered.
'Damn it, come on!' he thought furiously.
Golden light began leaking from his body. His Regal Domain flared instinctively, suppressing the surrounding air.
Zhantian watched with a faint smile. "Good. Control it, boy. Be the river, not the rock."
Zian grit his teeth.
Images of his training, his fights with his father, the cold feeling of weakness all burned in his mind.
He forced the energy to spiral inward, focusing every ounce of his will. His domain compressed. His astral flow tightened.
The chaotic flood inside him began to bend.
To spiral.
To stream.
Little by little, the turbulence smoothed out. The pressure on his body increased, but he didn't flinch.
He endured.
Minutes dragged into an hour. Sweat poured down his face. His muscles spasmed. His mind sharpened to a razor edge.
And then—
Crack.
Something invisible inside him snapped into place.
The energy looped once, then again—this time flawlessly, like a divine river coursing through his flesh and soul.
A surge of raw power flooded him.
His bones creaked. His muscles strained. His skin tightened.
Astral Energy poured into him like a tidal wave, thicker, heavier, and far more potent than before.
He had done it.
He had broken through.
Zian's eyes snapped open, glowing briefly with golden light.
He surged to his feet, feeling the new strength coiled inside his body like a slumbering dragon.
"Holy shit," he breathed, flexing his arms.
Zhantian chuckled. "Congratulations, dragon boy. Late Foundation Stage."
His expression turned proud, "I have to say…Late Stage Astral Foundation within a week after awakening…I've never heard of it. Even those geniuses showered in resources by their rich families aren't comparable to you!"
Zian grinned wide. "Finally! Maybe now I'll survive three seconds against you without getting turned into a pancake."
Zhantian smirked. "Four seconds, if you're lucky."
Zian laughed, the tension draining from his body. It felt incredible. Like the world had gotten just a little smaller beneath his feet.
After a short break, they sat together on the edge of the courtyard, sharing a simple meal.
Zhantian grew serious as they ate.
"Listen carefully, Zian," he said. "Tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony. You'll be evaluated in front of your entire academy class. Even if your true vein rank stays hidden on paper, you won't stay invisible for long."
Zian nodded slowly.
"You need to act like nothing's changed," Zhantian continued. "Low profile. No flashy moves. No showing off your Regal Domain unless absolutely necessary."
Zian raised an eyebrow. "So basically... no fun?"
Zhantian grunted. "Fun gets you stabbed in this world."
Zian snorted but didn't argue.
He understood.
This was bigger than pride. Bigger than showing off.
It was survival.
Later that evening, Zian stood alone in the backyard, gazing up at the stars.
His body still thrummed with the aftershocks of his breakthrough. Power sang in his veins, but it wasn't wild or chaotic now. It was contained. Tempered.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the latent strength crackle just beneath the surface.
'A week ago, I was a nobody,' he thought, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
'Now... I'm something else.'
He took a slow, deep breath.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
Friends, rivals, enemies, they would all be watching.
And he would be ready.
For now, he closed his eyes, letting the night air wash over him.
He didn't fear tomorrow.
He welcomed it.
Because tomorrow was the day Ren Zian would begin carving his legend into the world.
One step at a time.
One battle at a time.
Until no one could deny the dragon's roar.