Chapter 49: Enclosing Baseline

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After becoming privy to the techniques listed in the Monarch's War Path Record and how to utilize the Essence Cores and their special effects, Apollo had been taking his progress step by step. Although he didn't experience any fights in the past month, he had increased steadily. Needless to say, the way he trained now was highly efficient and comparable to slaying beasts.

"Haah...haah…" bent over gasping for air, Apollo clutched the surface below him. Sweat pooled as it dripped off him. Drenched from head to toes, the scene looked as if he had taken a shower. Finishing his attempt at opening the finer meridians, he was utterly devoid of Essence.

"I've entered the 6th Rank but… the pressure doesn't seem to be alleviating," spoke Apollo through bated breaths.

[That's to be expected. As you see, the opening process becomes harder rather than easier despite you becoming increasingly familiar with it. This is due to the nature of the subsequent meridians. They start finer in comparison and need to be nourished even more so than the prior ones. Not to mention, the energy has to pass through some other channels so it dissipates a great degree.]

"This is...exhausting," breathlessly spoked Apollo. He had never felt like that when fighting the Spirit Beasts. True cultivation was a different type of beast! After all, in both of his lives, this is the first time he came in contact with such practices.

[Hmm, you have awakened 90 of the meridians. I suppose it should suffice. Starting today, we'll add a fourth regiment to your training—emulating the Infernal Ira Stigmata. However, we'll simply be using it to temper you.]

"We're doing that already? I won't be able to create the stigmata though. Isn't it pointless right now?" questioned Apollo. Taking a moment, he mulled over the words of Azridan.

[Not entirely, we can improve your foundations! Don't forget, there are multiple minimum requirements to cultivate it and you need to complete them all! Treat it as you would the Mortal Realm—laying the foundation for your future advancements. Just circulate the essence through the opened acupoints.]

"Okay, I'll try to do so," replied Apollo before aiming to complete the task. Drawing in the Natural Essence, Apollo felt his skin breathing. The sensation was incomparable to that minuscule feeling felt at the beginning. It was like comparing a trickling stream to a river, it couldn't be done!

The continuous undulations of his pores coaxed the Natural Essence into gathering at a more rapid pace. Soon enough, it coagulated and entered the meridians and flowed throughout him.

In truth, this was the first time he was manipulating ambient Natural Essence inside himself. Prior to this event, it didn't penetrate his body properly throughout the past month as they were insufficient to form a basic circulation path. To put it differently, there existed Four Great Cycles; every set of 90 meridians formed a cycle. Of course, as for the sole remaining one, it was an anomaly that inciting would cause unknown effects.

Needless to say, minuscule amounts that entered his body and ultimately turned into use of his own cultivation. As the Natural Essence flowed through Apollo's body, it began to strengthen his meridians first and foremost. The thickness of his meridians was a key factor in determining the state of his physique. In the talent assessment, he took years prior, the stele bypass and injected Natural Essence inside the body.

The talent level was then determined by calculating how fast and well the Natural Essence circulated throughout the body and how much of it was able to enter the body without dispersing. Due to Apollo's weakened meridians, he received the talent grade he did. While the inner physique was able to be upgraded; there was a catch and that was the reason all families urged their youths to focus on awakening their meridians.

Hence, the 2nd testing of Talent at age 15. At that point, everyone's set in stone talent would be determined. This was partly the reason families focused on kids with initial higher talents. They could become the hopes and dreams of certain families to achieve a higher status.

'Let's see how it feels to circulate the Natural Essence.'

Becoming ignorant of his surroundings, Apollo focused on the Natural Essence coursing through his meridians. Some of it seeped through his meridian walls and entered his muscles and bones. However, most of it traveled down to the pit of his stomach although it was empty. From there it dispersed into his other organs.

«20 (10 + 10) Experience has been acquired.»

«20 (10 + 10) Experience has been acquired.»

«20 (10 + 10) Experience has been acquired.»

….

The message about receiving experience continuously sounded nearly every minute or so causing Apollo to raise his eyebrows.

'Another way to amass copious amounts of experience, I like this.'

As he continued the cultivation process, the notification continued at the same pace. However, every now and then approximately 3 hours in between, he would receive another type of notification.

«Your body has been strengthened slightly. Strength, Agility and Vitality + .1»

«Your body has been strengthened slightly. Strength, Agility and Vitality + .1»

«Your body has been strengthened slightly. Strength, Agility and Vitality + .1»

'So I can receive stats as well. No wait, it's because of this fire element refining me. It's like leveling up but without an increase in my level. However, is that all it's doing? Hmm, Azridan, will there be big changes when the Demon Monarch System reaches Level 3?'

[Yes, there will be rather large changes. For one, by that point, you will have entered the true cultivation world. And secondly, certain options will present themselves to you.]

'Ah I see, then I will just focus on increasing my strength.'

After uttering those words, Apollo's focus steeled. Even when his stamina depleted, he wasn't turned off from training. His mind became training oriented. If it didn't contribute to his strength, he didn't worry about it.

From this point on, his daily cycle now included one more segment. Instead of killing monsters, he ingested the pellets. Yet, even then, they began experiencing diminishing returns. The initial 3% increase dwindled to slightly under 2%. Luckily, Apollo didn't dwell on it.

After all, to receive more he simply needed to complete his tasks. Hence, although his daily schedule became monotonous, Apollo didn't mind it one bit. When his boredom piqued, he conversed with Azridan. As a result, a few months later, he reached the baseline needed to venture into learning those two techniques.

He had opened all 120 of the awakened acupoints. Furthermore, the 2 main attributes; Strength and Agility were both either approaching or surpassing 65.0.

'Now that my capabilities are basically balanced, let's see just how tyrannical these things are,' thought Apollo with an expectant gaze while moving his shoulder-length unkempt hair out of his face.