Chapter 5: Breakthrough
Elias sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed as he focused on his cultivation. The high-level technique flowed through him, and he felt his energy growing stronger. Hours passed, and Elias's concentration remained unwavering.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of power coursing through his body. His meridians expanded, and his dantian vibrated with energy. Elias's eyes snapped open, and he smiled as he realized he was breaking through.
The breakthrough was intense, and Elias's body glowed with a soft, golden light. He felt his strength increasing exponentially, and his senses became more acute.
As the breakthrough reached its peak, Elias felt himself transcending the limits of his current level. He was no longer just a Knight Disciple Level 1; he was rising above.
When the breakthrough finally subsided, Elias opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and empowered. He checked his status and saw that he had reached Knight Disciple Level 5.
"Impressive," Elias said to himself, a satisfied smile on his face. "The high-level technique is indeed powerful."
...
After the breakthrough, Elias felt a sense of relief wash over him. His body and mind were exhausted from the intense cultivation, but he knew he had made significant progress.
With a contented sigh, Elias lay down on the cold floor feeling the softness of the mattress envelop him. He closed his eyes, letting the fatigue wash away, and soon drifted off into a deep sleep.
As he slept, Elias's body continued to absorb the energy from the breakthrough. His cultivation level stabilized, and his strength grew stronger.
The long night cradled him. Outside, the moon traced its arc across the sky, painting silver streaks on the floorboards. Inside, the only sounds were the soft rhythm of his breath and the faint, almost musical resonance of his settling Qi. No nightmares troubled him; his exhaustion was too deep.
........................
Elias opened his eyes to soft morning light. For the first time in sixteen years, he woke without the heavy exhaustion that had been his constant shadow. There were no lingering aches or foggy thoughts—just pure, calm awareness. He took a deep breath, feeling the cool palace air fill his lungs like a gift. The stone floor beneath him felt solid and real. Not like a prison anymore, but like ground he could stand on.
*This is what peace feels like,* he realized. Not the absence of danger, but the presence of strength.
He stretched slowly, muscles moving with smooth, confident power. Last night's breakthrough had settled deep within him. The frantic energy was gone, replaced by a steady hum in his chest—the Celestial Divine Core, warm and constant like a banked forge. Sixteen years of struggle felt distant now. Memories surfaced clearly but without pain: the day he was declared talentless, the silence after his mother's last breath, the sneers in palace corridors, the terrifying storm that stranded him here, and the daily fight for survival in these ruins. All of it felt like a fading dream.
He sat up, resting his hands on his knees. "Sixteen years," he whispered. The words held no bitterness now. They were just facts. *I crawled through that darkness. Now I walk.* The time for merely surviving was over. Today, building began.
His mind felt sharp—sharper than ever. Plans unfolded with perfect clarity. He would survey Stonehaven Island first to secure its quarries for building materials. He needed to assess his knights to see how their new cultivation technique had strengthened them. And he would meet properly with Borin's people to earn their trust, not demand it. They were part of his foundation now.
He rose, feeling grounded and purposeful. His morning routine became a ritual of renewal. First, he splashed icy water from the basin onto his face. It shocked his skin, washing away the last clinging dust of the past. He watched droplets catch the dawn light like tiny sparks. Then he dressed in simple, sturdy clothes—the uniform of a leader who worked alongside his men, not a prince who sat on a throne. Every thread felt deliberate. Finally, he closed his eyes and centered himself. Inside, the Divine Core pulsed—steady, immense, *his*. The Void-Sovereign Mantra waited quietly,it was the name of the knight cultivation technique he got from the system..
A quiet thrill ran through him—not nervous excitement, but the focused readiness of a hunter stepping into the woods. Today wasn't just another sunrise. It was the dawn of his empire. This crumbling palace wasn't a ruin; it was his first fortress. The islands weren't just land; they were his future provinces. And the people here were his first citizens.
He walked to the heavy door, hand resting on the worn wood. Beyond it, he heard the sounds of *his* world waking up: the clank of armor as knights prepared for duty, the murmur of voices from Borin's group starting their day, and the distant cry of seabirds over Fisher's Cry.
A small, hard smile touched his lips. No fanfare. No royal decree. Just a man, his resolve, and the work ahead. Elias Solarius—once a prisoner of his birth, now architect of his fate—pushed open the door. Sunlight flooded the corridor, bright and full of promise. His empire began today.