Chapter 17: Mid-stage (Posted a Bit Late Today)

As his breathing rhythm continued, the warm power produced within his body by the Secret Medicine began to flow more actively.

Robin guided this power, operating it according to the Earth Dragon Breathing Method, and with each cycle he could feel himself aligning more closely with the surrounding soil elements.

Time quietly slipped away during the tranquil cultivation, from the first ray of dawn at early morning to the falling night, with countless stars twinkling.

Robin was immersed in the world of cultivation, completely unaware of time's passage.

Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, sliding down his cheeks, yet his expression remained intensely focused, as if he had entered a self‑forgetting state.

This unusual activity eventually startled the Malizi Knight.

He heard that Robin had begun cultivating from dawn and had not stopped, feeling both worried and curious. So he personally went to Robin's tent to check the situation.

The Malizi Knight had also taken the Earth Dragon Apprentice Secret Medicine before; at that time it doubled the speed of the Breathing Method cultivation and also eased the throat stinging caused by prolonged practice.

However, someone like Robin being able to cultivate from morning to night in one go was unheard of.

The Malizi Knight gently pushed open the tent door, and in an instant a rich scent of soil elements rushed toward him, causing him to shiver with vigor.

Seeing Robin seated upright at the center of the tent, surrounded by a faint ochre aura, his heart was instantly filled with shock and delight.

He was shocked that Robin could, after taking the Earth Dragon Apprentice Secret Medicine, achieve such an advanced cultivation state.

He knew well that, though the Secret Medicine was precious, it required the cultivator to possess great insight and steadfast will to unleash its full effect.

And Robin's performance clearly far exceeded his expectations.

The surprise was that the young man he had always valued possessed such enormous potential.

Malizi seemed to see a rising knightly star, destined to shine brilliantly across the continent in the future.

He couldn't help recalling Robin's various feats in battle; that boldness and wisdom were far beyond any ordinary knight apprentice.

At this moment, he was even more convinced his judgment was correct, and that carefully nurturing Robin might produce an outstanding knight for his domain.

No, perhaps even a Great Knight.

Yet at the same time, a hint of worry rose in Malizi's heart.

Such high‑intensity cultivation places a massive strain on body and spirit; a slight misstep could lead to demonic deviation, endangering life.

His gaze fixed tightly on Robin, his hands unconsciously clenching slightly, and he silently murmured in his heart: "Child, you must stay steady; you cannot afford any mishap."

He resolved quietly that if Robin showed any abnormality, he would intervene at once, never allowing this promising seedling to wither.

When the final trace of the Earth Dragon Apprentice Secret Medicine's effect faded away like a wisp of smoke, Robin reluctantly opened his eyes.

In an instant, a wave of intense fatigue surged over him; his breathing was rapid, each inhalation accompanied by a sting, as if countless tiny needles were piercing his throat.

At the same time, his whole body felt as if repeatedly hammered, every muscle aching unbearably, limbs limp and weak, even the slightest finger movement seemed to exhaust all his strength.

Just as Robin was about to be overwhelmed by the sudden discomfort, a pair of strong hands firmly supported him.

Robin looked up and saw the concerned face of the Malizi Knight.

The Malizi Knight acted swiftly, carefully examining his condition, his eyes showing professionalism and focus.

Moments later, the Malizi Knight's tense expression finally relaxed; he exhaled deeply and said, "It's fine, you just over‑exerted yourself. Rest well for two days and you'll be fine."

Robin looked at the Malizi Knight, instantly realizing that the knight had come specially out of concern for his nonstop cultivation. A warm feeling rose in his heart, and he softly said, "Thank you, Knight Captain, for your concern." His voice was a bit hoarse from fatigue.

The Malizi Knight gave a slight nod, his eyes full of gentleness and care.

He helped Robin lie down slowly, moving gently for fear of hurting him.

After confirming Robin was settled, the Malizi Knight turned and left, gently closing the door.

As the door shut with a "click", the room instantly fell silent.

Robin gritted his teeth against the discomfort and eagerly opened the System Panel.

When he saw the Earth Dragon Breathing Method's Experience Bar showing "451/1000", a flash of delight crossed his eyes.

With just one session, the experience points rose by a full 100; the effect of the Earth Dragon Apprentice Secret Medicine was simply beyond imagination.

Robin wasn't swept away by joy; he quickly calmed himself and began pondering the cause behind this astonishing effect.

"No, it must be the system‑assisted cultivation at work," he swiftly concluded in his mind.

Recalling his usual cultivation speed, even with such a precious Secret Medicine he could never achieve such a leap; this time his speed was dozens of times his normal rate.

The system's existence was undoubtedly the greatest aid on his challenging knightly path.

Thinking of this, Robin's lips curled slightly; despite his lingering soreness, his heart brimmed with anticipation for the future.

Early the next morning, dawn filtered softly through the tent's cracks, sprinkling Robin's face and rousing him from sleep.

At that moment, the tent door was gently pushed open, and Lily and Tomson stepped in cautiously.

Lily carried a steaming breakfast in her hands, its enticing aroma filling the air.

"How are you, all right?" Lily's eyes were full of concern as she gently approached Robin's bedside, placing the breakfast on the nearby table and asking with a flickering gaze.

She had never taken the Secret Medicine; regarding its wondrous effects, she had only heard about them from Eric before, and her heart was filled with curiosity and yearning.

Robin gave a helpless wry smile and said slowly, "Great, but I lost control and over‑exerted myself."

Recalling yesterday's all‑out cultivation that ended with aching from excessive load, he still felt lingering dread.

Tomson chuckled naively beside him, scratching his head, seemingly unsure how to express his concern, merely conveying his greetings to Robin with a simple smile.

Lily's eyes lit up instantly, and she hurriedly asked, "By how much did it improve?" She was eager to know just how much the mysterious Earth Dragon Apprentice Secret Medicine could boost.

Robin hesitated for a moment, pondering his reply. Not wanting to reveal the system's secret, he carefully said, "It can sustain more than a dozen days of cultivation, perhaps even more, and breaking through Mid-stage became much easier."

In truth, he felt no bottleneck during cultivation, but to prevent Lily from probing further, he had to deflect.

(End of Chapter)