Chapter 8: The True Breakthrough

Items purchased in the trading market can be placed into or taken out of the backpack slot at any time, which is quite convenient.

Siano first took out the tachi "Masamune."

He drew the sword from its scabbard.

The slender blade shimmered with a frost-like luster under the sunlight, yet maintained a surprisingly delicate curve.

He held it before his eyes and examined it carefully.

The razor-thin edge displayed a gradient of color, showing a deep-sea indigo near the guard that faded into a nearly transparent pale white by the tip.

He downed the remaining cola in one gulp, tossed the empty can into the air, and with a slight swing, sliced it into several pieces in an instant without the slightest hindrance.

The afterimage traced by the flipping blade tip left a silver trajectory in the air resembling flowing fireflies.

"A fine sword," Siano said, his eyes revealing admiration.

The weight was perfectly balanced, and the feel in hand was excellent.

The blacksmith shop in the town next to his hometown was somewhat famous among the nearby islands; during the period when he was obsessed with swordsmanship training, he had also excitedly visited it.

But compared to this blade, the gap between it and any sword or knife inside that shop was as vast as heaven and earth.

He sheathed the sword.

The blade being too long was not a problem; his body had just entered its growth phase, and once he grew a bit taller, it would be a very fitting companion sword.

After putting it back into his backpack, Siano opened those two Six Styles secret manuals again.

The moment they opened, the random dice selection completed, and the results displayed were "Shave" and "Iron Body."

"Luck is on my side."

The boy's mood became even more cheerful; of these two physical techniques, the former focused on movement methods while the latter strengthened defense, exactly what he currently favored most.

With a thought, he first opened the Iron Body manual.

Secret manual-type items spread out directly before one's eyes like a system panel, allowing page-turning simulated by will, somewhat resembling the form of an e-book.

The text descriptions inside were extremely detailed, even including step-by-step breakdown explanations for each move.

In some obscure and difficult-to-understand parts, a blurry dark-blue human figure would appear beside the text while browsing, demonstrating the moves methodically, which was quite intuitive.

Previously, his ability to quickly master the Breathing Fist Style was also thanks to this teaching method.

"The entry threshold isn't high, but to master it proficiently, one still needs to put in considerable hard work."

After roughly browsing through these two Six Styles secret manuals, Siano's eyes flashed slightly as he made a rough estimate.

His current physique, compared to when he first began cultivating the Breathing Fist Style, had improved tremendously.

Coupled with the special effect of the Breathing Fist Style that could rapidly dissipate muscle fatigue, his progress in cultivating physical techniques would inevitably far exceed that of ordinary people.

Even with a conservative estimate, he should still be able to master both of these physical techniques proficiently within a year.

"Within a year, huh..."

Siano shook his head slightly; if this were the past, he would certainly have been very satisfied with this speed.

But now, with Arlong like a huge rock pressing on his heart, his progress had to be faster, and much faster!

Fortunately.

His luck this time was extremely good, rolling a buff item that he could actually use.

As his gaze fell upon the last item in his backpack slot, Siano's eyes were filled with uncontainable anticipation.

He had never possessed any items to assist cultivation before; his current strength was entirely the result of himself grinding step by step through bitter training.

Now, it was time to taste the feeling of having an acceleration cheat!

Half an hour later.

On the underground first floor, inside a spacious large cabin.

Siano looked around and nodded with satisfaction.

This place was originally a spare armory, but because the Garte route had been relatively safe in recent years, it had remained vacant and unattended for a long time, covered in dust and crisscrossed with spiderwebs.

When Siano found Garte and requested a room where he could cultivate physical techniques.

The old man immediately remembered this place, instantly called for help to clean it up, and moved in several sandbags along with some discarded wood, tying them with hemp rope to create crude wooden posts.

He even prepared mirrors, water, and a Mao Jin completely ready, and forbade other crew members from disturbing him, making Siano feel truly touched and warmed.

"Let's begin."

Siano carefully placed the statue of Heracles in the corner, then let out a long breath and began jogging in circles to warm up.

After finishing the warm-up, he did not immediately start cultivating the Six Styles, but chose to continue practicing the Breathing Fist Style.

After all, the bottleneck barrier of this Set of Fist Styles was already faintly visible.

If he could break through to the great completion stage sooner, the combat power boost it could provide would be far higher than that of entering the Six Styles.

Time flew by in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, six days had passed, and the Garte sailed steadily across the ocean under the afternoon sunlight.

This route was indeed safe enough; along the way, they encountered no accidents nor did they spot any pirate ships flying skull flags.

Inside the underground cabin.

The sound of thuds continued incessantly as a sturdy figure constantly shuttled back and forth between the wooden posts and sandbags, while wet sweat stains covered the wooden floor everywhere.

"One thousand nine hundred ninety-nine... two thousand, stop!"

The counting voice echoed within the enclosed space; the boy's spine was like a fully drawn winch bowstring, and at the moment his knuckles touched the teak post, he suddenly withdrew his force, causing an invisible wave to penetrate it—Crack! Ring-shaped cracks instantly appeared on the surface of the wooden post.

"Hah..."

Siano suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, steam rising from his whole body, his Heavy Breathing like a bellows.

With every inhalation, his diaphragm could sink to twice the depth of an ordinary person, the muscles between his ribs bulging like ship sails; and at the instant of exhalation, his throat bones trembled, the alveoli expanding wildly outward, the pressure given visibly apparent to the naked eye.

He closed his eyes to adjust his breathing rhythm, and only after a long while did it gradually calm.

When he fetched a dry Mao Jin to wipe away sweat, scalding hot steam still kept rising and drifting out from the pores of the Mao Jin.

Siano tilted his head back and gulped down water in great mouthfuls; once empty, he tossed it aside and vigorously wiped his mouth.

"Refreshing!"

The low voice expelled from his throat still hadn't adapted, making even he himself feel unfamiliar with it.

Previously it still carried some childishness, but now it seemed to have directly leaped over the final stage of an adolescent's voice change, completely transforming into an adult's timbre.

"Six days, it only took six days!"

Siano strode to the mirror, the wooden planks beneath his feet creaking; gazing at the familiar yet strange reflection of himself, he grinned, his eyes filled with delight.

During these past few days.

The time he spent here in bitter cultivation every day exceeded twelve hours; how much hardship he had endured, how much sweat he had shed, apart from himself, perhaps only the silent statue in the corner knew.

But the results of cultivation would ultimately witness everything!

On the sixth day, which was today, he thoroughly broke through the bottleneck, achieving great success in the "Breathing Fist Style"!

That barrier which had originally bound the upper limit of his body was like a fragile glass container being crushed until it burst, shattering inch by inch.

Immediately afterward, it expanded and recast itself frantically, its capacity far exceeding the past, giving him a true sense of transcendence, as if looking down from a height and molting into an entirely new species.

The change in voice was merely one of the notable alterations brought about after the breakthrough.

And also the most insignificant change.

Siano examined his reflection in the mirror.

His features remained delicate and clear, but his eyebrows had become much thicker and darker, his jawline more defined, and his black hair, which originally reached only to the sides of his ears, had grown wildly to cover his shoulders.

As for his height, it had actually increased by a full ten-plus centimeters!

From the neck down, his entire body was knotted with muscle; his shoulder blades bulged like siege hammers, and when his latissimus dorsi muscles fully stretched, they directly obscured half of the mirror's surface.

Most terrifying was his spine; thirty-three vertebrae surged and undulated beneath his skin and membrane as if living creatures lurked within, and when he slightly arched his back, the entire spinal column became like a heavy crossbow drawn to full tension, emitting a tightening sound that made one's teeth ache.

Compared to now, his body from six days ago appeared so frail.

Standing before the mirror for a long time.

He just kept examining himself from top to bottom, like an artisan from an ancient civilization admiring his own proudly crafted sculpture, never tiring of the view no matter how long he looked.

Snap!

He suddenly hooked two wooden stakes with his feet, kicked them upward, and caught them in his hands respectively.

With a slight exertion of strength, the two wooden stakes were crushed simultaneously, vibrating into countless fine powdery fragments that rustled down.

The youth spread his arms wide, indulging in the surge of powerful strength within his body that far surpassed the past; unable to suppress the joy in his heart any longer, he threw back his head and laughed heartily.

"Hahahahaha!!!!"

The laughter shook the ceiling so violently that dust rustled down, reaching all the way to the deck.

On the deck.

Gatto, who was leaning against the railing leisurely smoking a pipe, felt the violent vibration of the wooden planks beneath his feet and recalled that during these past few days, Siano had eaten and slept in the underground cabin, never coming out to get some air or show his face.

Instantly, he couldn't help but feel somewhat worried.

After hesitating for a moment, he still descended the spiral staircase, arrived before that spare armory, and slowly raised his right hand.

Creak~

Just as he was about to knock, the wooden door was suddenly thrust open forcefully from within by someone, startling him into instinctively stepping back.

"Hmm?"

The person opposite looked down, noticed him, and emitted a light exclamation of surprise.

Old Gatto looked up at that familiar face; it seemed nothing unexpected had occurred, but as his gaze shifted downward, he saw the youth had already put on that bulky outer garment, revealing no visible changes.

But why did he always feel something was slightly off...

No!

After suddenly realizing something, Gatto's mouth fell wide open, and the pipe clenched in his teeth dropped to the ground with a clatter.

Clearly, when they first met, the youth was still more than half a head shorter than him, so how was it that now, he was the one who needed to look up?!

"Mr. Gatto, why have you come? What a coincidence."

The black-haired youth before him scratched his head, revealing a shy and immature smile. "Uh, I haven't eaten for half a day, and my stomach suddenly feels a bit hungry; I was just preparing to go to the dining hall. Would you like to come together?"

(End of Chapter)