After getting his ass handed to him by Su Yang, Leo spent the next two weeks of academy life in a state of singular obsession—driven entirely by the need to push himself beyond his current limits.
And eventually, he found them.
His physical progress came to a screeching halt when, despite his maximum effort, he could no longer complete Professor Marvin's daily drills beyond the 350kg vest.
No matter how much he strained, gritted his teeth, or punished his body, he simply couldn't break past that ceiling, as it seemed like the enhancements granted by the Complete Marrow Meditation Manual, along with the cumulative effects of the Genetic Awakening Shots, had already been fully absorbed into his system.
Every drop of physical potential had been extracted—leaving nothing more to unlock at the Master tier.
As for his mental state, five relentless months of training to failure had forged his willpower into steel. His pain tolerance, focus, and discipline had been stretched to the brink and hardened beyond recognition.
And with that, Leo had finally completed two of the five major requirements for tier advancement, achieving a major milestone.
—---------
(Rodova Military Academy, Leo's Dorm Room)
On the meditation front, exactly two weeks before the Circuit Selection Day rolled around, Leo managed to complete the 'Complete Marrow Meditation Manual' in full, as he successfully transformed his body's natural marrow production sites to independently produce the enhanced blood cells from now on.
[Congratulations! You have completely replaced all the blood cells in your body with the enhanced blood cells.
Meditation Progress - 100%.]
The meditation manual flipped to its last page, congratulating Leo on reaching completion.
And although Leo expected the book to just end there, it unexpectedly flipped to one more page, where it gave Leo recommendations on what books to follow from now onwards.
[ Enjoyed the Marrow Meditation Manual?
Here are some more books from the author that may help you reach the transcendent stage.
1) Deep Vein Refinement: A Deep Tissue Meditation Method
This technique focuses on refining the body's inner vascular and mana channels, strengthening the walls of veins, arteries, and mana conduits to handle greater pressure and flow. Practitioners often describe a sensation of their blood boiling as their body adapts to circulating high-density mana without rupturing.
2) Cranial Reinforcement Protocol: Enhancing Neural Stability
A cerebral-focused meditation technique that works on increasing neural conductivity and improving resistance to mental strain. This method is especially useful for those who frequently use high-speed cognitive skills, as it allows for better control, longer usage times, and reduced mental fatigue.
3) Lung Blooming Cycle: The Foundation of Breath-Controlled Mana Circulation.
An advanced breathing-centric manual that trains the lungs and diaphragm to better regulate internal mana flow. It allows users to store and release mana in sync with their breathing patterns, improving battle endurance, burst capability, and resistance to internal mana turbulence.
Leo stared blankly at the final page.
His eyes scanned the headers, then moved down to the brief descriptions, only for a mirthless sigh to escape his lips.
"Shameless self promotion at the end… of course," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.
He'd just finished months of agonizing marrow-level reconstruction, and now the book was casually recommending neural rewiring and boiling his blood vessels like it was a fun after-school activity.
"Thankfully, I still have time before I need to choose my next manual, so thanks for the recommendations—but I won't be needing them for now," Leo muttered to himself, closing the holographic book for the final time.
With that, he had officially completed the third and fourth requirements on his path to becoming a Grandmaster.
The Complete Marrow Meditation Manual was done and his mana concentration had finally reached the breakthrough threshold.
"Four out of five requirements completed… just need to focus on my skills now," Leo murmured, exhaling slowly as the weight of his progress settled in.
And with meditation no longer consuming six hours of his day, starting tomorrow—he could dedicate every waking moment to pure combat training, pushing his body until it gave out.
Because now, there was nothing left to hold him back.
"Two weeks until the selections….. I hope it's enough—"
—---------
(Rodova Military Academy – Muiyan Faye's Room)
Muiyan Faye double-checked the lock on her door for the third time before drawing the thick blackout curtains shut.
Her breathing slowed as she activated the noise suppression formation etched beneath her desk—one of the few luxuries she'd managed to smuggle into the academy quarters under the guise of meditation enhancements.
Once the room was secure, she retrieved the communication crystal from the rooms hidden compartment, as a chill ran down her spine the moment she touched it.
'Why did the elder request an emergency mission from me?' she wondered, as channeling her mana into the crystal, she felt its dormant energy awaken, glowing faintly with a cold, bluish hue.
Within seconds, the connection was established and a deep voice cut through the silence, crackling with static-laced authority.
"How is Skyshard progressing?" the voice asked, low and commanding, unmistakably that of the Evil Cult Elder who served as her direct handler.
Muiyan Faye's eyes lit up as she straightened her posture, suppressing the excitement in her voice—though a slight yelp of enthusiasm still slipped out.
"He's advancing rapidly. He's already hit the physical and mental thresholds required for a Grandmaster breakthrough, and from what I've seen, he'll cross the meditation and mana thresholds very soon"
"At this rate, he's on track to become a Grandmaster in less than six months since joining the academy," she added with pride, her voice tinged with awe at Leo's unprecedented growth.
But the response from the crystal was not what she expected.
A cold scoff echoed back.
"Not enough," the Elder said flatly. "This level of speed is the bare minimum. If he truly wishes to survive as a Dragon, he must move even faster."
His tone was devoid of praise—only expectation.
Muiyan Faye opened her mouth to respond but held back, swallowing her irritation. She knew better than to question the Elder's standards when it came to Leo.
As after a tense pause, the Elder's voice returned, cutting through the silence like a knife.
"Did you secure the caretaker position for the Circuits team as instructed?" He asked, as Faye nodded instinctively, before remembering that he couldn't see her.
"Yes, I did. I've been officially assigned as one of the team's support personnel during the selection and tournament period." She replied before going silent.
However, after a couple of seconds, she found herself incapable of suppressing her curiosity, which was why she asked, "But… why was this so important? Why go to such lengths just to have me stationed there?"
The Elder was quiet for a moment, as though deciding how much he was allowed to say.
Then came his reply—slow, ominous, and dripping with implication.
"Something is going to happen at the Circuits this year. Something big. I can't share the details yet, but when the time comes, you must be ready to act, and most importantly, if things go wrong… you are to protect Skyshard at all costs."
Muiyan's breath caught in her throat.
Her fingers tightened around the crystal as unease twisted in her gut.
The Elder's tone left no room for interpretation. This wasn't speculation. This was certainty.
The Evil Cult was planning something major for this year's circuit's, and there was a chance that Leo may be caught in the cross-fire, as an unsuspecting bystander.
"Understood," she whispered, her voice barely audible, as a silence stretched between them once more.
Finally after a few seconds, the Elder spoke again, his tone as impassive as ever.
"Report again once he breaks through. Until then… you have no further orders."
The connection severed immediately, the crystal's glow vanishing like a snuffed flame.
Muiyan Faye sat frozen in place, her thoughts racing. She didn't know what was coming. She didn't know when.
But one thing was clear:
The Circuits this year would be far more than a tournament if the Evil Cult was planning an operation.