For the next seven days, Gu Chen barely left his courtyard.
Every morning, he practiced his sword.
Every afternoon, he tempered his body.
Every night, he cultivated the Ember Scripture.
His life had become extremely simple.
Cultivate.
Practice.
Rest.
Repeat.
Yet Gu Chen didn't find it boring.
For the first time, he could clearly feel himself changing.
The fourth stage of Body Tempering was nearing completion.
His organs had become stronger than before.
His heartbeat was powerful and steady.
His lungs could absorb more World Energy.
Even his blood circulated more efficiently through his body.
But Gu Chen knew that he had not yet reached the fifth level.
Cell Tempering.
It was the final stage of Rank 1.
Once his cells were completely tempered, his body would reach its current limit.
Only then would he be able to attempt Rank 2.
But that wasn't what concerned Gu Chen most.
He wanted to see what was hidden inside the Ember Scripture.
That morning, Gu Chen stood in the middle of the courtyard with an iron sword in his hand.
He remembered the elder's words.
Control the sword.
Gu Chen raised the sword.
He didn't circulate much World Energy.
Instead, he focused on his movements.
A simple slash.
Then another.
He repeated the movement.
Again.
Again.
Hundreds of times.
His movements gradually became smoother.
He wasn't practicing a formal Sword Technique.
He was simply learning how to make his body and sword move as one.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
His arms became tired.
But he didn't stop.
Eventually, the sword in his hand no longer felt unfamiliar.
It felt natural.
Gu Chen lowered it.
A faint smile appeared.
He could sense a small improvement.
Not in cultivation.
Not in raw strength.
But in control.
That was enough.
By afternoon, Gu Chen returned to cultivation.
He sat beneath the old tree.
The Ember Scripture circulated through his body.
World Energy entered his organs.
This time, something different happened.
The energy didn't disperse after completing one circulation.
It continued moving.
Second circulation.
Third.
Fourth.
Gu Chen's breathing became slower.
The warmth inside his body gradually intensified.
Then—
Boom!
A muffled sound came from within his body.
Gu Chen's expression changed.
The World Energy suddenly surged.
His organs trembled.
He immediately controlled the energy and prevented it from spreading recklessly.
The pain lasted only a few breaths.
Then disappeared.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
His gaze was sharp.
"Is this..."
He examined his body.
His organs had reached a state of complete tempering.
The fourth level had finally reached its limit.
But the breakthrough wasn't complete.
A thin barrier still remained.
Gu Chen could feel the fifth level on the other side.
Cell Tempering.
He took a deep breath.
Then began preparing.
The breakthrough took three days.
Gu Chen didn't force it.
He spent the first day stabilizing his foundation.
The second day refining his World Energy.
On the third day—
he finally made his attempt.
Gu Chen sat cross-legged.
Every trace of World Energy within his body began moving.
It flowed through his organs.
Then into his blood.
Then through his bones.
Finally—
it reached the countless tiny cells throughout his body.
The moment the energy entered them—
pain exploded through his body.
Gu Chen's face became pale.
His entire body trembled.
He clenched his teeth.
He understood why this stage was difficult.
The previous stages had tempered larger structures.
But cells were different.
There were countless cells throughout the body.
Every one had to gradually adapt.
The process couldn't be rushed.
Gu Chen controlled his breathing.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
He guided the energy through his body.
One portion at a time.
Hours passed.
Then the pain gradually faded.
A strange feeling replaced it.
Lightness.
Gu Chen opened his eyes.
He clenched his fist.
Crack!
The sound of his joints echoed.
His strength hadn't increased dramatically.
But his body felt completely different.
Every movement was more coordinated.
Every muscle responded faster.
Even his senses seemed sharper.
Gu Chen stood.
He knew immediately.
He had succeeded.
Rank 1 — Level 5.
Cell Tempering.
The final level of Body Tempering.
Gu Chen smiled.
But before he could celebrate—
the Ember Scripture suddenly reacted.
A warm current spread through his consciousness.
The three sealed sections trembled.
Gu Chen immediately closed his eyes.
Inside his consciousness, the familiar four sections appeared.
The first remained open.
Ember Cultivation Art.
The other three—
began glowing.
The first seal cracked.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Ancient characters slowly appeared.
Gu Chen's breathing stopped.
Ember Sword Scripture — Unlocked.
Ember Body Scripture — Unlocked.
Ember Movement Scripture — Unlocked.
For several moments, Gu Chen simply stared.
Then a new message appeared beneath them.
Cultivation requirements detected.
Resources required.
Gu Chen's expression changed.
He immediately examined the information.
The Ember Sword Scripture required a suitable sword.
The Ember Body Scripture required special fire-attributed resources.
The Ember Movement Scripture required materials capable of strengthening the body and meridians.
None of them could be cultivated simply by understanding the technique.
Gu Chen slowly opened his eyes.
"So that's why..."
The Ember Scripture had never intended to give him everything for free.
Even after reaching Level 5, he still needed resources.
And judging from the requirements—
the materials would not be ordinary.
Gu Chen looked toward the mountains beyond the clan.
A faint smile appeared.
He finally had his true path.
But he had also discovered a problem.
The Gu Clan might not possess everything he needed.
That evening, Gu Chen visited the clan's resource hall.
He handed the elder a list.
The elder looked at it.
Then looked at Gu Chen.
Then back at the list.
His expression gradually became strange.
"Where did you get this?"
Gu Chen remained calm.
"An inheritance."
The elder's eyes narrowed.
He didn't ask further.
Instead, he read the list again.
"Some of these materials are rare."
"Does the clan have them?"
"A few."
"And the others?"
The elder shook his head.
"You'll have to find them outside."
Gu Chen wasn't surprised.
He already expected that answer.
"How rare?"
The elder gave a bitter laugh.
"Some can only be found in dangerous regions."
Gu Chen nodded.
Then asked:
"What about a suitable sword?"
The elder thought for a moment.
"The weapon hall has several."
"But if you're looking for something capable of supporting a high-grade inheritance..."
He shook his head.
"You'll need something better."
Gu Chen remained silent.
The Ember Scripture had opened.
But his journey had only become more difficult.
He needed resources.
He needed a sword.
He needed to continue cultivating.
And eventually—
he would need to leave the Gu Clan.
But not yet.
First, he needed to become strong enough to survive outside.
Gu Chen looked at the list in his hand.
Then folded it carefully.
One step at a time.
He had finally reached the fifth level.
Now—
it was time to discover what kind of sword cultivator he could become