With no response from the divine, Dante waited for his body to heal from the wound caused by the white sword.

The white Qi reacted unusually to Dante's. It was as if the energies were not opposing each other, but rather somehow blending together.

"That was his first gift. Qi strengthening," said the wolf.

It wasn't hard to understand what was happening. Once again, Zay's gift came packed with blood and suffering. Dante's physique really thrived in situations like this.

After cultivating until his Qi finished absorbing the white energy, Dante stood up and looked at the wolf. He was not the sort to miss opportunities.

The monster looked at Dante intently, and prepared for some kind of attack. "Very well. Let's proceed to the next phase."

In a move worthy of a swordsman, the wolf threw up his sword and allocated it in his mouth in the form of a spear. The monster leaped toward Dante, wearing the gigantic sword as if it were a skewer.

Dante tried to dodge it, jumping with all his might. But the wolf would not give him a chance. After all, the promise was progression in exchange for suffering.

Dante clenched his fists in anticipation of what was to come.

This time, he felt the sword enter the area of his body, the blade coming out from the opposite side of his skin.

The cultivator looked down, startled. The blade was burning him, inside and out. Every cell in his body screamed in agony, suffering from the burning white flame.

As Dante's body faded into a flash of Qi, he tried to remain at least conscious.

The pain was agonizing, worse than anything Dante had ever felt. Even the training with Isaac was measured, precise to the cultivator's limits.

This time, there were no limits to be respected. The flame consumed the cultivator indiscriminately.

Dante felt the flames trying to enter his channels. Contrary to common sense, he concentrated and opened his meridians, welcoming the destructive energy.

Again, he felt his skin burning with flames. The energy consumed the inside of Dante's meridians as he desperately tried to stay alive.

Even in an unreal world, dying should not be a friendly experience.

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When Dante stopped burning, all that was left on his body was new skin. His epidermis was different. He could feel the Qi present in the environment, ready to be used.

"Phase two, physical strengthening," said the wolf.

He had already learned not to doubt the reality before his eyes. Cultivators did not follow any logic, after all.

As he pulled himself together, a strange feeling came over his gut. There was no other definition than fear. Fear of whatever was in store for the next phase.

So far, Dante had almost died twice. Even if dying only meant missing the rest of his training, he couldn't afford it. Even in a short time the benefits were obvious. Dante could not afford to miss any more of this opportunity for advancement.

He didn't have to imagine for a long time. The wolf, with a coordination that would make the most skilled acrobat envious, leaped toward Dante.

In the middle of the jump, the monster came down with his sword. When it was close to the ground, however, it dropped the weapon on Dante.

The cultivator had accepted that dodging or trying to fight back was useless.

But visualizing a huge sword coming towards him like a comet, it was not so easy to put theory into practice. It was as if the anticipation was as painful as the damage itself.

A breath of intent from the wolf accelerated the sword, which tore through the air toward Dante.

Before he could even hear his bones breaking, Dante felt his back sticking to the ground from the force of the sword.

He had been impaled by the weapon.

Instinctively, he summoned his Qi, crying out for help. But the energy was scattered, confused. It was as if Dante's Qi was not being controlled.

Desperate, he looked down at his body. It didn't take long before the reason for the uncontrolled Qi became obvious. The sword had pierced his core.

The solar fire Qi quickly lost control inside his body, wildly circulating through his meridians.

Dante laughed, looking up at the heavens. So strong in such a short time, but at what cost?

After the slight moment of out of control, he closed his eyes in concentration. He was there for a reason. Zay was not stupid.

And neither was he.

"Phase three, core strengthening," said the wolf, as he approached Dante. "Listen to my voice, child. In this phase, your participation will be important. Unlike the other stages, this one we can't stop halfway through. Your core has been destroyed, and we must rebuild it. Until now, your resistance to pain and ability to develop through destruction has been the key to success. But as you advance in cultivation, things won't be so easy anymore. Now is your chance to fix this.

Dante looked at the wolf. Or at least tried to, for a sword stuck in the chest limited a body's mobility somewhat.

Dante feared that the wolf's words were true. Eventually, he would find a bottleneck if he continued to stake all his cultivation in just one way. Unable to speak, he nodded in agreement, looking affirmatively at the monster.

"The sword that pierced you is my last inheritance. It is a sword that collected hundreds of souls from other wolves that once belonged to my pack. The physical existence of the sword makes it possible for me to remain here with you. Now I ask you to concentrate. Visualize what your core looked like in its former state."

Dante closed his eyes and imagined his core. The flaming orb was getting increasingly larger until it was destroyed.

"Now we will proceed slowly. Any unforeseen events can cripple you forever."

If there was a good incentive, certainly the threat of becoming a cripple was one.

More focused than any other time in his life, Dante internalized his senses. It was time to pursue perfection.