Gray was at the 6th Level of the Spiritual Strengthening Realm but he was very close to the seventh level already. He estimated that he could indeed reach the tenth level in three days and three nights if he gave up on sleep. However, he still had to stabilize his cultivation improvements after each breakthrough. It was too risky to go straight for the tenth level. Although his physique and methods were amazing, there was still a chance of something going wrong and suffering a cultivation deviation.
He decided on the ninth level as his goal. The timeframe to reach that level wasn’t as unyielding. It wouldn't be disastrous if he accidentally slacked off, not that he was planning to.
He would practice the secret art of the Tome of Glorious Fortune for the remaining time. He still needed to work on his back area before the Golden Body of the Bodhi was fully complete. The protection the secret art provided him was even more important than being at the tenth level.
Gray started with other elemental gems besides jade. There were fewer of them so it was easier to feel a sense of accomplishment.
All the ruby, sapphire, and citrine were gone by late afternoon, fourteen grams in total. They were all ordinary grade and contained the same amount of spiritual energy per gram. Combined, they gave him the spiritual energy equivalent of fourteen kilograms of spiritual stone. With this amount, he smoothly reached the seventh level and made it a fouth of the way to the next level.
His spiritual sea was left with tinges of red and blue. Just like with jade, the elemental attributes from ruby and sapphire were subjugated by the power of darkness. What remained was a few strands of docile fire and water energy that he could inject into his body if he chose to do so.
Citrine, however, reacted differently and did not require suppression at all. It was almost like cultivating with plain spiritual stones. All of the earth-attribute energy smoothly entered his spiritual sea and was absorbed into the seven hills which now dotted his spiritual landscape.
He didn't have to think too hard to realize that this was to be expected. His physique was tempered by the heavenly citrine. The Tome of Glorious Fortune was naturally aligned with the earth element. Cultivating with citrine was never going to be a problem for him.
Finished with the first round of cultivation, Gray got up and stretched. His stomach rumbled. He was covered in stink and sweat from the exertion.
He went upstairs, cleaned himself, and went into the kitchen. Anand was nowhere in sight but there was food on the table. There was a plate piled high with buns, now cold. There were also four whole flying chickens, perfectly roasted with crispy skin. It was all good stuff.
Gray ate everything, even picking the chickens clean to the bone. He patted his stomach afterward and felt vigor and enthusiasm return. He returned to his room and cultivated deep into the night.
---
By lunchtime the next day, Gray had broken through to the 8th Level of the Spiritual Strengthening Realm. Having jumped two levels in quick succession, it was a good time to take a real break. He left the gem shop and headed to the north wall to see what was going on.
When he arrived at the main street of the northern district, he was met with hundreds of recruits milling about. They were helping each other put on shiny pieces of armor that included chest plates and waist skirts. These weren't as fancy or complete as the armor sets worn by the captains or even head guards but they were still way more impressive than anything the bandits could get a hold of.
A lot of people already had their armor but even more were still waiting for theirs. Most of the shops along the street had been taken over by tailors and metalsmiths to continuously churn out custom-fitted armor for everyone. Through one of the windows, he even saw Basu, the lord's head metalsmith, hard at work, hammering a piece of armor into shape.
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Gray continued north and encountered a large open tent where piles of weapons were laid out. There were weapons of all shapes and sizes; swords, maces, axes, daggers, and spears. There was a separate pile of square iron shields that was equally as vast. The conscripted townsfolk passed by the tent in droves and were each given two weapons of their choice and a shield. Those that proved their shooting ability could also get a proper war bow to replace the dinky training bows they had been using.
Among the people in charge of the weapon tent was none other than Grandpa Kapoor. The old smith seemed to have lost some weight and was shouting as his assistants energetically.
"Grandpa Kapoor!" Gray called out as he approached the tent.
"Oh, it's you. What the hell happened to you?" The portly old man said when he caught sight of Gray.
"What? Nothing happened."
"Whatever. Come here, boy. Anand told me to give this to you." He pointed to something lying on the ground behind him, hidden beneath a layer of cloth.
Gray walked over and pulled the cloth back to reveal a glowing pickaxe that emanated immeasurable weight and power. It was the heavy gold pickaxe; the one he had wanted but couldn't afford.
"That's nice..." He said uncertainly, "Are you finally giving me a discount on it?"
Grandpa Kapoor laughed, making his belly shake, "No, it's your lucky day because Anand already paid full price for it. You can take it or leave it."
Gray immediately grabbed the shaft and lifted it. Even though he had gained four levels since the last time, the pickaxe still felt heavy as a mountain. But it wasn't impossible like before. He could now raise it above his head and swing it around with some difficulty. It strained his muscles and joints but it made him feel amazingly powerful, like an unstoppable titan.
“How is it?” The old smith asked.
"Great!"
"Tch, you really are crazy. Now go away, I still have to deal with the others!"
Gray left the cranky old man alone and arrived below the north gate. Here, townsfolk that were already fully kitted out with armor and weapons were training in groups of ten and twenty. The atmosphere was noticeably different from yesterday. These recruits were more energetic and more confident, like proper warriors.
Guards and head guards shouted at the recruits and they shouted back with gusto, their voices combining to overpower the sounds of battle from over the walls. Several hundred men and women marched in various formations, maneuvered promptly according to commands, and thrust their spears and swords ferociously at imaginary foes. It was amazing to see such a transformation in just one day.
As he stood there and watched, he attracted plenty of attention with his shiny golden pickaxe and his large stature. Soon enough, Alisha and Harsh came down from the wall and met up with him. Harsh was in his usual armor but Alisha was no longer wearing her veil.
"What happened?" Gray asked, pointing at her face.
She slapped his finger away, "I told everyone about my true identity this morning. No, it wasn't because of you. I was already planning on doing so since it is much easier to ask the people of Jade Hill Town to fight for a daughter of the Patel family rather than a faceless member of the Reddy Clan."
"Makes sense. And all that equipment?"
"It's everything we had stocked up in our reserves. I was always planning on equipping the townspeople properly. I simply neglected to inform the merchants of the Southern Seas Trading Company of this fact. They panicked and fell neatly into my trap.”
“Clever.”
She smiled lightly, “Thank you. Now, let's train.”
“Alright!”
The two of them took turns sparring with Gray. Harsh went first and they fought barehanded. At the 8th Level of the Spiritual Strengthening Realm and with his unnatural innate strength, Gray was now faster and stronger than the captain who was at the tenth level. Harsh had better technique and more experience but Gray was able to hold his own due to stamina and durability.
Gray took the countless punches and kicks without giving up. He learned as he suffered, picking up plenty of tips and tricks from the seasoned captain. At the same time, the continuous beatings improved his Golden Body of the Bodhi rapidly.
With Alisha, Gray trained how to probably control and use the heavy gold pickaxe. The spiritual treasure was so heavy that he could only swing it around like a weapon while at full strength, when every bone and muscle was bathed in golden spiritual energy. And even then, he could only manage a few swings before his arms gave out.
Alisha was at the 1st Level of the Spiritual Control Realm. She was able to easily dodge his attacks and was even able to catch the pickaxe with her bare hands. He suffered harshly under her tutelage but he continued without complaint.
The control realm was still too far of a gap for him to bridge. She was hardly trying during their spars. He still had a long way to go if he wanted to beat her. He wasn't sure if he would be able to even if he reached the tenth level.
His innate physique and his secret arts were dominant within the same realm but they weren't quite good enough to fight someone in a higher realm.