During the process of the young disciples’ growth, what accompanied them was the constant death of their companions. Under the terrifying pressure of death, all the disciples strove forward with all their might, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

The Five-Aspect Vajra Wheel is one of the most orthodox martial arts under heaven—majestic and upright, with a heavy emphasis on foundation, and slow progress in the early stages of cultivation.

The Heavenly Lotus Sect is, after all, a demonic sect; its martial arts are all sinister, vicious, and ferocious. Although it is easy to go astray during cultivation, progress in the early stages is extremely rapid.

If not for the experience and wisdom of over twenty years from his previous life, Henry Clark would have been killed countless times already. The disciples who entered Red Lotus Temple the same year as Henry Clark were either killed, became core disciples, or were transferred to the outer sect, and so on. Only Henry Clark was still struggling bitterly among the entry-level disciples.

As the oldest entry-level disciple, Henry Clark had a nickname recognized by all the disciples: “waste.” In others’ eyes, it wasn’t that Henry Clark didn’t work hard, but unfortunately, he simply lacked talent and could never amount to anything.

In fact, although the Five-Aspect Vajra Wheel that Henry Clark cultivated was incomplete, it was an orthodox secret transmission. Especially the two secret methods for cultivating internal force—Subduing the White Tiger and Suppressing the Azure Dragon—made Henry Clark’s Five-Aspect Vajra Wheel incredibly powerful, worlds apart from ordinary body-refining techniques.

After ten years of painstaking cultivation, Henry Clark finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, reaching the realm of Subduing the White Tiger and Suppressing the Azure Dragon.

Subduing the White Tiger refers to combining the White Tiger Swallowing Origin method with the Vajra body-refining internal force secret art. Only by cultivating both internally and externally can one’s flesh become as tough as copper, achieving unity of inside and outside, combining hardness and softness, and being able to withstand powerful internal force and sharp weapons. Because the skin and flesh became so dense and tough, even hair could not grow. That’s why he lost all his body hair, becoming bald, even losing his eyebrows.

Suppressing the Azure Dragon means connecting all the bones in the body like a dragon—able to expand or contract, stretch or shrink, soften or harden, changing endlessly like a dragon. Henry Clark’s skull had not yet been refined, leaving just one final step before perfection.

However, the White Tiger Seven Fiend Claws and Azure Dragon Sea-Turning Kick, the two killer moves of the Five-Aspect Wheel, had both reached minor accomplishment. With the Vajra body of Subduing the White Tiger and Suppressing the Azure Dragon, there were all sorts of marvelous uses—even a third-rank martial artist might not be a match for Henry Clark in a real fight.

Midnight was approaching; the world’s yin and yang were shifting, and it was the moment when vital energy was most chaotic. At this time, Henry Clark returned to the cramped, dark cave to cultivate the Suppressing the Azure Dragon secret art from the Five-Aspect Vajra Wheel.

Standing still, Henry Clark appeared motionless, but in reality, the skin, flesh, and bones of his body were all trembling slightly. As the internal force circulated through his meridians, inside and outside combined, his whole body was making the subtlest of tremors and sways, as if he were about to transform into a giant dragon.

Only the skull—the hardest bone in the entire body and the center of the human soul—could not be easily moved. Henry Clark had been cultivating the Suppressing the Azure Dragon secret art for three years, but had never been able to break through the final barrier.

When cultivating internal force, the mind was clear and empty, thoughts faint and indistinct. Superior internal arts not only nourish the spirit, but the internal force also warms and nourishes the muscles, bones, and flesh. Otherwise, relying solely on external medicines like tiger bone and bear gall ointment, this body would have been ruined long ago.

Two hours later, Henry Clark finally awoke from deep meditation. He thought to himself, “Judging by my current progress, before the end-of-year competition, I should be able to refine the skull and connect all the bones into a great dragon.” Once the Azure Dragon was complete, the skin, flesh, bones, and meridians would become one, and the internal force would complete a full circulation throughout the body. With a great increase in internal force, opening the acupoints and advancing to the third rank of martial arts would come naturally.

There are nine ranks in martial arts. First rank: external force; second rank: internal force; third rank: vital force; fourth rank: unified force; fifth rank: combined force; sixth rank: true force; seventh rank: gang force; eighth rank: mysterious force; ninth rank: primal force.

Henry Clark was still at the internal force level; only by opening the acupoints could he absorb the world’s vital energy and become a third-rank martial artist. The gap between a third-rank and a second-rank martial artist was only one rank, but it was a huge watershed. Only by stepping into the third rank could one truly be called a martial artist.

However, by comparison, Henry Clark would rather be a cultivator—cultivating spiritual thought, moving heaven and earth with a thought, mastering hundreds of techniques, freely combining them into endless variations. The wonders of this path were incomparable to those of a pure martial artist.

Cultivators also have nine ranks. First rank: qi movement; second rank: focused mind; third rank: spirit condensation; fourth rank: out-of-body; fifth rank: manifestation; sixth rank: yin spirit; seventh rank: yang spirit; eighth rank: primordial spirit; ninth rank: tribulation crossing.

Unfortunately, up to now, although Henry Clark’s spiritual thought was refined, he could not sense vital energy with it, making it difficult to cultivate techniques.

Martial artists draw vital energy to temper their bodies, hone their souls, merging flesh and soul into one, treating themselves as the universe, ultimately transcending the rules of heaven and earth.

Cultivators, on the other hand, temper the soul, use spiritual thought to communicate with heaven and earth, comprehend the laws, and ultimately let the soul exist independently between heaven and earth. Once a cultivator forms a primordial spirit, it can exist independently of the body.

Martial artists and cultivators are two paths to transcendence, neither superior nor inferior. But comparatively, cultivators can be stronger and more respected than martial artists of the same rank.

Henry Clark was not entirely without hope of learning techniques; as long as he became a core disciple and his spiritual thought was strong enough, he would have the chance to study techniques.

The sect holds a minor competition every year and a major competition every three years. In the major competition, ten core disciples are selected.