Swallowed Star: Reboot

Chapter 16: Specialization!

When hunting beasts, Jiang Zhe sometimes used clever tricks.

For instance, when dealing with particularly troublesome Beast General-level monsters—especially serpentine ones—he would resort to a trump card, avoiding close combat altogether.

As a spiritual force user, his control over accuracy combined with his terrifying tenfold power burst made his long-range throws nearly unstoppable.

But when it came to training?

He never cut corners.

No matter how grueling, Jiang Zhe executed his grandfather's training regimen to the letter.

He could have made it easier. If he angled the spearhead slightly downward, then crushed the soybean with the back of the spearhead—like swatting a fly—it would've saved time and effort.

Grandpa wasn't watching. There were no cameras in the training room either.

But come on, wake up, brother!

No one's forcing you to train. If you don't like it, just head back to the base city and enjoy your family's wealth. Why suffer in the wilderness pretending to grind under Grandpa's orders?

You made the choice to become strong.

And even the slightest laziness now could cost you everything later—maybe even your life in a do-or-die battle where one critical spear thrust misses its mark due to your past shortcuts.

"Block," "Seize," "Pierce"— the three fundamental principles of spear technique.

Before training Jiang Zhe specifically in the art of "piercing," the old man had thoroughly drilled the basics into him.

When it came to theoretical knowledge, Jiang Zhe scored full marks.

He'd read all the treasured martial scrolls in the family collection before turning sixteen. The proverbs and sayings of martial arts were engraved in his mind.

Now it was time for application.

And with Jiang Zhe's talent, he picked up the basics of spear technique fast.

He started with how to hold the spear—a fundamental that determined everything else.

"Hold steady, stay agile. Grip the front, lock the rear. Control with both hands—firm, not rigid; flexible, not slippery."

With his grandfather's hands-on instruction, Jiang Zhe began his training on the right track.

After mastering grip, he moved to basic moves: thrusting, stabbing, lashing, coiling, circling, blocking, seizing, tapping, striking, and flourish.

He quickly grasped them all—his form was correct, the motions clean.

But still… nothing special.

Next came footwork.

Footwork had to be nimble, quick, light, and stable.

Step like the wind. Steal steps like nails.

Grandpa had reminded him about this early on and even assigned special stance exercises to enhance it.

With guidance, none of these fundamentals were too difficult.

Grandpa was like a master chef, handing over a secret recipe and the finest ingredients. All Jiang Zhe had to do was follow the instructions—cut, cook, plate—and the feast would follow.

Once the basics were solid, it was time to pursue mastery—to reach the flawless level of technique.

On Earth, martial skill progression followed a clear path:

Foundation → Specialization → Perfection.

Only after reaching perfect technique could one dream of ascending to higher levels—Art and Law.

That meant:

Artistic Intent,

Domain,

Laws of the Origin Universe,

Even skills powerful enough to reflect universal laws.

Like the "Blade Law" that Duan Donghe demonstrated to Luo Feng—a foundational enlightenment that helped Luo Feng rise to become a core powerhouse among Chaos Lords.

These belonged to the realm of true martial laws.

But no matter how high the tower, it's built from the ground up.

And right now, the plain and simple spear-piercing drill—piercing soybeans—was more than enough to keep Jiang Zhe busy.

During this drill, he couldn't rely on power-amplifying techniques. Only his natural physical capabilities were allowed.

At the start, he couldn't even hit a single soybean.

Yes, as a spiritual user, his vision was precise. He could lock onto a mosquito with the naked eye.

But the problem wasn't the eyes—it was his arms.

A tiny twitch, even the slightest tremble, would throw the spear off by centimeters.

He might hit another soybean by sheer luck…

But Jiang Zhe found that kind of "accidental success" embarrassing.

Shameful.

Fortunately, he quickly corrected the instability.

After all, amplification wasn't just about output—it reflected control.

A 10× power burst didn't mean just 10× strength—it also meant 10% mastery over his body.

To reach 100× was to achieve total bodily control.

At just 10%, he already had enough mastery to stabilize his arms. That wasn't going to be a problem.

But there were other issues:

1. The soybean would bounce off—it was round, and didn't sit still on the alloy floor.

Solution: Increase explosive speed at the moment of thrust, maximizing force before the soybean reacts—catch it "off guard."

2. His shoes had hard wooden soles.

He couldn't shift position—stepping on a stray bean could get him injured by "friendly fire."

Solution: Use the Tai Chi stance—rooted like a tree, motionless from the waist down. Let the upper body and waist handle movement and control.

...

It wasn't until 8 PM that Jiang Zhe finally shattered all the soybeans and completed his training.

His grandfather strolled in, holding a small brazier in his hands, warm and relaxed.

After sweeping away the shattered soybean bits, the alloy floor underneath looked like it had been hit by artillery fire—full of holes.

Jiang Zhe turned away, blushing with shame.

"Alright. That's a pass. Step by step," Grandpa said.

This wasn't comfort—it was truth. After all, it was just the beginning. He didn't need perfection overnight.

"Here, keep this beside you while cultivating tonight."

The old man tossed over a round iron box. Jiang Zhe caught it with psychic force and instantly sensed the powerful cosmic energy inside.

Fresh furnace residue?

He sniffed—but didn't catch that familiar scent.

Curious, he opened it.

Inside was a semi-solid blue paste—not the colorless fragrant balm from before, but a dark blue substance like the starry night sky.

Universe Crystal?!

That was Jiang Zhe's first thought.

Clearly not… but something close.

It was a concentrated form of cosmic origin energy.

His body instinctively craved it—he knew it would be effective.

"Grandpa, what is this?"

"This is what I refined in that cauldron. A raw material that easily evaporates, so just keep it beside you during cultivation. It'll feel like you're bathing in cosmic energy."

Jiang Zhe nodded.

It was basically a poor man's version of a spirit-gathering array from cultivation novels.

He immediately thought of the Thunder World mini-dungeon.

It had cosmic crystals buried underground, and the resulting energy density made cultivation there absurdly efficient.

If this paste resembled universe crystals…

Could that cauldron be at least a Fifth-Tier / Domain Lord-level artifact?

But how could a lifeless object pull off something only a Domain Lord could do?

Clearly, his understanding of the universe—shaped by the original novel—was outdated.

He was beginning to realize: a few million words weren't enough to fully convey the vastness of the cosmos.

The cauldron's true purpose? Definitely not just making "residue." That was far too basic.

And judging from Grandpa's strained expression while refining it—even at his planet-level strength—it seemed to be quite taxing.

A poor trade-off.

Jiang Zhe's curiosity burned stronger than ever.

He had to assemble all eight diagrams and unlock the cauldron's true secret.

---

That night, bathed in cosmic origin energy and blessed with top-tier bloodline, Jiang Zhe could sense it:

By the time this wilderness journey ended, he'd be far beyond the early-stage War General level.

Two weeks, tops.

---

Day 5 of wilderness cultivation.

Morning: Beast hunt.

But with one change: he used his newly trained spear technique.

Jiang Zhe hadn't expected it to be a big deal—until he charged into the beast horde in combat gear, spear in hand.

That's when the pressure hit.

Most notably—he had no defense anymore.

Earlier, he relied on overwhelming strength to wield a shield and clash head-on with Beast Generals.

He'd block with one hand and strike with his golden mace in the other, cracking skulls open.

Now? That tactic was off the table.

He couldn't afford brute force anymore.

He had to dodge first, then strike with precision.

Without a shield, he couldn't ignore minion attacks—he had to stay alert, eyes and ears on everything.

The margin for error shrank dramatically.

To make up for it, he needed refined techniques.

Fortunately, even if his spear skills weren't yet flawless, his micro-level footwork was.

He adjusted his style into a mobile, evasive assault.

Dancing like a butterfly, weaving through beasts, spear in hand like a coiled python, each strike as deadly as a serpent's bite—every thrust shattered skulls.

In later battles, Jiang Zhe focused less on speed and more on refining his form.

Live combat > Practice drills.

---

Back at the shelter, he trained for two hours with the Life Blueprint, then resumed piercing soybeans.

This time, he controlled his force more carefully—trying to pierce the soybean without damaging the alloy floor.

That raised the difficulty again—more soybeans flew off, harder to hit.

So it took longer than yesterday.

When Grandpa came to inspect, he saw fewer dents on the metal floor and nodded gently.

"Promising…"

---

Day 6.

Day 7.

Day 8.

Day 9.

Jiang Zhe's spear technique reached new heights—combining footwork, strikes, and force control into perfect synergy.

His combat strength soared.

Looking back, Jiang Zhe felt his old self—sevenfold power, shield, and mace—was like a toddler playing with toys.

Crude! Too crude!

Now, a single sideways swipe of his spear could send mid-level Beast Generals flying—bones shattered, organs liquefied.

High-level Beast Generals couldn't even react to his piercing attacks before their skulls were impaled.

---

On the way back, he suggested, "Grandpa, let's head to the central city. I want to try fighting a Lord-level beast."

"Not yet. I'm still not confident in your defense."

"Your attacks are solid. Speed's good too. But your defense is too fragile—like a glass cannon. A Lord-level monster touches you once, and it's over."

Jiang Zhe frowned but nodded. He remembered what Babata once said: Earth's secret arts could boost strength and speed—but not defense.

"Then Grandpa, when do you think I'll be ready?"

"When you become an early-stage War General and reach high-level War General spiritual cultivation."

Jiang Zhe didn't reply. He just nodded quietly.

In his mind, he thought: Tomorrow, then.

---

Afternoon training resumed.

Jiang Zhe replaced all alloy floor tiles in the 5×5 area.

This was the second batch.

And this time, the dents were fewer, smaller—his technique had clearly improved.

Grandpa, leaning against the wall, couldn't help but sigh:

"Your uncle took two years to reach this level. In his third year, he could pierce soybeans on alloy flooring without leaving a trace… even extinguish incense without breaking it."

Jiang Zhe stepped onto the new tiles, scattered the soybeans, and thought:

"Grandpa… I think you're about to see some new records."

Then, the spear moved—one strike after another, a blur of movement. Soybeans shattered, spear shadow trailing like a multi-headed serpent.

As a planetary warrior, Grandpa's eyes were sharp. And he had a keen instinct for spear technique.

As Jiang Zhe moved, Grandpa's eyes widened—nearly popping from their sockets.

What the hell? He nailed it? Already?

Five days versus three years?

Monster-level talent!

Nine minutes later, Jiang Zhe sheathed his spear and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Grandpa rushed in to inspect.

Jiang Zhe tried to take the broom, but Grandpa waved him off. He had to see it for himself.

Moments later, the old man gently caressed the alloy floor and muttered:

"Not even a scratch… your bodily control is freakishly precise."

Jiang Zhe shrugged. He wasn't sure how to respond.

He did feel he was naturally gifted in physical training. Just like his spiritual force talent, his control over bodily strength came instinctively.

It was as if… he was born for this.

Grandpa declared the first phase of training complete.

Then, he brought out an incense burner, lit a stick, and placed it inside.

"Let's begin Phase Two—Piercing the incense tip, without breaking the stick."

That night, Jiang Zhe broke through to Apprentice Level 4, officially an Early War General.

His spiritual strength rose to Level 6, allowing him to annihilate high-level War Generals with ease.

---

Day 10 of wilderness training.

Morning: He and Grandpa set out for the Taihe Estuary City.

Target: Sector 009 — Extreme Danger.

(End of the Chapter)