Discipline

Hard work and diligence often paid off dividends, if not immediately then in the long run. It may not pay out the dividends that you want, but it would definitely give you what you needed.

Dalvin came to understand this truth as he continued to work hard. Every 3 minutes that he finished a pill and popped another one, he felt his progress. It was not just in the blood qi value on the system panel, but also in terms of his own mentality.

Discipline.

In the bustling city of everyday life, discipline stood as an unsung hero, quietly establishing its influence.

It wasn't really flashy or glamorous, but its impact was definitely profound, shaping the future of various people in ways they - probably - never imagined.

Discipline couldn't be attained at once, rather having to be nurtured through dedication and perseverance.

It was the silent force that guided individuals through the maze of challenges that was life, teaching them to prioritize, focus, and stay the course even when the path became difficult or unstable.

Discipline was the power that steered people away from procrastination and towards productivity. However, discipline wasn't just about achievement; it was about self-mastery.

Through discipline, individuals discovered the power of habits, recognizing that small actions performed consistently could lead to significant transformations. It was the daily rituals, the incremental improvements, that paved the way for greatness.

Dalvin was currently establishing his own discipline, one that involved the incessant search for power and growth through repetitive training and hard work. As he repeatedly went session after session while taking small breaks in between to consume the snacks and burgers he bought, he found himself feeling fulfilled.

Every day, he had woken up in his quiet apartment to draw for money. Occasionally, he would do one or two pieces for himself, either creating original characters for his social media that represented his ideal self or imagined self.

Naturally, he didn't hate that life nor had he necessarily been depressed. After all, he did make good money and had relative peace of mind, so he couldn't dare to pretend to have been struck with misfortune by the world.

But still, despite all that, there had been something missing for him the entire time. It was something that he could not put a finger on, and he was not sure if it was something to do with his mind, emotions, or body, but here and now, Dalvin realized it was all three.

Perusing social media, the chaotic gender war of today, constant consumption of fast food and hobbies that involved little to no physical exercise had swamped his entire human brain into muck, making him feel like he was in the wrong place at all times.

Yet here in this cell that limited his freedom, with death staring at him from every avenue and corner, he felt more alive than ever. Yes, in the beginning he had been overwhelmed and full of fear, but he had slowly begun to get used to the idea of his current circumstance.

Here and now, while he repeatedly punched a wall with all his might, he was more than he had ever been.

...….

The hour was now 5.50 pm, and Dalvin lowered his arms while panting, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Doing any other physical exercise would not exhaust him because it could not make him exert his full ability, but cultivating the Earthquake Fist was different because it required one's full force with every punch.

One thing about the xueqi pill that the steroid pill did not have was the ability to infuse users with near limitless stamina for the duration of cultivation. If Dalvin had not become much stronger, he would not be able to use the steroid pill to its fullest because he would tire before it was done.

That was why he had to take breaks every now and then whereas with the xueqi pill, he could theoretically pop it forever and keep going.

He sat down and drank a bottle of mineral water, a one-liter bottle, all at once. He used a face towel to wipe his seat and relaxed on his sleeping bag turned bed while opening the system display to check if his suspicion was right.

[Martial Arts Realm: Skin Tempering Realm (Late)

Martial Arts Technique: Earthquake Fist (Low-grade Human Rank)

Blood Qi: 400/400 (Breakthrough Available!).]

"Nice," Dalvin muttered to himself, smiling in satisfaction. To be able to make two breakthroughs in one day, within the span of hours, definitely filled him with joy and motivation to pursue success even harder.

However, he was not in a rush to actually breakthrough for obvious reasons. He did not want to go through that painful experience again so quickly despite his desire for it, so he prepped himself mentally for it.

The urge to procrastinate came, and he almost succumbed to it, but when it reached its peak and he found himself reaching for his laptop to play games again, he quickly opened the system panel and activated the breakthrough.

The process was much the same as before, but far more intense. This time, Dalvin actually began to release a bit of smoke and steam from his body, the redness of his skin extending slightly above his flesh and forming a slight aura.

Before it could expand further it receded back into his body and left the young man feeling fatigued, as he slumped on the bed tiredly. This time, he was truly too bushed to continue practicing even though he wanted to, so his heavy eyelids closed as he fell into a deep slumber.

"Huh?" Dalvin mumbled as he came to, noticing an annoying sound at the edge of his hearing.

When he raised his head and felt around, he grabbed his phone and realized that it was the alarm he set for 8 pm. Annoyed at himself, his phone and the creator of alarms, he pushed himself up after switching off the irritating sound and rubbed his bleary eyes.

'Hmm, it's not a good idea to set alarms in a danger zone like this, right?' Dalvin had that brief thought before standing up and fetching himself some chilled soda from his storage pouch.

After downing it and feeling the chill waking up his brain, he flexed his body and felt so much better than before. He sighed and checked his system panel for the updated information about his abilities.

[Name: Dalvin

Race: Human

Physique: Spacetime Immortal Body (10% Awakened)

Age: 21

—————————————

Martial Arts Realm: Skin Tempering Realm (Peak)

Martial Arts Technique: Earthquake Fist (Low-grade Human Rank)

Blood Qi: 0/500 (Unable to Breakthrough)

—————————————

Cultivation Realm: Mortal (None)

Cultivation Mantra: None

Cultivation Base: 0/100 (Unable to Breakthrough)

—————————————

Power: 46.1

Qi: 45.9

Fortitude: 46

—————————————

Bloodline energy: 100%. (Next 1% in 00:00:00)

…]

Peak of the Skin Tempering realm. He had finally gotten here after two days of practice, something which would take an average martial arts practitioner outside a much longer time and effort.

Dalvin noticed he had only gained 15 stat points in all fields this time, making him wonder if he was experiencing some form of decline or depreciating returns on his training, either due to his own body, the system, or the low grade of the martial arts technique being used.