Ironblood's predicament

Time flew by, and three months had passed since Li Tian had returned to his villa, free from the worry of assassinations. During this period, Shi Ruo had made significant progress in her cultivation, reaching the 2nd level of the foundation realm. Li Tian himself had advanced to the late stage of the foundation realm, but he knew he still had a long way to go before reaching the peak.

Within his dantian, a sea of Qi surged, emitting powerful roars. Dragon Qi coalesced around him, forming a serpentine figure with horns on its head, circling him. The aura he exuded was formidable, yet he chose to remain in seclusion. The Dragon Qi vein had greatly aided his progress, and even with the help of pills, he doubted he would have achieved such remarkable advancement without it.

It had been four months since the war, and the environment was slowly recovering as the space gaps closed. Normal activities were gradually resuming. Li Tian had been promoted to the position of chief sergeant as a reward for his achievements during the war, and he had earned the respect of the people in City E. With no need to venture out for resources, his sole focus was on cultivation, leaving everything else to Shi Ruo.

Another two months passed, and Shi Ruo informed Li Tian that a postponed mission had been reactivated, and Captain Ironblood was leaving for it. This left Li Tian and another chief sergeant in charge, but he had no interest in the mission and continued his cultivation. Those who had expected a power struggle between the two high-ranking officers were sorely disappointed.

Time continued to pass, and a year had gone by since Li Tian's last breakthrough. Today, he finally achieved the peak of the foundation realm, reaching the pinnacle of his power. Li Tian was confident in his ability to defeat anyone below the golden core level. He had surpassed Captain Ironblood, who had yet to return from the mission, leaving him curious about the nature of that mission.

Having reached this stage and realizing that his cultivation speed, although still faster than others, was slowing down, Li Tian decided to delve into the study of runes. He had a wealth of knowledge about runes stored in his memory, and he began his studies from the basics. Over the course of a year, he made significant progress in his understanding of runes. The subject fascinated him, and he immersed himself completely in its study. Using his achievement points, he acquired numerous scrolls related to rune study and meticulously studied them.

He inscribed runes like strength runes, regeneration runes, and shield runes all over his body, even on his bones. His body had become nearly indestructible, as long as the force he encountered did not exceed a certain level. With just his body, Li Tian believed he was invincible below the golden core level. When combined with his Qi and other abilities, he was confident he could even take on a two-turns gold core cultivator.

He had gained a preliminary understanding of the dragon rune, recognizing it as a suppression rune, although he was unaware of its full effect. He also discovered that dragon runes were distinct from other runes, further fueling his interest in the study of runes. In his past life, he had dabbled in alchemy, weapon forging, talisman crafting, and more, but his interest in those pursuits had been superficial. Nothing had captivated him as much as the study of runes.

Two months later, news arrived that Captain Ironblood had returned, and an emergency meeting was called. Li Tian left his seclusion and made his way to the captain's office. His hair still reached his waist, a style he favored. However, thanks to an appearance-changing rune, he had altered his height to appear more ordinary. Standing at 1.9 meters, he was tall but not so much as to arouse suspicion.

An hour later, Li Tian entered the captain's office and found four people already waiting. He recognized two of them—Captain Ironblood and the other chief sergeant from the city. The other two individuals were a captain and a colonel. Everyone in the room was a core realm cultivator, except for Li Tian. He knew that to be given the title of colonel, one had to comprehend at least one divine ability. Those who comprehended four or more divine abilities but had not yet broken through to the rebirth realm could be called commanders.

Li Tian paid the appropriate respect, offering a military salute before taking his seat. Despite his young age, no one in the room underestimated him or regarded him as anything less than an equal. This young man alone had slain two Mid rank 4 beasts and four true core realm experts during the last war.

The purpose of the meeting soon became clear. Captain Ironblood had been severely injured during the mission and was uncertain if he would fully recover. While he focused on his recovery, a new captain would assume his responsibilities.

Li Tian had noticed Captain Ironblood's condition as soon as he entered the room. His senses were extraordinarily sharp, and he deduced that Ironblood's injuries were far more serious than anticipated. In that moment, a thought flashed through Li Tian's mind, and a glint appeared in his eyes as he scrutinized Captain Ironblood.

As the meeting concluded, Li Tian left with a plan forming in his mind. All he needed was the right opportunity to set it in motion. He returned to his seclusion, leaving Shi Ruo perplexed by his changed demeanor. His studies had made him more composed and calculating.

Another two months passed, and Li Tian stood at the threshold of the core realm, his strength once again elevated. He had entrusted Shi Ruo with monitoring Captain Ironblood's condition, and today she interrupted his cultivation to inform him of a dire turn. Captain Ironblood's cultivation had regressed by one level, from the sixth to the fifth stage of the core realm.

While this news saddened others, it was a welcomed development for Li Tian. He stood up and headed to Captain Ironblood's residence, accompanied by Shi Ruo. Upon seeing the ailing man before him, Li Tian felt a twinge of pity and guilt. However, he remained focused on his own priorities.