Leon looked at the panel like a fool. ’I can use magic now? For real?’ He was still in that cold water. But it didn’t affect him anymore. Rather, he felt like it was actually making him stronger.

"This place! It’s brimming with cold energy. The system just said I can absorb cold energy to cultivate. Then, doesn’t that mean I can cultivate here to absorb both spiritual energy and cold energy?" The moment that idea came into his mind, he quickly sat down in the lotus position.

When he started cultivating, a whirlpool appeared before him, spiritual energy and cold energy surging into him. After cultivating for only 5 seconds, Leon opened his eyes in bewilderment.

"What the hell! What’s with this speed?"

[Host’s physique has evolved to Heaven-Devouring Physique level 2. This physique increases the cultivation speed of any technique by 10 fold. The host is currently at a location filled with cold energy. The host can refine the same amount of Qi from cold energy. Combining these two, Host’s current cultivation speed is 200 Qi per second.]

"200!!!! Damn! I should utilize it before I lose this chance."

Leon closed his eyes again. The whirlpool again appeared before him.

[You have absorbed Qi.

Qi: 3,303,200/5,120,000]

[Qi: 3,303,400/5,120,000]

[Qi: 3,303,600/5,120,000]

Leon totally engrossed himself in cultivation. In the land, the night had already fallen, and it continued to grow darker.

Back at the cave...

"Why hasn’t he returned yet?" Sol asked worriedly as he sat before the fire with Emily.

Emily didn’t answer, but her face was twisted slightly.

"And that light just now... What was that?"

"No idea." Emily finally replied. Her mind was buzzing with different possibilities. ’That phenomenon, does it have anything to do with him? He is full of mysteries. He swallowed that core like it was something delicious. He can still use magic when others can’t.’ Her eyes darted toward Noah, who hadn’t woken up yet. ’I just hope I didn’t make any mistakes helping these two.’ Just as she was busy with her thoughts, she suddenly felt something. A strange sensation from within.

She got up abruptly and walked outside.

"What happened?" Sol asked, seeing her leave like that, and followed behind her.

Emily stood outside the cave and raised her hand. "Fireball." She whispered. Immediately, a round sphere of fire materialized before her and shot forward, hitting a frost-covered tree in the distance.

Boom! An explosion erupted.

"Y-your magic! It has returned?" Sol stammered.

Emily looked at him. "Try using your magic too."

Sol nodded and raised his hand. "Ice ball." A crude sphere of ice materialized before his palm and shot forward.

"Mine is back, too," Sol said excitedly. "Sis, no one can stop us now. We can finally return. Don’t you think?"

Emily didn’t answer him immediately. After some time, she said, "Let’s go heal that boy first."

Sol nodded, and both of them walked toward Noah.

Emily crouched down beside Noah. ’I don’t have healing affinity, but my healing spell with fire magic can do small healings without problem. And this should be enough for him.’

She placed her right palm on Noah’s chest. "Sacred Crimson Flame." She whispered. Fire erupted beneath her palm and enveloped Noah’s whole body. ’This will accelerate the self-healing mechanism inside the body and provide energy for repair.

Time slowly passed, and Noah finally opened his eyes.

Back under the water...

Leon had been cultivating for almost one and a half hours.

Finally, a notification appeared in the panel he had been waiting for.

Ding!

[Qi: 5,120,000/5,120,000. You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough.]

[You have reached the 3rd stage of Martial Apprentice Realm.]

Leon only looked at it for once before closing his eyes again. He continued to cultivate. Minutes turned into hours. The night passed and the sun rose over the horizon. Leon continued to cultivate without any movement for the next 15 hours straight before finally opening his eyes again.

"The cold energy has vanished for some reason. I didn’t suck it whole, did I?" He laughed worriedly. But his mood brightened the moment he looked at the panel again.

[Qi: 10,240,000/10,240,000. You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough.]

[You have reached the 4th stage of Martial Apprentice Realm.]

Leon stood up and stretched his sore limbs. "System. Open the status bar."

[Sure, Host.]

[Host: Leon Bale

Status Bar

Damage: 37

HP: 18

Perception: 12

Speed: 36

Mana: 10,240,000

Soul Strength: Nil]

Leon was overjoyed seeing his damage and speed stats. "Just one more breakthrough and I will be a D-class knight. And now, I can even use magic too."

Then his eyes fell on his mana state which nearly made him choke from shock.

"Mana is 10,240,000? Don’t tell me it’s equivalent to my Qi."

[Affirmative, Host.]

Leon froze for a second before bursting into laughter. "Hahahahahaha! Doesn’t that mean I have like an Infinite fuel tank to cast spells?"

[Negative, Host]

Leon’s laughter stopped and his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, system?"

[Mana is equal to Qi. So when the host will cast a spell, it will cost the host Qi. As a result, Host’s Qi will be reduced and Host will have to accumulate the amount of Qi used to achieve breakthroughs. While others can accumulate mana from the nature, Host can rely only on his Qi reserve to use magic. And for any use, he will have to refill it by consuming monster cores and cultivation.]

The system explained and it made Leon fall into thought. "It sounds complicated. But it doesn’t matter. I will just continue hunting monsters to refill my Qi. I don’t believe it will take more Qi to kill a monster than the Qi, its monster core will provide. Now..." He looked at the panel again... "Bring me that sword."

[Sure, Host.]

The majestic sword appeared before Leon again. "What kind of sword is this? I believe I am only alive because of this, ain’t I?"

The panel didn’t show any notification. But after two minutes, writings appeared again.

[Scanning complete.

Sword: Frost Monarch’s Blade.

Grade: Unidentifiable

Effect 1: Damage + 150%

Effect 2: Can cut through any hallucination and Formation.]