Rowan’s eyes gleamed, his heart racing with anticipation.

Last week, during his strength test, his punch force had reached roughly sixty-two thousand kilograms.

After another week of relentless training, he could feel the difference in his body. His strength had grown sharper, heavier, more explosive.

Today, he was going to test it again.

“Bang!”

His fist blurred, too fast to follow, slamming into the target plate with such ferocity that the air in the training chamber roared into a miniature cyclone.

“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”

The strength-testing machine shuddered violently, its reinforced frame straining against the blow.

Numbers flickered rapidly across the display before freezing.

64,313 kg.

“Yes… I did it.”

Rowan’s eyes lit up.

At last, his physical strength had reached the threshold of a junior God of War.

“With this, I could technically graduate from the Academy already.”

A small smile tugged at his lips.

At the Elite Training Camp, reaching God of War level was enough to apply for early graduation.

“Still… I think I’ll linger for a while. At least until Luo Feng enrolls.”

The thought amused him.

Currently, only a handful of students in the Academy had managed to reach God of War level.

Even Shi Jiang, once considered a top contender, was still stuck at advanced Warlord. If he ever found out Rowan had already broken into God of War level, it would probably shatter him completely.

After a month of grueling training, Rowan’s footwork had advanced to perfection, his blade techniques reached mastery, and he had already begun to grasp the fourth stage of the Ninefold Thunder Blade.

On the Black Dragon ranking board, he currently sat at No. 21.

And that was without going all out. If he unleashed his near high-tier God of War level psychic strength to hunt advanced Beast Generals, he could easily break into the top five.

“Time to consume the Spirit of Flora.”

Cross-legged, Rowan exhaled calmly, a faint smile playing across his face.

He never believed in suppressing his level for the sake of vanity. His plan was simple: reach God of War, then immediately use the Spirit.

According to the manual, consuming this thousand-year-old Scarlet Scale Ginseng would raise his physical body from junior God of War to high-tier God of War.

And once his body advanced, his psychic power, with the Mind Stone as catalyst, would ascend into the realm of invincible God of War.

Rowan’s pulse quickened.

He had no golden sphere like Luo Feng to aid his spirit, but he had something far greater the Mind Stone itself.

“As long as my body strengthens, the gem will carry my spirit even higher.”

Another thought struck him. “And when I hit God of War, the Extreme Martial Hall will grant me a Black God Set.”

He remembered the promise from Inspector Wang.

The Black God Set was legendary. Though it couldn’t fully absorb all kinetic energy, its ability to shift form, disguising itself as normal clothes or extending outward like armor, made it invaluable.

Rowan already envisioned a combination Vibranium battle suit beneath, Black God Set above.

The Vibranium would absorb what the Set couldn’t.

With both layered, even a planetary-level opponent’s strike might not leave a scratch.

Yes. With that kind of defense, he could walk into the cosmos without fear.

Rowan summoned the safe containing the ginseng. With a touch of his fingerprint, the lock released, and he drew out a wooden case.

Inside lay the Spirit of Flora the thousand-year Scarlet Scale Ginseng.

The manual stated that once someone reached God of War, they could consume it directly, without preparation.

Rowan didn’t hesitate. He bit into it, chewing quickly.

The root was barely the size of two palms, gone in a few bites.

Immediately, a torrent of warmth surged down his throat, spreading through his stomach, then bursting into his bloodstream.

Every breath felt like fire.

Yet the burning wasn’t agony it was soothing, like sinking into a hot spring.

“Incredible. Truly a miracle of nature.”

Unlike when he had smeared dragon’s blood onto his body, this time there was no searing pain.

The heat spread endlessly, rushing through him, stirring his genes and strengthening every cell.

After half an hour, the heat reached its peak. Rowan’s body flushed crimson, as though he were trapped in a sauna, his consciousness drifting in drowsy haze.

When his eyes snapped open again, three hours had passed.

He glanced at his skin barely any impurities had surfaced.

That alone told him how pure the transformation had been.

Rising, Rowan instantly felt the change.

Every step was light, every muscle thrummed with power. It was as though gravity itself had weakened, as though he could leap into the sky with a single push.

The shackles on his body once heavy as iron were now as thin as a film of plastic.

One more step, one more breakthrough, and he would soar as a planetary warrior.

“Let’s see what my strength is now.”

Eager, Rowan turned back to the machine.

“Bang!”

His fist smashed forward. The reinforced steel frame bent with a groan.

The machine’s numbers went wild, struggling to calculate.

Finally, they froze.

273,254 kg.

“…What?”

Rowan sucked in a breath.

That wasn’t just high-tier God of War. That was beyond the threshold of two hundred and fifty-six thousand kilograms.

The Scarlet Scale Ginseng had pushed him far further than expected stronger even than the willow heart Luo Feng had once consumed in the original story.

Rowan chuckled. “Hong really is generous. Most would hoard something like this for their own bloodline.”

Looking at his fists, he exhaled slowly. “So… I’m high-tier God of War now?”

The thought filled him with pride, but only for a heartbeat.

“Don’t get complacent. God of War is still just the ninth step of an apprentice.”

He shook his head, brushing the pride aside. His true goal was ahead.

“I need to break into planetary level. Only then can I see if the Space Stone can help me touch the laws of space.”

Rowan’s eyes gleamed. In the wider universe, even a thread of law comprehension at the Stellar level was enough to stand out.

But what if he could touch it early at planetary level itself?

The idea thrilled him.

Pulling out his communicator, he messaged Inspector Wang.

“I’ve reached God of War.”

Minutes later, a reply pinged back.

“Good. I’ll inform the Hall Master. Tomorrow, we’ll deliver your Black God Set.”

Rowan smirked. Perfect. With that, venturing into the cosmos for the Power Stone would carry far less risk.

Even Thanos, without Infinity Stones, was no more than planetary in raw strength. With his dual-layer defenses, Rowan had nothing to fear.

“Time to head back.”

With a snap of his fingers, a swirling blue vortex opened, and Rowan vanished from the training chamber.

…

Back in his office at Kroll Industries, he didn’t switch his status online. Instead, he immediately withdrew the Mind Stone from its Vibranium case.

Now that his body had reached high-tier God of War, his psychic strength could be pushed even further.

The gem floated above his brow, golden light spilling outward.

Rowan drew it in.

“Whsshh…”

In his consciousness, dark-golden liquid condensed endlessly, surging into streams. Soon, it wasn’t mist anymore but a flowing river of molten light.

Half an hour passed before the gem dimmed, its power ebbing. Rowan felt it a fullness, as though his very soul had eaten its fill.

“Another limit?”

He opened his eyes, breathing hard, exhilarated.

“This… this growth is intoxicating.”

His psychic force was now oceanic, vast and endless, surging against the boundaries of his mind.

“If only I had the Ninefold Soul-Refining Method… I could break into planetary level right now.”

Regret flickered, but he smiled.

Even without it, he had options.

Every session with the Mind Stone left him feeling “overstuffed.” He could take in smaller portions, accumulating power over time until it burst through the final barrier.

In the meantime, he would hammer and temper his spirit with his own will.

“If ordinary warriors can break through on Earth, why not me?”

He wasn’t worried. If not from the crystal being’s secret art, then surely from Hong’s “Heavenly God Manual.” He would obtain it sooner or later.

With the Mind Stone as his backing, planetary breakthrough was inevitable.

Satisfied, Rowan opened a holo-call to Shuri.

“Boss!”

On screen, she grinned, sparks flying around her as she worked deep inside the alien warship.

“How’s the ship?” Rowan asked.

“Already cracked the operating system. The language too took a bit of work, but nothing I couldn’t handle.” She flashed her white teeth, proud.

“Does it have space-jump capabilities? Any star maps?”

“Yes and yes. It can perform space jumps, though it’ll need a recharge. The database also contains coordinates of major planets in the galaxy.”

Rowan smiled. “Good.”

With a jump drive and star coordinates, the path to the Power Stone was wide open.

“Boss… you’re really planning to leave Earth?” Shuri asked, hesitating.

“I am.”

“But… we don’t know what’s out there. The risk—”

“Then rebuild the ship in Vibranium.” Rowan’s grin was calm, confident.

Her eyes widened, then lit up. “Of course! A Vibranium warship… now that would be unstoppable!”

She flashed him an enthusiastic thumbs-up and dived back into work.

…

The next day, while cultivating at Jiangnan Pavilion, Rowan received a delivery from Inspector Wang.

Inside the crate lay the Black God Set.

Before he could even open it, his communicator chimed with a video call.

“Rowan. You received it?”

On screen, Inspector Wang appeared in a white Tang-style robe, beads clutched in one hand.

“Yes. Just about to try it on.”

“Good. It will recognize you easily. There’s a manual inside, but it’s straightforward. What I actually called for was a message from the Hall Master.”

Rowan blinked in surprise. “From Hong himself?”

Wang nodded. “Yes. You’ve likely heard about the recent craze for the ‘Despair Elixir’?”

Rowan nodded. The Extreme House forums had been flooded with discussions.

The elixir was a miracle. Sold at half price through the Martial Hall, even Warlords could afford it, and countless disabled warriors had recovered their strength.

Stronger still, those at Warlord and even God of War levels had gained near-immortal regenerative powers.

They had pioneered new combat techniques, infusing their blades with the virus’s natural searing heat to slice through monsters with ease.

Cities were safer. Beast tides dwindled. Humanity, for the first time in ages, had hope.

“You and your friend’s contribution hasn’t gone unnoticed. After hearing you reached God of War, the Hall Master asked me to check if there’s anything else you need. Within reason, he’ll grant it.”

Wang’s calm smile carried warmth.

Rowan grinned. So Hong was pleased with the results.

Perfect. He really did have a request.

“Yes. I want secret techniques methods to temper psychic force. I’ve hit a bottleneck.”

Wang’s brows lifted. “You mean your psychic strength is stuck at advanced Warlord level?”

Rowan chuckled, shaking his head. “No. It’s stuck at high-tier God of War peak.”

Wang froze. His beads stilled in his hand. His eyes widened.

“…What did you just say?” His voice trembled. “High-tier God of War… peak?”

“That’s right. The Spirit of Flora raised my body. Naturally, my psychic power followed.” Rowan answered with deliberate modesty.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Wang burst out laughing.

He could hardly believe it. A psychic of such potential hadn’t appeared in decades.

Even the strongest on Earth, Ist, had only fully awakened his spirit at high-tier God of War, later breaking into planetary level as one of the Four Speakers of the Global Council.

But Rowan… Rowan might match that.

The thought left Wang trembling with excitement.

“I’ll report to the Hall Master immediately. He has just what you need.”

He cut the call without another word, rushing to Hong with the news.

Rowan leaned back, smiling to himself.

He’d been considering trading Vibranium or arc reactor tech for Hong’s Heavenly God Manual. But now? Hong himself was offering.

Sometimes, fate was generous.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep