Heaven's Eyes

Strength Test

His heart raced at the thought.

He glanced down

and immediately wrinkled his nose.

"Ugh! What’s that smell?"

A thick, foul layer of grime coated his body, black, greasy impurities expelled from deep within his muscles and bones.

The Iron Belly Realm wasn’t just about strengthening the body.

It was also about purging decades of accumulated toxins.

Most cultivators expelled a little filth during their breakthrough.

Jack?

He looked like he had rolled through a sewer.

"I’ve heard of impurity cleansing before... but this is insane!"

Muttering under his breath, Jack grabbed a pail of water, scrubbed himself clean, and changed into fresh robes.

When he finished, he caught sight of his reflection and blinked.

His skin was radiant and clear, smooth as polished jade.

Old scars, faded bruises, tiny imperfections

Gone without a trace.

He looked healthier than a newborn child.

"Incredible…"

Finally, Jack turned his attention inward, sensing his dantian.

The Hayki swirling within was pure, potent, alive with vibrant energy.

It was nothing like before.

"Not only has my body evolved... but my Hayki has too. This Eternal Insights Divine Art is simply... godly!"

Jack’s excitement grew stronger.

To other students, breaking into the Iron Belly Realm was a monumental achievement.

It often took them years of cultivating, enduring setbacks, and building layer upon layer of strength.

Jack had shattered those expectations.

And done it in mere hours.

Now, there was only one thing left to confirm.

"Let’s test my strength!"

At Warrior Level 5 Will-Forged Realm, a cultivator’s physical strength typically reached one Newton, roughly equivalent to a thousand kilograms.

While Jack wasn’t there yet, his body had clearly evolved beyond his previous limits.

He needed a measurement.

Near his dormitory stood a Strength Measuring Pillar, commonly used to test one’s current might.

Jack inhaled deeply, tightening his muscles, locking his stance.

The ground trembled faintly beneath his feet as he channeled his power.

Then

Peng!

His fist shot out like a bolt of thunder, smashing directly into the Strength Measuring Pillar!

Jack’s fist smashed into the stone pillar, and a glint of light flickered across its surface.

"5 Newtons!"

A number appeared, etched clearly in shimmering light.

Jack Reed widened his eyes in disbelief, his face frozen in pure shock.

Was this real?

For a normal Warrior Level 5 Will-Forged Realm cultivator:

Primary Stage: 1 Newton of strength

Intermediate Stage: 2 Newtons

Advanced Stage: 3 Newtons

Pinnacle Stage: 4 Newtons

Yet Jack, who had just broken into the Will-Forged Realm, already possessed five Newtons of strength.

Five.

What kind of monster was he?

"It must be the nourishment from the Eternal Insights Divine Art... and the superior Hayki circulating through my body..."

After a short pause, Jack calmed down, piecing things together logically.

He knew he wasn’t some peerless natural genius.

The explanation had to be the flawless cultivation method created through the Vault of Eternal Insight.

The Eternal Insights Divine Art hadn’t just refined his body and purified his Hayki, it had amplified his physical strength far beyond the reach of even peak Will-Forged Realm experts.

It was terrifying.

"There are only a handful of senior teachers at Astoria Academy who have reached the Warrior 5 Will-Forged Realm."

At Astoria Academy, reaching the Will-Forged Realm marked a teacher as truly elite.

Figures like Kade Sutherland and Byron Cross could barely touch that level.

Jack’s previous self wouldn’t have dared dream of it.

But now...

He had already arrived, and with power surpassing them.

"Since I’m already at this level, I need to find cultivation methods for Warrior 5 – Will-Forged Realm!"

However, a new problem immediately presented itself.

All the Warrior 4 Iron Belly techniques he had browsed earlier were now obsolete.

If Jack wanted to keep advancing, he needed new methods, ones meant for Will-Forged cultivators.

"It’s still early... the Teacher library Pavilion should still be open."

Scratching the back of his head, Jack turned and set off once again toward the Pavilion.

At Astoria Academy, rules were strict:

Teachers could only access cultivation methods corresponding to their verified level.

It prevented reckless training and protected students from harming themselves.

It didn’t take long for Jack to return to the towering Pavilion.

At the entrance, Elder Moore still stood on guard.

The moment he spotted Jack approaching again, his face darkened.

"Why are you back again?" Elder Moore growled.

In his mind, Jack was nothing but an impractical fool, a show-off who had skimmed through hundreds of books earlier just for appearances.

Now he was back?

Shouldn’t he be studying Warrior 4 manuals quietly?

"Elder Moore, I would like to view the cultivation methods for Warrior 5 Will-Forged Realm," Jack said, a little sheepishly.

He couldn’t very well say,

"Oh, I already broke through just now."

If he did, Elder Mo might faint on the spot or worse, drag Jack off for dissection like some rare beast.

Luckily, the difference between Iron Belly and Will-Forged wasn’t something visible to the naked eye unless Hayki was deliberately circulated.

And Elder Mo, for all his strength, wouldn’t think to check.

"Level 5 cultivation methods? What are you playing at now?"

Elder Moore’s face turned stormy, whatever trace of goodwill he had toward Jack vanishing instantly.

First, skimming through hundreds of manuals like a lunatic.

Now asking to read even higher-level techniques?

This kid was clearly here to waste time or worse, show off.

"Elder Moore, it’s like this," Jack said quickly, already prepared with an excuse.

"I accepted a student today. His father asked me some detailed questions about Warrior 5 cultivation... I couldn’t answer properly and embarrassed myself. I just wanted to review the techniques a little so I’ll be better prepared next time."

He spoke earnestly, his voice humble.

Hearing this, Elder Moore frowned... then slowly nodded.

"Some parents are indeed troublesome," he muttered.

He sighed heavily, his expression softening a little.

"Fine. You may take a look. But you must not, under any circumstances, attempt to cultivate them! You're only at Warrior 4. If you try to force Will-Forged techniques prematurely, even the gods won't save you from going berserk!"

"Yes, Elder Moore, I understand!" Jack nodded hurriedly.

"Good. Go on in. The Warrior 5 manuals are stored in the last row."

"Thank you, Elder Moore." Jack bowed respectfully and stepped into the Pavilion.

Once Jack had disappeared into the depths of the hall, Elder Moore harrumphed coldly under his breath.

"Hypocrite. Vain braggart."

In Elder Moore’s eyes, Jack was simply another young fool putting on airs.

What he didn’t know...

Was that the young man who had just entered the Pavilion who had already surpassed many of Astoria Academy’s senior teachers?

And Jack Reed was just getting started.

So what if the parents ask about it?

You're the lowest-ranked teacher at Astoria Academy

It's normal that you can't answer their questions!

Coming back here to pretend to study Warrior 5 Will-Forged cultivation techniques, just to put on a show?

If that wasn’t hypocrisy and vanity, Elder Moore didn’t know what was.

"Tomorrow, I'm speaking to the principal. This unrealistic fool must be expelled!"

Scoffing coldly to himself, Elder Mo set his mind.

Leaving someone like Jack Reed around would only sully the culture of the academy!

Meanwhile, Jack remained blissfully unaware that, after just two encounters, Elder Moore had already mentally added him to the expulsion list.

If Jack knew, he wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After all, the excuse he gave about being asked by a student's father?

Total nonsense.

In reality, Jack’s cultivation had already soared to new heights!

Stopping at the very last row of the library Pavilion, Jack looked up thoughtfully.

Even the most renowned instructors at Astoria Academy were only Warrior 5 Will-Forged Realm.

Once someone broke through to Warrior 6 Gate Breaker, they would automatically ascend to the rank of elder.

This was still the Teacher Library Pavilion, after all, there were no Warrior 6 manuals here.

Naturally, the Warrior 5 techniques were shelved at the very back.

"There are way fewer manuals here than for Warrior 4 Iron Belly..." Jack murmured.

The Warrior 4 section had over three thousand books.

Here?

Barely a thousand.

Still, it made sense.

The higher one climbed, the rarer the resources became.

Without wasting any time, Jack casually picked up a manual and began flipping through.

One after another.

One after another.

About an hour later, Jack had browsed through every single secret manual.

The Vault of Eternal Insight had already compiled matching copies into his mind.

Satisfied, Jack smiled faintly, bowed politely toward Elder Mo at the entrance, and left without hesitation.

From a distance, Elder Moore watched Jack’s casual manner and frowned deeply.

In his mind, the boy was a lost cause, impatient, unrealistic, and completely disrespectful of the sacred path of cultivation.

Returning to his cramped living quarters, Jack sat down cross-legged once again.

Without delay, he repeated the process he had used before, cross-referencing the correct portions of the thousand Warrior 5 manuals.

Sure enough, the Vault of Eternal Insight responded.

The countless notes crumpled, twisted, then merged into a single flawless manual.

This time, the book even had a proper name:

Eternal Insights Divine Art Level 5 Will-Forged Volume.

Jack’s heart burned with excitement.

Without hesitation, he immediately began cultivating again.

The Warrior 5 Will-Forged Realm was an extension of Warrior 4 Iron Belly.

If Iron Belly emphasized Hayki overflow to strengthen the body, then Will-Forged was about perfect fusion.

Hayki and the body had to become one.

The greater the compatibility between Hayki and flesh, the stronger the cultivator’s foundation and future potential.

Following the instructions of the Eternal Insights Divine Art precisely, Jack carefully guided his pure Hayki through his muscles, his tendons, his veins, merging it slowly, perfectly, into his flesh.

The effects were astonishing.

Strength.

Durability.

Inner resilience.

All of them surged upward, layer by steady layer.

Will-Forged Primary Stage: Achieved!

Will-Forged Intermediate Stage: Achieved!

Will-Forged Advanced Stage: Achieved!

Will-Forged Pinnacle Stage: Achieved!

Boom!

After about four hours, Jack’s body jolted violently.

Opening his eyes, he stared ahead in disbelief.

"I… I reached Warrior 5 Will-Forged Pinnacle?"

To his former self, breaking through even a single minor stage felt like ascending to heaven.

Now, cultivating under the Eternal Insights Divine Art, it was as easy as breathing.

In one night, he had gone from Warrior 3 Essence Fist...

...all the way to Warrior 5 Will-Forged Pinnacle!

If Jack had access to a Warrior 6 Gate Breaker manual right now, he might have even broken through again.

The Gate Breaker Realm was different.

It involved opening the body’s blocked acupoints.

There were 108 acupoints in total But only 72 could actually be opened safely.

Each cultivator’s sequence was unique.

Getting the order wrong could cripple future cultivation permanently.

Thus, without the right technique, Jack knew better than to rush forward blindly.

Even so, he was thrilled.

Breaking through two major realms overnight?

Unheard of!

"Unless absolutely necessary, I must hide my strength," Jack muttered to himself.

He understood clearly:

Possessing a great treasure was itself a crime.

If the academy discovered that the weakest teacher suddenly possessed Warrior 5 Will-Forged Pinnacle strength...

Attention would come crashing down and not the good kind.

Thus, secrecy was essential.

"Let’s test my strength now!"

Jack approached the familiar Strength Measuring Rock Pillar.

When he was just at Iron Belly Primary Stage, he had already produced five Newtons of strength,

which was absurd even then.

Now that he stood at Will-Forged Pinnacle?

Peng!

He struck the pillar hard.

A glowing number floated into view:

"8 Newtons!"

Jack’s eyes lit up.

"Eight Newtons of strength... that's on par with a Gate Breaker Realm expert who's opened four acupoints!"