I Cultivate 10,000 Times Faster-Chapter 161: [159] Abyssal Eel Heart!

"The advancement from Peak Genetic Soldier to Fiend Warrior represents a fundamental transformation from the genetic core. Unlike simple cultivation breakthroughs that can be achieved through energy accumulation alone, this threshold requires external materials and carries significant risk of death or permanent damage."

Levi leaned forward, reading more carefully.

"The core requirement for Fiend Warrior transformation is the heart of a Fiend-grade dimensional beast. This heart must meet several critical criteria:

"First, the beast must be of Fiend grade or higher, typically equivalent to Level 2 Fiend beast

at minimum. Hearts from weaker beasts lack sufficient genetic density to trigger proper transformation.

"Second, the beast's elemental affinity must resonate with the practitioner's own Astra talent. A practitioner with Fire affinity attempting to use a Water-aligned beast heart will result in gene collapse and death. The resonance must be at least 70% compatible, ideally 90% or higher.

"Third, the purity of the beast's bloodline directly determines the practitioner's future potential. Common beast bloodlines with diluted genetics will create weak Fiend Warriors with low cultivation ceilings. Ancient bloodlines, pure bloodlines, or mutated bloodlines with unique properties can create exceptionally powerful Fiend Warriors whose potential far exceeds the norm."

Levi held his chin in thought.

"So I needed a Fiend-grade beast heart that match my Astra affinity. With my B-tier Devouring Goldfish talent being Water-type, it

meant i need a Water-type beast."

But not just any Water-type beast. The bloodline quality would determine his entire future path. Weak bloodline meant weak potential. Strong bloodline meant strong potential. This was a choice that would affect him for the rest of his cultivation journey.

He continued reading.

"The transformation process involves multiple stages, each carrying significant risk."

"Stage One is called the Heart Preparation. The Fiend beast heart must be placed in a specially constructed gene matrix—a formation matrix designed to suppress the beast's residual consciousness while extracting its purest bloodline essence. The practitioner's blood serves as the medium, creating a connection between human and beast genetics. This stage typically lasts three to seven days, during which the practitioner cannot move or interrupt the process."

"Stage Two is called Essence Extraction. As the gene matrix operates, it gradually breaks down the beast heart's cellular structure, filtering out impurities and concentrating the core bloodline into liquid essence. The heart itself will shrivel and eventually disintegrate into ash as its essence is fully extracted."

"Stage Three: Genetic Integration. This is the most dangerous stage. The practitioner would then directly

inject the extracted bloodline essence into their own heart. The foreign genetics will immediately begin attempting to overwrite and edit the human DNA,

"During integration, a second heart will begin growing next to the original. This second heart is called the Fiend Heart and it

beats at a different rhythm than the human heart.

"Those with insufficient willpower will lose themselves, their human consciousness consumed by beast instinct. They become mindless fiends—creatures with power but no rationality, driven purely by hunger and violence. The academy estimates approximately 15% of breakthrough attempts result in this outcome.

"If the practitioner successfully maintains their consciousness and survives the physical transformation, their body will undergo massive reconstruction. Human genetic limits will be shattered. Physical capabilities will increase dramatically. The practitioner's Astra talent will fuse with the beast's natural abilities, creating hybrid powers unique to their specific bloodline combination.

"From this moment forward, the practitioner is no longer fully human. They have become a Fiend Warrior. This transformation is completely irreversible. The bloodline choice made at this stage determines the practitioner's cultivation path forever. There is no method to change beasts or cleanse an integrated bloodline."

The text continued with warnings and additional details, but Levi had read enough to understand the essential points.

He needed a Fiend-grade beast heart. It had to match his Water affinity. The bloodline quality would determine his future potential. The process was dangerous and irreversible.

And he needed to complete this before the tournament if he wanted any chance of competing seriously against opponents who were already Fiend Warriors.

Levi closed the book and sat back, thinking.

The obvious solution was to purchase a Fiend-grade beast heart from the academy's resource center or from external merchants. Hearts from common beasts were expensive but available—probably somewhere in the range of fifty to one hundred thousand credits for a low-quality specimen.

But that was the problem. "Low-quality." "Common bloodline." Those hearts would create a weak foundation that would limit him forever.

If Levi was going to undergo an irreversible transformation that would define his entire cultivation future, he wanted the best possible bloodline. Something ancient, pure, or uniquely powerful. The kind of beast heart that nobles and wealthy clans fought over.

Those hearts cost millions of credits. Far beyond what he could afford even if he liquidated every resource he currently owned.

Which meant he had limited options.

He could hunt a Fiend-grade beast himself—except he was only Peak Genetic Soldier, and hunting Fiend-grade beasts typically required teams of Fiend Warriors working together. Solo hunting would be suicide.

He could participate in the tournament, place highly, use the prize money and resources to purchase a better heart—but that meant competing against Fiend Warriors while still stuck at Genetic Soldier realm. Possible given his other advantages, but risky.

Or…

Levi's thoughts turned to the Absolute Refinement Tablet. Th relic sitting that could enhance items by an multiple tier.

What if he purchased a common Fiend-grade beast heart and then used the tablet to enhance it? Transforming a common bloodline into something rare or ancient?

Levi stood, returning the book to its proper place on shelf eight. Then he left the archive building, mind already working through calculations and possibilities.

-----

Back at his apartment, Levi entered to find it empty. Martina had apparently left for the day, taking her belongings with her. A note on the kitchen table said she'd gone to attend some training sessions and would be back later that evening.

Fine. Levi preferred privacy for what he was about to do anyway.

He entered his training chamber, closed the door, and activated the metal sphere again. All electronic signals died, ensuring complete security.

Then he sat cross-legged on the Gladine stone and accessed his spatial ring's inventory mentally, pulling up information on the Absolute Refinement Tablet.

…

It was at least worth attempting. Even if it failed, he'd only lose one of the tablet's 3 uses. And if it succeeded, he could potentially obtain a Perfect-grade beast heart for a fraction of what it would normally cost.

But first, he needed to actually acquire a beast heart to experiment on.

Levi pulled up his holo-watch and accessed the academy's resource marketplace—a digital catalog where students could purchase cultivation materials, equipment, and dimensional beast parts using academy credits.

He navigated to the "Beast Hearts" section and began scrolling through available options. The prices varied wildly depending on quality and rarity.

Common Fiend-grade Water-aligned beast hearts: 5,000,000 to 8,000,000 credits.

Uncommon bloodlines: 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 credits.

Rare bloodlines: 50,000,000 to 100,000,000 credits.

Ancient bloodlines: 500,000,000+ credits, mostly listed as "contact for pricing" because they were so valuable that public listings would attract unwanted attention.

Levi checked his account balance: 7,000,697 credits.

Enough for a basic common heart, but nothing impressive.

He selected the cheapest Water-aligned Fiend-grade heart available—a "Common Abyssal Eel Heart" listed at 6,000,000 credits.

"Heart harvested from an Early Fiend Warrior realm Abyssal Eel. Basic Water affinity. Common bloodline with no special properties. Suitable for standard Fiend Warrior breakthroughs. Little to no Water genetic mutations or enhanced traits."

Perfect. Cheap, boring, and completely ordinary. Exactly what he needed for testing.

Levi confirmed the purchase. His credit balance dropped and a notification appeared.

[Purchase confirmed. Item will be delivered to your residence within 2 hours. Preservation formation included.]

Now he just had to wait.

Levi spent the next two hours reviewing the Ancient Titanium Body Strengthening Technique manual, memorizing the complex circulation patterns and exercise sequences.

The technique was incredibly detailed, requiring specific movements combined with precise Astra energy flow to properly temper the body.

It would take months to master fully, but even partial implementation would provide significant benefits.

A chime from his apartment's entrance system interrupted his reading. The delivery had arrived.

Levi opened the door to find a small sealed container on the table. The delivery drone that had transported it was already departing, having completed its task.

He brought the container inside and set it on his kitchen table. The seals released with a hiss of escaping cold air, the preservation formation had kept the contents at optimal storage temperature during transit.

Inside was the Abyssal Eel heart.

It was larger than a human heart—maybe the size of a small melon, with a dark blue-gray coloration and visible ventricles that still seemed to pulse slightly despite the creature being dead.

The surface glistened with residual moisture, and faint traces of Astra energy emanated from it in slow waves.