The Puppet Emperor Regresses

"Never again!"

As Mikhail shouted these words, something shifted within him.

Within his trance, he performed the Sword Dance of Imperial Swordsmanship, a spectacular sequence that incorporated all the moves of Basic Imperial Swordsmanship.

The dance began with the Imperial Salute, a series of precise movements that paid respect to the emperor, one's teachers, and fellow practitioners. 

From there, it flowed into the Five Elements Sequence, transitioning smoothly between the five fundamental stances.

Mikhail's body moved with a grace and power he had never possessed in his past life. 

The wooden practice sword became an extension of his arm as he wove through the intricate patterns of the dance. 

The Imperial Thrust, a straightforward stabbing technique emphasising reach and precision. 

The Mountain Cleaver, a powerful overhead strike designed to break through defenses. 

The River's Cut, a horizontal slash that could be chained into multiple strikes.

As he danced, Mikhail felt his aura responding, flowing through his body and into the sword. 

Faint trails of energy followed the blade's path, creating ghostly patterns in the air. 

Aurora darted around him, her light pulsing in rhythm with Mikhail's movements, occasionally enhancing his strikes with bursts of magical energy.

The dance reached its crescendo with the Whirlwind Step, a complex manoeuvre combining an evasive spin with a circular slash. 

As Mikhail completed this move, he felt the aura that had been slowly building throughout his training suddenly surge, responding to his intense focus and the accumulated experiences of a lifetime compressed into hours.

[System Alert: Aura surge detected. Breakthrough imminent.]

A whirlwind of energy erupted around Mikhail, lifting him off his feet. Aurora was caught in the maelstrom, her light flickering wildly as it was buffeted by the waves of aura.

Mikhail's eyes widened in shock as he felt the power coursing through him. It was overwhelming, almost painful in its intensity. He could feel his body changing, growing stronger, his senses sharpening.

[System Alert: Breakthrough achieved! Host has advanced to 1st Tier: Beginner Swordsman.]

The alert flashed before Mikhail's eyes, but he hardly registered it. The surge of power continued to build, showing no signs of stopping. 

The influx of experiences from his Temporal Consciousness was pushing him beyond normal limits.

[System Alert: Divine Martial Body detected. Exceptional aura cultivation rate activated.]

[System Alert: Second breakthrough detected! Host advancing to 2nd Tier: Novice Swordsman.]

Mikhail gasped, struggling to contain the energy raging within him. It felt like his body was being torn apart and remade with each passing second. 

Through the haze of power and pain, Mikhail saw flashes of his past life – his weaknesses, his failures, his regrets. 

But he also saw the potential that had been stolen from him, the strength he should have had.

He saw himself as he might have been, a young prince excelling in swordsmanship, following in his father's footsteps. 

He saw the path that had been denied to him by the Empress and Vesper's schemes. The realisation that this could have been his life, filled him with a mixture of grief and rage.

"I won't waste this chance," Mikhail gritted out, his small body shaking with the effort of containing the surging aura. "I'll become strong. Strong enough to protect everyone. Strong enough to make you proud, Gregor!"

Just as Mikhail thought he could take no more, he felt another shift within him.

The energy, which had been wild and chaotic, suddenly began to settle. It flowed through him more smoothly, filling every cell of his body with warmth and strength.

[System Alert: Third breakthrough imminent! Warning: Host's body cannot contain this level of advancement.]

Mikhail hardly heard the warning. He was lost in the sensation of power, of potential finally being realised. In that moment, he felt invincible, as if he could reshape the world through sheer force of will.

But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the surge of power began to recede. Mikhail felt as if he was being gently lowered back to the ground, the whirlwind of aura dissipating around him.

[System Alert: Forcibly suppressing breakthroughs. Host's cultivation stabilised at 2nd Tier: Novice Swordsman.]

[System Alert: Congratulations Host. You have discovered your genetic inheritance the Divine Martial Body.]

[System Alert: Divine Martial Body. Exceptional aptitude for aura cultivation activated.]

[System Alert: Divine Martial Body has succeeded in suppressing further growth until it is ready to receive it.]

[System Alert: The System admires the Host's determination, although Host could not cultivate in his previous life, he has earned a reward from the efforts he put forward.]

[System Alert: Further aura advancements locked until Host's body has been sufficiently strengthened through training and physical growth.]

As Mikhail's feet touched the ground, he stumbled, suddenly aware of how exhausted he felt. Aurora zipped to his side, nudging him gently, checking if he was alright.

Mikhail took a deep breath. His body hummed with energy, his senses sharper than they had ever been. He could feel the aura flowing through him, responsive to his will in a way it had never been before.

"Gregor," Mikhail whispered, his hand tightening around the wooden sword. "This time, I'll become strong enough to protect everyone."

[System Alert: Host's body requires strengthening to accommodate current aura levels. Recommend focused physical training.]

Mikhail turned his attention inward, assessing his new state. 

The power flowing through him was exhilarating, but he could also sense the truth in the System's warning. His young body was already straining to contain the energy of a Novice Swordsman.

"It seems I have my work cut out for me," Mikhail mused aloud. He switched out the wooden sword for a real one from his storage. He reflected on the weight of steel in his hands. "I need to train my body to match my potential."

As if in response to his words, three shimmering forms appeared before him. 

Mikhail recognised them immediately – the undead assassins he had trapped in his Personal Dimensional Space during the attack on his life.

[System Alert: Training dummies manifested. Caution advised: These constructs are tangible and retain some of their original abilities.]

Mikhail's grip on the wooden sword tightened as he assessed the potential threat. 

The undead stood motionless, awaiting his command. A grim smile spread across his face as he realised the opportunity before him.

"Well then," he said, settling into the Imperial Guard stance, "let's put these basics to the test, shall we?"

Aurora zipped to Mikhail's side, her light taking on a more focused, intense quality. Mikhail could feel the sprite's eagerness to assist, her energy harmonising with his own.

As Mikhail began to spar with the undead constructs, he fell into a rhythm. 

The Basic Imperial Swordsmanship forms flowed through him naturally, each movement enhanced by his newly awakened aura. 

Aurora darted around him, occasionally distracting the undead or enhancing Mikhail's strikes with bursts of magical energy.

Hours passed yet again, as Mikhail trained relentlessly, pushing his young body to its limits. 

He cycled through the basic forms countless times, each repetition feeling more natural than the last. 

As he fought, Mikhail found that he could now perceive the flow of aura more clearly.

He could see the faint traces of dark energy animating the undead, he could feel the way his own aura interacted with his surroundings. 

It was a whole new level of awareness, one that opened up countless possibilities.

Mikhail experimented with infusing his strikes with aura, marvelling at how it enhanced his speed and power.

He found that he could create faint aura constructs – extensions of his blade that increased its reach, or shields that could deflect incoming attacks.

As the training session wore on, Mikhail began to feel the strain on his body. His muscles ached, and he could sense that his aura reserves were running low. But along with the fatigue came a sense of accomplishment and growing strength.

Finally, as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, Mikhail called an end to the training session. The undead constructs faded away, leaving him alone with Aurora in the misty expanse of his Personal Dimensional Space.

Sinking to the ground, Mikhail took stock of his progress. His muscles ached in ways they never had before, and he could feel the strain his intense training had put on him. Yet beneath the fatigue, there was a sense of exhilaration and potential.

"This is just the beginning," Mikhail said to Aurora, his voice filled with determination. 

The sprite bobbed in agreement, her light dimming slightly as if to match Mikhail's tired state.

"Watch over me, Gregor," Mikhail whispered. 

With a deep breath, Mikhail dispelled the surroundings of his Personal Dimensional Space, returning to the real world. 

As the familiar sights and sounds of his chambers came into focus, he was startled to realise how much time had passed.