For review Chapter 90: I Have the Alchemy Emperor in Head 1-32, a detour fanfic

I Have the Alchemy Emperor in My Head

This is the era where people prioritize science and Martial Dao. After the great disaster, the human race discovered the Ancient Zenith civilization. They entered the Age of Great Cultivation and began their journey to colonize the Kunlun Realm! This is a time of crisis for humankind and many ambitious powerhouses walk among them! Chu Yunfan obtained the inheritance of the Alchemy Emperor from the Ancient Zenith civilization and the Godhead of a level-9 supreme being. How will he make his mark in such an epoch? You're a genius? Excuse me, I'm the genius! You've got resources? I'll defeat you with my medicinal pills. Inheritance? The supreme inheritance is right in my head! Our path is an endless dimension! This is the third fantasy novel that Xiao Chen poured his heart into since 'Soaring the Great Wasteland' and 'Martial God Space'. This is a whole new era. This is the Age of Great Cultivation!

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Chapter 1: The Age of Great Cultivation

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"In modern cultivation theory, whether it's the so-called True Energy or Inner Energy, they're all bioenergy. They don't emerge out of thin air. Unless you can break through the bridge connecting Heaven and Earth and become an Innate Stage powerhouse who can absorb the energy in the air, the True Energy that's produced through your current cultivation is the energy coming from your body. When your True Energy is exhausted, it means you used up your body's energy. If you don't replenish it in time, your body will wither!"

At Calm Ocean City's No. 13 High School's Class 11, a man of approximately 30 years of age was speaking. His neat, black clothes were those of a martial artist.

There was a huge mat in the middle of the classroom and he stood at its center.

There were over 50 youths sitting around him, all students of Class 11. They were both male and female, and most appeared to be about 16 or 17. Every one of them was dressed in martial arts attire.

Among the students, there was a young man who looked around 15 or 16 sitting in a rather secluded corner. He seemed muscular but had a delicate face. Of all the students, he was quite ordinary and inconspicuous.

Chu Yunfan stared at the man in the middle. He was Class 11's martial arts coach, Qin Wu. Rumor had it that he retired from the military's special forces. He had contributed a lot while serving, but nobody knew why he retired out of nowhere and began teaching at No. 13 High School. He was basically the only one who taught everything about cultivation.

"Therefore, people in the past said that those who are poor would study academically while the rich practice martial arts. Why were the rich the only ones who would practice martial arts?" Qin Wu paused as he spoke. He pointed at a student and said, "Tell me, why is that?!"

The student was stunned for a moment. He then replied, "Because the process of practicing martial arts involves exhausting one's blood essence continuously. If they were using it up without replenishing it, they would soon perish. Supplements such as ginseng and ganoderma were expensive in the past. Ordinary people couldn't afford that at all!"

"That's right. Although there have been people studying martial arts since the Common Era, there were very few of them. They were rare until the Kunlun Era. After humans discovered the Kunlun Realm and the Ancient Zenith civilization, both technology and martial arts advanced tremendously. For instance, ginseng and ganoderma older than ten years or even a hundred years can be mass-produced easily now. They're being served on the dining tables of regular people. That's how the Age of Great Cultivation came about, enabling each and every one of us to practice martial arts!" Qin Wu declared while nodding.

At that moment, what Chun Yunfan learned of the Kunlun Era's past from history class popped into his head.

Centuries ago, in the year 2035 of the Common Era, a huge sword gleam tore through the sky and penetrated the universe, before finally landing in the Atlantic Ocean.

The entire globe was struck by a massive disaster. Countless countries were obliterated, and people cried out all over. Humanity's population dropped to less than a billion, most of them being Chinese. Accordingly, they started the Chinese Renaissance.

Due to the catastrophe, half of the planet was destroyed, so humans began searching for another home.

Eventually, they found a vast and endless realm on the other side of the tear created by the sword gleam. It was the Kunlun Realm.

Thus, humanity entered the Kunlun Era!

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They later discovered that humans were not the only beings inhabiting the Kunlun Realm. Some formidable creatures were living there too. Due to the presence of spirit energy, the continent had many incredible monsters living on it.

Despite mastering advanced technology, humankind could not defeat the legion of monsters. Some of the powerful ones could not even be killed with nuclear bombs. Under such circumstances, not being able to move to the Kunlun Realm aside, they fought to the border of both realms. The monsters even invaded the humans' camp, the planet Earth itself.

At that point, the human immigrants found out about the Ancient Zenith civilization that once existed in the Kunlun Realm. It had a system that was the complete opposite of what the humans on Earth used. It was the Martial Dao System that could be used to fight monsters by cultivating one's body.

All of that sounded exactly like the alternate world in mysterious fantasy novels from many years ago. As more and more records of the Ancient Zenith civilization were discovered, including records of many of the system's techniques, the travelers from Earth began the Age of Great Cultivation.

With the power of martial artists and advanced technology, humans began to stand tall in the Kunlun Realm instead of being annihilated by the monsters.

Nevertheless, the humans were constantly at risk of being attacked. The cities they built were in danger of destruction, leaving hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens of millions dead. Such tragedies had happened many times throughout the centuries.

Meanwhile, Calm Ocean City's No. 13 High School on Earth was a very ordinary high school among the dozens of them in the city.

Since the cataclysmic disaster, most of the environments on Earth were no longer habitable for humans. Therefore, the overall living situation had been extremely chaotic since the Common Era, leading to the formation of ten major base cities. Each base city had a population of up to 100 million. There were still over a billion people on Earth, and none of them had entered the Kunlun Realm yet.

The swarms of monsters in the Kunlun Realm made it too dangerous for regular humans. Although many creatures on Earth had mutated after the disaster, causing them to turn into monsters, they had only been in that state for hundreds of years. Such a relatively short period meant they were much weaker than the monsters of the Kunlun Realm.

Calm Ocean City was one of the satellite cities under one of the ten base cities – Donghua City. Though it could not compare with Donghua City's population of up to 100 million, it was home to up to ten million inhabitants.

In any case, humans were much stronger overall compared to what they had been centuries ago. Back then, only a few people had the privilege of being able to cultivate and they were rare. In modern times, the Federation government tried its best to get everyone to cultivate to fight those fearsome monsters.

Just as Coach Qin Wu said, talent was not the sole factor in cultivation. The right environment, partners, methods, and money were required. None of them should be lacking. The process of practicing martial arts was especially harmful to one's body. If one did not replenish what had been exhausted, it was normal for one to die when they were still strong at 30 or 40 years old. The better the fighter, the faster they would expire.

"All of you must understand, the source of the so-called True Energy is actually your own bioenergy. The higher the level of cultivation your body achieves, the more True Energy will be produced. Even if you guys have the opportunity to reach a higher level, the cultivation of the body is still the source!" Qin Wu stood with his hands behind his back, straight as a rifle, like he was going to pierce the sky. "In 'Poem of Striking the Hexagram Lines' written by the cultivation master, Lu the Progenitor, during the feudal period, he mentioned that the first problem of cultivation is only developing one's mind instead of one's life. It means that it's wrong to cultivate one's dao instead of cultivating one's body. One should cultivate both wisdom and life!"

Chu Yunfan nodded and recalled the cultivation knowledge that he learned at school before. The path of cultivation was long. Since the Ancient Zenith civilization was discovered, those cultivators went through years of discovery and categorized all stages of cultivation. The first one would be the Physical Stage.

The Physical Stage was the mandatory path when one journeyed into Martial Dao. Getting to the peak of Martial Dao was like crossing an endless ocean and one's physical body was the boat. The more powerful one's physique, the higher the chances of getting to the other side.

Therefore, training one's physical body was the foundation of Martial Dao. That was why it was called the Physical Stage.

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In turn, the Physical Stage was divided into nine minor stages or tiers – Muscle Training, Bone Strengthening, Skin Refinement, Tendon Tuning, Inner Strengthening, Joint Popping, Blood Renewal, Internal Observation, and Qi Nourishment.

One could only claim to have a foundation built after cultivating the Physical Stage to perfection. As the body needed to absorb more True Energy for inner circulation, a more powerful physique was required.

After one got to the ninth tier of the Physical Stage, Qi Nourishment, and then absorbed a mouthful of True Energy, a qi sea would be activated in their dantian. Their qi sea would allow them to absorb endless True Energy. This was known as the Qi Sea Stage.

After the Qi Sea Stage came the Acquired Stage, the Innate Stage, and more, but Chu Yunfan did not know much about them. After all, many teachers at the No. 13 High School were only at the Qi Sea Stage. There were only a few Innate Stage powerhouses in all of Donghua City.

"I know that most of you will be taking the year-end exam in a month, and you guys probably won't be able to get into the martial arts stream but the liberal arts stream. I want all of you to understand that successful cultivation aside, all of you will have to depend on your personal cultivation to be able to live a long healthy life in the future!" Qin Wu scanned everyone in class as he proceeded. "During the Common Era, people only lived for a few decades on average. Nobody got to 100. Why was that? It was because their bodies were weak, and they were in an unhealthy state for a long time. What else would they expect? On the other hand, everyone in the modern Kunlun Era is a cultivator. The average lifespan has surpassed 100 years, and some can even live to 120. That's the advantage of practicing martial arts!"

Hearing Qin Wu mention the martial arts stream and liberal arts stream, Chu Yunfan could not help but turn rather gloomy.

Although everyone wanted to cultivate, there were levels to human capability. According to No. 13 High School's standards, those who reached Tier-7 Physical Stage before taking the Year 3 exam had great potential and would be put into the martial arts stream. Meanwhile, those of ordinary ability would be placed in the liberal arts stream.

Before the stream division, the curriculum included half liberal arts and half martial arts. It was rather balanced, but it would change as soon as they went into separate streams.

As the name suggested, those who went into the martial arts stream would have an appropriate reduction in lessons about the liberal arts and would spend more time cultivating.

Meanwhile, though the students in the liberal arts stream would not stop cultivating entirely, their cultivation time would be restricted. They would be preoccupied with studying the liberal arts in order to get into a university in the future. After that, they would work nine-to-five jobs just like common folk.

As passionate young people, most of them desired to be capable martial artists. Beyond the magnificent abilities and stature they could gain, it was easier for martial artists to make a living compared to liberal arts graduates destined to work at fixed-income jobs. Whether by joining the government departments, the military, or becoming some company's monster-killing mercenary, the graduates from the martial arts stream would have higher incomes.

Furthermore, the outstanding ones could go to the Kunlun Realm to study at one of the nine Martial Art Saint Lands, becoming supreme powerhouses whose names would be renowned throughout the world.

However, reality was cruel, so not everyone had the gift for cultivation. Most people's talents were mundane, and it was difficult for them to pick it up. Only students that showed the appropriate aptitude would be chosen to be trained properly in the martial arts stream.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan was a young man with little to show. He had only reached Tier-5 Physical Stage during his senior year. Never mind comparing him to those who could get into the martial arts stream, he was considered ordinary even among those fated to be placed in the liberal arts stream.

"Alright, that's all for today's class. It's best that you guys don't skip tomorrow's lesson, as I'll be demonstrating a martial skill for real combat. If you miss it, I won't be teaching it again. Understood?" Qin Wu asked all the students while looking at them.

"Understood!"

Their eyes lit up as they replied.

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Chapter 2: Obtaining An Inheritance in A Dream

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Many students' eyes were beaming. They could not help but be excited. On the path of cultivation, Inner Energy was the source of everything. The best time to build their foundation was before they had matured. The better the foundation, the better it was for their future.

This was especially true before they were divided into different streams prior to their senior year. They would only have the opportunity to get into the martial arts stream if they reached Tier-7 Physical Stage. Cultivating martial skills would take up time that they could use to cultivate Inner Energy. This would reduce their chances of getting into the martial arts stream.

Thus, many parents spoke out in earlier years, requesting the school remove classes that taught martial skills. This was to prevent their children from being distracted and wasting time.

Moreover, these students would live in base cities before they became adults. There were practically no dangers there, so it was quite useless for them to learn martial skills.

However, it was different now. In a month's time, they would have the year-end exam. One's fate could be considered set by then. Those who were eligible for the martial arts stream would be placed there and there was nothing that those who failed could do by then.

Inner Energy was just half of Martial Dao cultivation. The remaining half would be the cultivation of martial skills. Even with a lower cultivation base, a martial artist who mastered martial skills could defeat one who had not.

Therefore, the cultivation of martial skills was important as well. Nobody would neglect that!

Naturally, not everyone neglected martial skill cultivation, so it was not an obligation. Those who were gifted might have already begun to cultivate martial skills.

Chu Yunfan's eyes scanned his numerous classmates. As expected, many seemed unaffected. They must have cultivated martial skills before. Not only that, those students pretty much consisted of the most gifted ones in their class.

They were the ones who could get into the martial arts stream, so even the weakest one was at Tier-7 Physical Stage.

In any case, Chu Yunfan was still excited. He had not studied martial skills since young. He knew it was easy for one to learn martial skills and low-level ones were taught online if one was willing to pay.

Nonetheless, he suppressed his impulse. One of the reasons for this was that he knew he was not gifted. He did not even have enough time to meditate and practice martial arts. If he spent time cultivating martial skills, he would have no hope of getting into the martial arts stream.

The other reason was that he did not want to waste money since the school would cover it sooner or later.

Qin Wu left right after dismissing the class. He did not want to delay and was unwilling to waste his time there.

The entire class instantly started chatting. Many were discussing what kind of martial skill Qin Wu would teach the next day. After all, most had never learned one before, so it made sense that they were eager.

After talking for a little bit, everyone got up and began to pack their bags. The class had finished for the day, so they were going home.

Chu Yunfan got up and started packing his bag in the corner. With another day done, he was ready to go home.

Tap, tap, tap!

There was a series of footsteps coming from a plump young man who was the same age as Chu Yunfan. The normally loose martial arts uniform was so tight on him that it seemed like it would rip.

Although he appeared chubby, in reality, his footfall was light. He was running quickly, but he was not flushed nor was his heart pounding. He had definitely cultivated.

This was one of Chu Yunfan's few good friends, Gao Hongzhi. He was tall, rich, and portly.

He knew his friend very well. He trained and was much stronger than Chu Yunfan, having reached Tier-9 Physical Stage. Although he was one of the outstanding students who would certainly get into the martial arts stream, he usually behaved exactly as people would expect. He would sit if he was not required to stand and would move as little as he could.

His weight was due to genetics, but everyone could not help thinking that it was because he was lazy.

Both of them were very different when it came to their families and talents. Typically, the duo would have had parallel lives and not talked to each other. Instead, their shared interests led to them become good friends during their two years in high school.

"A portion of the Ancient Zenith relics traveling exhibition from the Academy of Sciences is being exhibited at our school. Aren't you interested in the Ancient Zenith civilization? Why don't we give it a look?" Gao Hongzhi asked.

"Relics from the Ancient Zenith civilization? Sure, let's check it out!" Gao Hongzhi's words had piqued Chu Yunfan's interest.

It was crowded when both of them arrived at the space the school had vacated for the exhibition. Although Calm Ocean City's No. 13 High School was an ordinary school among the dozens of high schools in the city, the teachers and students numbered up to 10,000. It was like a small town, so one could imagine how congested it was with everyone going to the exhibition.

Since the disaster, excavation and recovery of the Ancient Zenith civilization's research had become the main function of their entire society. The government would continuously exhibit the less important relics of the Ancient Zenith civilization everywhere.

The Ancient Zenith civilization relics that were exhibited in the traveling exhibition at No. 13 High School were just a small portion of the whole collection.

Chu Yunfan and Gao Hongzhi slowly moved with the crowd. Chu Yunfan stared at the items locked within the tempered glass. There were stone inscriptions from the Ancient Zenith civilization, broken weapons, and so on. Although they were historical relics, in reality, they were not of great value.

There were descriptions written in a strange and complicated script in front. That text was from the Ancient Zenith civilization, but it was not difficult for the students to read.

This was because learning the language became mandatory after the Ancient Zenith civilization was discovered when humanity entered the Kunlun Era. It was like Chinese students learning English in the Common Era.

The language appeared very similar to the seal script that was common in China's past. There were pictographs as well. It was much simpler compared to the system of the English language.

Since the scripts were similar, historiographers had always assumed there was a relationship between ancient China and the Ancient Zenith civilization of the Kunlun Realm. They just had yet to verify it.

Over the centuries, thousands of frequently used ancient seal characters had been translated. Although there were still many unusual characters that had yet to be translated, one could easily read and understand the regular characters now.

Chu Yunfan stared as if he was window shopping. Although these were historical relics, he had seen them many times on the internet. The pictures of relics printed in their textbooks were similar to these, so they were nothing new to him. It was just that he was looking at the real thing.

Suddenly, he saw a massive picture scroll hovering above an ancient sword on one of the exhibition platforms.

The scroll had a landscape painting with a mountain and a river. The splashes of ink were bold and majestic. Although it was a painting, it made Chu Yunfan feel as if Heaven and Earth had been printed on it.

It seemed rather unbelievable, as it was merely an ink painting!

"Old Gao, is that painting part of the exhibition as well?" Chu Yunfan pointed at the landscape painting on the exhibition platform.

The Ancient Zenith civilization was at least tens of thousands of years in the past. Such a lengthy period of time would have been enough to wipe out everything. Despite that, the landscape painting looked like it had just been completed.

Although Chu Yunfan had a weak cultivation base, he knew that such a thing was commonly found when excavating the ancient civilization. It was like a unique energy barrier made these artifacts appear as good as new even after tens of millennia.

These things could basically be categorized as magic tools. Even magic tools that were restored with modern technology would cost at least a million or even tens of millions, let alone extremely ancient magic tools that had been preserved since the Ancient Zenith civilization. Their value was astronomical.

How could such a thing be exhibited so casually at a school? The total value of all of the exhibition items was nothing compared to that painting.

"What painting?" Gao Hongzhi's reaction shocked Chu Yunfan. What kind of joke was that? How could he not see such a huge work of art?

"I don't see it. You shouldn't stop taking your meds!" Gao Hongzhi patted Chu Yunfan's shoulder tellingly. He spoke as if he had rehearsed the words, "We men must take care of our bodies. Look at you. You're hallucinating!"

"Get lost! Shoo!" Chu Yunfan really had the urge to step on Gao Hongzhi's chubby face.

When he looked again, the painting was still hovering above the ancient sword.

Oddly, when he glanced around, nobody seemed to notice. Apparently, he was the only one that could see it.

"Am I really hallucinating?" Even Chu Yunfan was a little unsure of himself at that point. Furthermore, he could not confirm anything when there was a crowd between him and the painting.

Suddenly, the painting turned into a ray of light and beamed at him. It penetrated his mind instantly.

Bang!

It was like something had exploded in Chu Yunfan's head, leaving him no time to react.

He felt like countless lights were glowing inside him. His entire body was in intense pain, as if every single cell was erupting and being torn apart.

Meanwhile, many images rushed into his head.

It was like he was dreaming, but it was very real. In the dream, he was another person.

It was a dazzling world with many Emperors. Its civilization was magnificent beyond imagination. It had conquered epoch after epoch, sweeping through numerous dimensions and subduing countless nations.

Meanwhile, he was a genius alchemist. He had started refining medicinal pills when he was five and was familiar with medicine by the time he was ten. He was already well-known as the Alchemy Master when he was 15.

At age 20, he began traveling the world, and he became the Alchemy King, fawned over by all, when he was 25. When he turned 30, he had become the Alchemy Emperor, a title that none would ever attain again.

Not only had he mastered the inherited knowledge of alchemy from the people of the past, but he also went on to create new treatments, making alchemy one of the world's most prominent fields.

Even Emperors wanted the medicinal pills he refined. Countless people would fight for any pills that he released to the public.

At that point, one could say that his life had reached its peak, and he was a proud young man because of that. Everything changed when a picture scroll descended from the sky during that war. It caused many Emperors of that era to fight over it.

The reason for the conflict was that there was a Godhead in the picture scroll. It was something that could make anyone a god, as well as grant immortality and the ability to travel to the other realm.

Therefore, the Alchemy Emperor participated in the war too. It was a terrifying battle, a clash of gods and devils. There were countless figures fighting intensely in the sky. All of them were unbelievably powerful, like demons. They could do anything—catch the stars and the moon, turn rivers and seas over.

Though the figures on the battlefield were so incredibly formidable, they were blurry and their faces could not be seen clearly. One of them was magnificent, capable of fighting up to a hundred demons on his own. His face was obscured as well. One could only see his pair of golden eyes, as deep as if there was a universe hidden inside them. The force as they opened and closed was earth-shattering.

As the battle intensified, most of the monstrously powerful figures were dead. It was finally the time for the grand figure with the golden eyes to shine.

The world was collapsing everywhere. Although the Alchemy Emperor had put away the Godhead in the landscape painting that came into his possession by accident, he had been attacked by many Emperors. Not being proficient in Martial Dao, he was soon killed. At that point, the replayed images abruptly stopped.

Chu Yunfan suddenly woke up from the boundless dream.

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Chapter 3: A Difficult Family Situation

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Everything was like a dream, and how much time had gone by was unknown. Perhaps a mere second had passed or maybe 10,000 years. Chu Yunfan finally woke up from the endless vision.

"Huh, huh, huh!"

Chu Yunfan could not stop panting. It was a brief moment, but he felt as if his entire life had passed him by and he had entered another life when he woke up.

It was like he had experienced everything in the dream himself, from the uncertainty of learning to refine medicinal pills in the beginning, to bathing in glory when he became a well-known Alchemy Master, then the glow of the limelight when he became the Alchemy Emperor, and at last, his death in the end. He felt each and every scenario very clearly.

It was as if he was really in the ancient era, witnessing the earth-shattering war himself.

It was a dusk of many gods. The magnificent powerhouses that had been slain were like flowers strewn all over the ground.

Chu Yunfan had no idea how powerful the greatest of the modern human powerhouses were. After all, his level was so low. Nevertheless, his instinct told him that even the best of them could not compare to those monstrous warriors in his dream.

The elite warriors of modern times claimed that they could not be killed by nuclear bombs. That was beyond imagination during the Common Era. However, nobody had ever heard of anyone being able to turn rivers and oceans over nor the ability to capture the stars and the moon.

'That must have been the Ancient Zenith civilization?' Chu Yunfan recalled the images in the dream. The characters that those people used were indeed the ancient seal script.

In any case, he did not know why that world's glorious battle, along with the experiences of the Alchemy Emperor and his memories, had been preserved within the landscape painting. All of them had rushed into his head at once.

He concluded that it was definitely not a dream. How could a dream be so vivid? He could not even imagine how formidable such powerhouses were. Although he had never experienced it, that did not mean that he did not understand it. The Ancient Zenith civilization had many secrets hidden in it that had yet to be uncovered.

Historiographers speculated that the Ancient Zenith civilization was a great world of Martial Dao. They could see this from the many things they excavated related to Martial Dao.

Nonetheless, they definitely could not envision what a wonderful world it was. After entering the Kunlun Era, the revival of Martial Dao had begun. That being said, it had only been hundreds of years by any measure.

Judging by the Ancient Zenith records that had been excavated so far, their civilization had been going strong for tens of millennia.

In any case, he had his questions. How could the incredible Ancient Zenith civilization disappear just like that?

That was still an unsolved mystery for historians. From what they learned in the documents that had been discovered, the Ancient Zenith civilization did not wane gradually but vanished overnight.

What was the secret behind it?

Could it be related to the massive war in his memory?

Chu Yunfan felt that something had been added to his body. That was why his thoughts were clearer than ever. Everything he saw was brighter than before, as if all that lay between Heaven and Earth had become more vivid and slightly altered.

The change was quite obvious. He could feel it within him even without having to search for it intentionally. It was as if there was energy filling his entire person.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Gao Hongzhi asked. "You've been standing still for a while. Were you in a trance? Quick, let's go home!"

Gao Hongzhi's voice pulled Chu Yunfan back from the dreamy, flourishing age. He turned to look around and saw the students leaving. The sun was setting and shadows stretched across the floor.

"It's nothing!" Chu Yunfan shook his head. In the end, he had decided to bury the dream he had had deep in his heart without telling anyone.

"Why do I feel like you're different now?" Gao Hongzhi said as he stared at Chu Yunfan. He had a vague feeling that his good friend had changed, but he could not tell what was different about him. He just had the sense that his friend had gone through a complete transformation, as if his soul had been renewed.

"Am I more handsome now? Ahh, I just can't help it. I've been good-looking since I was born!" Chu Yunfan snickered.

"Get lost. I see that you're getting more and more shameless!" Gao Hongzhi said with a frown. The strange feeling that he had vanished entirely.

"Alright, stop your nonsense. Let's go home!" Chu Yunfan replied. He could tell that his body was different now. Impatient, he was eager to go home to find out what exactly had happened to him.

As usual, a flying car took Gao Hongzhi away as soon as he got through the school door. In the Kunlun Era, petrol was no longer used for cars. It had been replaced by energy blocks, a fuel that produced no pollution. Moreover, as the anti-gravity system was widely used, cars were flying instead of driving on the ground. It was far grander than the vehicles in the Common Era.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan had to walk a short distance to take the bus. It was very popular to own a car during the Common Era, so many people had them back then. Conversely, in the Kunlun Era, cars had been upgraded into airborne vehicles, and the price had invariably shot up. Regular people could not afford that, so public transportation had become more advanced than ever.

The bus was extremely fast, and within about 20 minutes, Chu Yunfan had arrived home. It was a rather quiet neighborhood with some tall buildings. All sorts of security measures could be seen starting from outside of the community. In the Common Era, such a place was beyond the means of most, but it became the residence of ordinary people during the Kunlun Era. The wealthy would live in the villa areas which were far superior both in terms of environment and safety.

It was even said that people had set up a formation in the villa areas to gather Spirit Energy using the knowledge of formations left behind by the Ancient Zenith civilization. It had caused the Spirit Energy in the villa areas to be much denser than the common areas. It was just as thick as the Spirit Energy in the Kunlun Realm.

Everyone knew that the more Spirit Energy there was, the greater the benefits to the human body. Breathing Spirit Energy of such thickness could subtly improve one's physique without even having to cultivate, allowing them to live an extremely long life. It would be even better if one was to cultivate, as it would guarantee accelerated growth in one's cultivation base. Those born and bred in such an environment had higher chances of advancing in life compared to the common folk.

The polarized disparity among humans of modern times was extremely obvious.

The door finally opened after he entered the password, pressed his thumbprint, and scanned his face. A house of approximately 100 square meters welcomed him. It was considered average-sized.

"Mom, Dad, Sister, I'm home!"

Chu Yunfan entered the house after removing his shoes.

"You're home. Sit down. Dinner will be served soon. We'll eat when your dad gets here!"

A pretty woman of around 30 walked out of the kitchen. She was tall and had an apron tied around her waist and a warm smile on her face. Human longevity had improved greatly in the Kunlun Era, so 30 years was equivalent to only 10 in the Common Era.

This was Chu Yunfan's mother, Yang Yayun.

"Brother, you're home!" A young lady's voice rang loud and clear along with the sound of wheels on the wooden floor. A girl of approximately 13 or 14 years of age came out of a room in an electric wheelchair.

Though she appeared to be a teenager, her body seemed to be that of an 11 or 12-year-old. She was at least a head shorter than most kids of her age. Below her waist, her legs were noticeably underdeveloped and were covered by a blanket.

Chu Yunfan walked over and patted the young lady's head. She could not see the pain and strife flashing through his eyes.

She was his sister, Chu Qingxuan. She was the darling of the family as well as the sorrow in everyone's heart.

Due to a congenital gene defect, her lower body had begun to shrivel gradually ever since she was born. For as long as any of them could remember, she could only move with the aid of a wheelchair. Her ill health led to her continuous weight loss, and her hair was rather dull as well. She was already 13 or 14, but she looked 11 or 12.

In the Kunlun Era, medical standards for humans were great. For instance, cancers, HIV, and heart diseases that were incurable in the Common Era were nothing but minor inconveniences in the Kunlun Era.

Despite that, congenital gene defects were a big issue. Although the technology to treat such illnesses had been invented years earlier, the cheapest treatment would cost up to ten million federal coins. No matter how heartbroken the Chu family was over Chu Qingxuan's condition, there was nothing they could do.

The family income depended on the parents, and they made 4,000 to 5,000 per month. It would only add up to around 10,000 with extra income. Even if they spent nothing on food, they could only afford the treatment after saving up for about a century.

Moreover, just to remain in her current condition, Chu Qingxuan had to consume a lot of medicine and replenish all sorts of nutrients. This was already a great expense.

Therefore, if Chu Yunfan could not get into the martial arts stream, he would not consider going into a liberal arts university. He would have to join the workforce so that he could help to ease their burden.

Although Chu Qingxuan had had the problem since young and she could not even go to school, she was so sensible that it was heartbreaking. She knew that her family was in a difficult situation, so she would never request anything troubling. On the contrary, she would stay home every day to learn from the internet. She was not just on par with students in junior high, she had actually far surpassed them. She was talented, smart, and analytical. There was almost nothing that could leave her puzzled. Chu Yunfan would even go to her regarding some problems that he could not solve.

If not for the burden of her body that stopped her from practicing martial arts, she would definitely be a genius that surpassed Chu Yunfan. She would be a well-known scientist if she was to study academically.

That devastated Chu Yunfan even more. He would eagerly switch their situations if he could. He could practice martial arts, but whether martial arts or academics, his abilities were just too mediocre. He was nowhere near as talented as his sister.

"Brother, I found a job today. I'll be doing commentaries on battle videos live-streamed online. I already have many fans. I'll be making money, and I'll no longer be a burden to you guys!"

Chu Qingxuan's eyes widened as she excitedly told him this.

"How can you say that? You're not a burden to us!"

The more sensible Chu Qingxuan was, the worse Chu Yunfan felt.. He swore to himself that he would try his best to make enough money one day to treat his sister's congenital gene defect.

Chapter 4: Genius and Good-for-Nothing

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Why are you doing commentaries? Why would anyone want to hire a little girl like you?" Chu Yunfan said with a smile, concealing his pain.

The internet of the Kunlun Era had become like the virtual world mentioned in the novels of the Common Era. Everything within it was exactly the same as the real world. There was no difference.

With the previous limits of technology, it was impossible for humanity to enter such a virtual reality. As it was, according to historical records, humans had obtained a powerful artifact while venturing into the Kunlun Realm. It was called the Virtual Realm. The entire network was built with the Virtual Realm at its core. That was the main reason the virtual world could be created.

With everyone practicing martial arts, it was easy for one to get hurt when sparring in reality, but that would not happen online. Hence, there were all sorts of battles in cyberspace and even live streams. Fights between skilled masters would sell out and draw big crowds.

As the popularity of live-streamed battles rose, naturally numerous commentators came out of it. Many experienced commentators could tell what kind of techniques the experts used at any given time. They could even speculate who would win among the fighters.

In turn, such commentators would often gain a sizable fanbase with ease. The better their commentaries, the more money they would make.

"Brother, you're underestimating me. The online battle video that I commentated on has millions of views now. That's why there are live-stream websites that are willing to hire me to do live commentaries!" Chu Qingxuan said, failing to hold back her excitement.

"Alright, go ahead then. I can't believe my sister has become an influencer now. It seems I shouldn't underestimate you in the future!" Chu Yunfan said as he patted Chu Qingxuan's head.

The idea seemed less strange as he thought about it. To be able to commentate on such battles, one would need excellent judgment in a variety of martial arts scenarios.

Chu Qingxuan had an exceptional talent for that. Although she could not cultivate, she was much more attentive than he was. She could continuously learn from the internet since she had nothing else to do all day. It was unfortunate that she could not cultivate, as she could certainly have reached the Qi Sea Stage or even higher.

"Of course. You definitely shouldn't underestimate me!" Chu Qingxuan raised her dainty head. She was so cute, her proud little face resembling that of a victorious general.

Suddenly, the door opened automatically and a tall figure walked in. He was a man who appeared to be in his thirties wearing a suit and leather shoes.

"Dad!"

"Dad, you're home!"

The brother and sister exclaimed immediately. That man was the master of the Chu family, Chu Wencheng.

Chu Wencheng was just an ordinary office worker in the Kunlun Era. He was paid a few thousand coins each month, which was enough to cover the household expenses.

He was rather tired, but he had a smile on his face when he saw his children.

"All of you are home. That's great. Let's eat!" Yang Yayun walked out and served the dishes on the table one after another.

Although it was homemade, a table full of dishes was expensive back in the Common Era. Ginseng, deer antlers, ganoderma, and other supplements that were once rare could be harvested on a large scale now. They could mature quickly too, so the ginseng was at least a century old. Although it was done using technology, they were no different than if they had aged naturally.

Without this development, the Age of Great Cultivation where everyone was cultivating would not have been sustainable. Such eating habits had spread across tens of thousands of households.

When they were halfway through their meal, Chu Wencheng suddenly said, "Oh, yeah. There's something I almost forgot about. Big Brother sent me an invitation today, asking us to go to Yuntian's birthday party in a month. It's also to celebrate Yuntian getting into the martial arts stream!"

"No, we're not going. Besides looking to squeeze more money out of us, he just wants to show off his son getting into the martial arts stream!" Yang Yayun said plainly as she pushed her bowl away.

"Big Brother didn't mean it like that!" Chu Wencheng could not help but hastily reply as he looked at his angry wife.

"He didn't mean it like that? Do you think I don't know what Big Brother and Sister-in-law are like? All they want to do is to show off their son. How many times have they done that over the years? I just don't understand this, Chu Wencheng. You guys have the same father, so why is he like this? When your big brother's son was born, Dad went back to the family himself to beg for a Meridian Cleansing Pill to cleanse Yuntian's meridians. How about our Yunfan? He was born just a few days after him. So what if he's not the first grandson of the first son? Is there anything left for us after all these years?!" With her pretty brows slightly creased, Yang Yayun went on, "Our Xuanxuan has been in bad health since young. It's so hard to even ask Dad for some money to treat her. However, your parents have spent so much on Yuntian for years. They can't play favorites like that!"

Chu Wencheng smiled slightly and said, "You know this family has been in the doghouse for a long time. We need to endure it now that we have someone as gifted as Yuntian. My parents are just hoping that he will bring honor to our family!"

"Gifted how? Would he have such a cultivation base if Dad didn't beg for the Meridian Cleansing Pill and spend hundreds of thousands buying all sorts of expensive herbs for him to soak his body in since he was a little?" Yang Yayun could not help but say, "Chu Wencheng, our family is already in a difficult situation. We don't have the money to treat Xuanxuan, and your parents want you to lend money to your big brother. Over time, you've lent them over 300,000. Are we ever going to see that money again?"

"Don't you see that they'll pay it back now? Not only is Yuntian going into the martial arts stream, there's a tutor from Federation University who's interested in him. He guarantees that Yuntian will get into the university. At that point, our family will benefit from his achievements!" Chu Wencheng kept smiling as he spoke.

"Benefit? What kind of benefits are we getting? Big Brother has been looking down on us all this time. Now that this is happening, you're expecting us to benefit from it? Forget it! I've lost my appetite!"

Yang Yayun swiftly stood up, turned around, and left the room.

Chu Wencheng went after her immediately. Sitting at the table, the siblings, Chu Yunfan and Chu Qingxuan, looked as if they had gotten used to such occurrences.

Chu Yunfan helped her to get a bowl of ginseng chicken soup and served himself another bowl of rice. It made sense that people who practiced martial arts had large appetites.

That was why modern society was so abundant with supplies. Without them, no one would have enough energy.

As it was, their words had caused a stir inside Chu Yunfan. That cousin of his, Chu Yuntian, born just a few days before him, was like a personal nightmare.

Compared to Chu Yunfan, with his mediocre abilities, Chu Yuntian was very intelligent ever since he was born. He left all who met him stunned. To cleanse his meridians, his grandfather went to the Chu family's ancestral home to beg for a Meridian Cleansing Pill that was worth up to ten million coins. Thus, Chu Yuntian performed extraordinarily since young, and his talent was outstanding. Given that the family bought all sorts of herbs for him to soak in ever since he was little, he cultivated extremely swiftly.

Chu Yuntian and Chu Yunfan were of the same age, and both were in Year 3. That being the case, Chu Yunfan went to the humble Calm Ocean City's No.13 High School, whereas Chu Yuntian went to Donghua City's No.1 High School. It was the best school in the entire city, with countless geniuses and experts. Even its worst student could get into one of the top schools in the Federation. The best batch could get into Federation University, ranked first among the top ten schools.

Chu Yuntian had just got to Year 3, and a tutor from Federation University was interested in him. He guaranteed Chu Yuntian would get into the university. It was not an exaggeration to say that he brought honor to the Chu family.

Federation University ranked first in the entire Federation, and it was backed by the Federation government. In all the world, those who got into the school were one in a million. They were the elite of the elite. To use a phrase from the feudal period, such a person would be a general in the field or a minister at court. Many officers in the military came from Federation University. More than half of the senior officers in the government came from there too, as well as famous people in all fields, including science, economics, and culture. They were innumerable.

Getting into Federation University would ensure a bright future when one entered society!

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan, born merely a few days later than Chu Yuntian, was naturally going to be compared. More than once, he had been told to his face that all the best things the Chu family possessed were given to Chu Yuntian. Being born a few days later, he got nothing. He was worthless.

Chu Yunfan was no weakling compared to regular people, but when he was juxtaposed with the genius Chu Yuntian, many saw him as a good-for-nothing.

Everyone had pride. Chu Yunfan was being compared and looked down on openly since childhood. How could he not be affected? It was just that he had learned to hide it and not show any emotion on his face. He did this because he knew the people who would get upset were not those who made fun of him but his parents who loved him the most.

Chu Yunfan gazed at Chu Qingxuan as he thought about this and pity filled his eyes. He was not gifted, but Chu Qingxuan was different. She had tremendous talent. To him, she was no less than Chu Yuntian, but God was unfair. She was given an unusual congenital gene defect. There was nothing she could do about her gradually shrinking body no matter how capable she was.

Chu Yunfan listened to the noise that came out of the room every now and then. He thought to himself, 'Is Dad really a coward?

'Did he truly just do what Grandpa and Big Uncle commanded? Did he lend Uncle money just because they asked him to?'

He accidentally found out about his father's plan before. He knew that he might never be able to make enough money to treat his sister. On the other hand, Chu Yuntian's talents meant he was different. He would be one of humanity's elites in the future. Although ten million was a lot, it should not be too much for Chu Yuntian at that point.

If Chu Yuntian remembered what they had done for him and helped them, there would be hope for his sister's illness!

This plan was the reason his father put away all of his pride, allowing Grandpa and Big Uncle to push him around.

'No, I must change this!'

Chu Yunfan could not help but ball his hands into fists as he thought about this. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails went pale and sunk into his flesh. He did not notice at all.

After waiting for his sister to finish her dinner, Chu Yunfan sorted out the dishes and placed all of them in the dishwasher. With modern technology, there was no need for them to do the dishes, a chore just as dreadful as ever. All of the dishes would be washed and organized automatically.

After it was all done, Chu Yunfan went into his room and closed the door.. He sat with his legs crossed on a cushion beneath the bed and began his cultivation routine.

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Chapter 5: Unbelievable Cultivation Speed

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chu Yunfan put away his thoughts and recalled the incident that happened at school that day. The dream was too real, as if he was reliving another person's life. It was unbelievable.

There was no explanation for that. No matter how advanced modern technology was, there were still many unresolved mysteries about the Ancient Zenith civilization.

Whatever the case, he believed that it was definitely not a dream. He had no idea how he inherited the Alchemy Emperor's memories.

Ever since that vision, his body had been altered.

Whatever it was, he felt the change was good. The new Chu Yunfan felt more exuberant than ever. Colors appeared to be more vivid when he looked at the world, and his ears could pick up sounds more clearly. His body seemed to have unlimited energy, and there was a force surging inside of him.

He dared not tell anyone about this transformation. He instinctively felt that he would create a stir if he was to reveal it to someone else. Those were an Emperor's memories. He might be captured, dissected, and studied like a lab rat!

In any case, what he found strange was the location of the Alchemy Emperor's landscape painting. Also, he had no idea where the Godhead concealed within the painting had gone.

After thinking about it for a long time, Chu Yunfan could still not figure it out. He gave up and quickly focused on his cultivation again.

A formula appeared in his head. It was the Basic Energy Refinement Formula. This particular formula had been spread widely by the Federation government. It was the most basic energy refinement formula, the foundation for everything involving Internal Energy.

It was the result of the hard work of countless powerhouses and martial arts masters. They had created it using the many energy refinement formulas that originated from the Ancient Zenith civilization. The Basic Energy Refinement Formula was rather plain, but the advantage was that it was stable and would not confuse the cultivator.

It was a formula used by every human in the Federation to build the basics of Internal Energy. Even so, it was more often commoners that would cultivate with the Basic Energy Refinement Formula for a prolonged period. Geniuses from major clans and disciples of the main sects would have their own inheritance, leading them to give this basic formula a pass.

Chu Yunfan used to cultivate using the Basic Energy Refinement Formula as well, but now he had all the Alchemy Emperor's memories starting from his youth. The Alchemy Emperor's talent for pill refinement was monumental throughout history. None had done it before, and nobody was ever able to achieve what he had. However, when it came to Martial Dao cultivation, he had no special gift for it. In time, he would depend mostly on countless medicinal pills to cultivate to the level of Emperor forcefully. They did not come up in the past, but his flaws were quickly exposed when he was compared to other Emperors.

He even remembered clearly what the Alchemy Emperor was thinking before he died.

'I called myself a genius, bathing in glory throughout my life. Nobody would say no to me. However, it was all an illusion. Nothing can be relied upon except one's own cultivation. That's the source of all power!

'If there's an afterlife, I'll definitely cultivate with all of my might!'

Although it was the Age of Great Cultivation where everyone could cultivate, unless someone was willing to teach you or your family gave you abundant resources, you would have to spend money to purchase martial arts materials. The total cost would be an enormous sum.

Initially, Chu Yunfan was worried about Internal Energy cultivation, but it would not be a problem anymore. Although the Alchemy Emperor was nothing special when it came to Martial Dao cultivation, he had learned quite a number of effective techniques.

As many other magnificent Emperors came to him for help, he mastered more and more of such techniques from each of them.

Chu Yunfan had chosen his target. It was the figure that was as majestic as an angel in that memory, the one that could fight up to a hundred Emperors at the same time.

He was known as the greatest Emperor of all time, the Emperor Supreme. He was known to be invincible even though he lived in the age of many Emperors, the same period as the Alchemy Emperor.

According to the Alchemy Emperor's memories, he was a genius beyond comparison, the best he had ever seen. The Emperor Supreme began practicing martial arts at the age of three, and all of them came to him easily. He had fantastic judgment, and he could remember each style after seeing it only once. After observing it three to five times, he thoroughly understood it. He was already famous by the time he turned five. By the age of ten, nobody of the younger generation was a match for him.

He defeated all powerhouses in his tribe when he was 15. When he thought he could no longer improve himself if he stayed with them, he left his home to travel with his sword.

When he was 18, he was known all over the world. He had made his master famous, formed some friendships, defeated monstrous enemies, and killed rivals.

He became the strongest powerhouse in the world when he was 31. He fought Sikong Cuo at the peak of Tian Shan, and that was the first defeat in his life.

He did not give up after being bested by Sikong Cuo and went into closed-door cultivation for ten years. When he emerged, he had finally completed his comprehension and cultivation.

When he heard that his entire tribe was slaughtered by the age's great enemy, he slew all 3,570 enemies on his own as a tribute to his tribe's people.

Later on, he challenged Sikong Cuo to another battle and defeated him. He then became the era's greatest warrior.

He founded the Mighty Emperor Sect when he was 50 and wrote the Mighty Emperor Battle Book. It became the sect's treasure.

If the Alchemy Emperor was the master of alchemy, Emperor Supreme was the master of Martial Dao. Even though there were many Emperors, he dominated that generation. He was invincible.

When Emperor Supreme asked the Alchemy Emperor for a divine pill to save the woman he loved back then, he exchanged it for the Mighty Emperor Battle Book. As it was, the Alchemy Emperor had considered mastering Martial Dao. Although he achieved that by using medicinal pills, the most he could do was refer to the Mighty Emperor Battle Book. He could not possibly get rid of his former cultivation and start all over again.

Now, Chu Yunfan would benefit from that. He had a low cultivation base, so losing all of it and cultivating from the beginning was nothing whatsoever to him.

He knew starting from scratch might mean that would not make it to the Year 3 exam that determined whether he would get into the martial arts or liberal arts stream in a month's time. Even so, he realized that this was a rare opportunity. Getting into either stream was immaterial to him.

If he could achieve one-tenth of Emperor Supreme's cultivation base in the future, few people in modern times would be a match for him. It would definitely be worth it.

As Chu Yunfan thought about this, he could not help but clench his teeth and remove all the martial arts he had learned. Fresh blood flowed from the corners of his lips. His organs were injured, but that was the price for getting rid of what he had learned. Some of his tiny meridians were severely damaged too.

If this had happened in the Common Era, he would have been bedridden for at least a month. However, advanced technology and knowledge from the Ancient Zenith civilization had improved the standards of medicine exponentially.

He got a bottle of healing spray from the table at the side. Although such sprays could not heal severe injuries, they could treat minor ones.

As the Age of Great Cultivation developed, all households had such healing sprays for emergencies. The problem was, a bottle cost 30,000 coins. On most days, he dared not use it so casually.

Such a small bottle could only be sprayed 100 times. Over the previous years, he had used it 90 times while practicing martial arts on and off, leaving him with only 10 more.

He would usually feel heartbroken every time he used it, since 300 would be gone just like that. Nonetheless, this time, he clenched his teeth and bit the bullet, spraying it into his mouth 10 times.

Danger could never be overcome without taking risks even before he had integrated the Alchemy Emperor's memories. In truth, he did not realize that the Alchemy Emperor's thoughts were influencing his own, making him more decisive. In order to accomplish great feats, one should not worry about the small trifles or overthink.

The series of sprays sent a breeze into the organs and tiny meridians that had been damaged, healing them.

Although this was not his first time, he found modern science magical every time he used it. Even the wondrous age of the Ancient Zenith civilization in the Alchemy Emperor's memories did not have such a thing.

Modern science had indeed achieved something that the Ancient Zenith civilization could not.

A cultivation technique called the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method popped into his head. It was an Internal Energy cultivation method that the Emperor Supreme had developed and recorded in the Mighty Emperor Battle Book. The Battle Book was a martial arts guide. Not only did it record Internal Energy cultivation methods but also many martial arts skills that Emperor Supreme had learned throughout his life.

Just as Chu Yunfan started to utilize the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method, he felt piercing pain all over his body. It was as if the entirety of his flesh was being torn apart.

The first step of the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method was body sculpting. The body would be reshaped into a robust form called the Supreme Body. When someone refined their physical form into the invulnerable Supreme Body, they could travel through Heaven and Earth.

Furthermore, it would also lay the foundation for the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method. How could one cultivate such an incomparable method without having an incomparable physique?

Naturally, the Supreme Body could not be achieved with a snap of the fingers. It was divided into many stages, with the cultivation of the Physical Stage being just the first step.

Though it was merely the first step, he was in utter agony. Nevertheless, compared to the tearing of all the cells in his body when he received the inheritance in the dream at school, this did not seem excruciating.

At that moment, a cooling sensation flowed in his limbs and bones without him realizing. It seemed to be an energy that was mending his torn flesh.

He cultivated again, and the pain returned. The cooling sensation also came back, easing his suffering immediately.

Chu Yunfan had no idea what was happening, but he remained focused on cultivating.

Very soon, he opened his eyes and was shocked when he looked at his body.

"Tier-1 Physical Stage, Muscle Training has been completed already?"

He sensed enormous strength in his muscles. It was even a few times more powerful than when he first cultivated to Muscle Training. It was on a completely different level.

When he checked the time, he was even more surprised that less than an hour had passed and he had completed the cultivation of Tier-1 Physical Stage, Muscle Training. It had taken him three whole months to do that the first time.

During this cultivation, he had the feeling that he had mastered all the important points of Muscle Training. There were no doubts or uncertainties. He felt everything was so easy, whereby he had solved all the difficult issues within the cultivation.

He could not understand many things when he cultivated them in the past. He merely cultivated in a blur following the explanations in the material given. Conversely, there was no secret in anything now. He had mastered everything.

He had never felt so clear before. This was a clarity he had not had previously!

"Can it be that I'm really a genius? But I don't think even bonafide geniuses cultivate as fast as I just did!"

Thinking this, Chu Yunfan did not stop and continued to cultivate.

Everything that happened next proved that what had occurred was not a dream. It was like a miracle.

Tier-2 Physical Stage, Bone Strengthening!

Tier-3 Physical Stage, Skin Refinement!

Tier-4 Physical Stage, Tendon Tuning!

Tier-5 Physical Stage, Inner Strengthening!

Chu Yunfan opened his eyes and was in complete disbelief. He had been cultivating since he was ten. In the six years since, he had managed to reach Inner Strengthening. He looked at the time now. It had been 6 p.m. when he finished dinner and started cultivating. It was now midnight.

It had only been six hours, and he had gone through the journey that took him six years previously. What kind of speed was that? Even if he had benefited from cultivating from the beginning again, was this not exceedingly bizarre?

It was no exaggeration to say that he had become several times more powerful than he used to be. He could now fight multiples of his previous self.

It was supposed to be the time for him to sleep, but he did not feel tired when he meditated. Instead, he was wide awake. Suddenly, another thought popped into his mind. Since he cultivated so fast before, what would happen if he proceeded to cultivate now?

What would Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping be like?

Chapter 6: Breaking Through Consecutively

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Thinking about it, Chu Yunfan decided to go ahead. He began the circulation of the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method's formula. The tearing pain ripped through him again, but the cooling feeling appeared at the same time.

With the constant sensation of tearing and cooling, Chu Yunfan felt like he was dying and reviving at the same time. In any case, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

He wanted to cultivate to the peak of Tier-5 Physical Stage, Inner Strengthening. As the name suggested, it meant strengthening one's organs. One could imagine the agony his organs were going through being torn and healed repeatedly.

Finally, he opened his eyes again after two hours had passed!

'I've finally cultivated to the peak of Inner Strengthening. I've completed the refinement of the organs. I never imagined I could cultivate at such a rate. I'd just broken through to Inner Strengthening a month ago. I thought I'd need a few months to get to the peak of Inner Strengthening!' Chu Yunfan thought to himself. At that moment, his mind was clear and many things rushed into it.

Apart from the incredible Mighty Eternal Emperor Method, the main reason his cultivation speed was so fast was that his body seemed to have been altered on a certain level. Otherwise, no matter how much it had accelerated, he could possibly have surpassed six years of cultivation within a few short hours.

His flesh had been modified when that blurry ray of light repeatedly tore and reshaped countless cells in his body. This was what could be seen when he was cultivating the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method.

He had no idea where the cooling sensation came from either. If it had not helped ease the pain, he might have had to pause many times throughout the process. It would not have been impossible for his cultivation to have been as successful!

"What exactly went into my body?" Chu Yunfan could not help but feel a little wary. "Never mind. Whatever it was, it's beneficial for me. I'll find out exactly what it is when I get to Tier-8 Physical Stage, Internal Observation!"

Tier-8 Physical Stage, Internal Observation, as the name suggested, was when you could witness what was happening within your body. You could see your blood vessels, organs, muscles, and so on. You would not actually see all this with your eyes. Instead, when you mastered your body entirely, you could sense everything. Many details in your body would appear in your head, making it feel like you were seeing it with your eyes.

"Since I've cultivated to the peak of Inner Strengthening, I'll work hard again tonight to get to Tier-6, Joint Popping!"

Chu Yunfan decided to put the doubt he had aside. It was more important that he break through first. He could no longer wait. He had been in Chu Yuntian's shadow since childhood, so he had never been so passionate about cultivation nor so hopeful for his future before.

He did not have the opportunity in the past, but God had placed it before him now. He definitely would not let it slip through his grasp.

As Chu Yunfan made up his mind, he closed his eyes again and began to break through to Tier-6 Physical Stage. All of his True Energy rushed into and between his bones, refining the fasciae within.

All of it happened as Chu Yunfan imagined. He smoothly mastered everything in his hands. All of the important points of cultivating fasciae emerged in his head. He recalled all of the many of the cultivation methods his teacher had thought in school that he could barely remember before. He even remembered the expression on the teacher's face as he was teaching them. Chun Yunfan had never felt such a thing.

It was the legendary photographic memory!

Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping was not a secret to him now. What the teacher taught was the culmination of the personal experience of countless human martial arts masters. The explanation was crystal-clear, but he could not understand it due to his limited abilities back then. Now, it had become the fuel enabling him to break through to Joint Popping.

There were almost no obstacles. True Energy was surging continuously within his body, refining his flesh over and over again. It was breaking the barrier of his flesh to Tier-6 Physical Stage.

Bang!

It was like something exploded in Chu Yunfan's head. There was a barrier that had been confining him before that stopped him from getting to Tier-6. Now, it was like a dam that was broken by a flood and crushed by the impact.

At that point, Chu Yunfan opened his eyes. He moved slightly and heard a series of cracking noises. It sounded like firecrackers. That was the clear evidence of stepping into Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping.

True Energy was rapidly circulating his entire body. He had reached a whole new level!

The feeling was amazing!

Nevertheless, he also sensed that the cooling sensation in his body was no longer there. It seemed to be the energy that was produced in the beginning. After continuously healing Chu Yunfan, it had almost completely vanished.

The energy gave him the fuel he needed to break through. People who practiced martial arts had large appetites. In order to replenish their energy, they needed much much more fuel than ordinary people.

His family was already in a difficult situation, so how could they have the additional funds needed to buy supplements for him? If he had been born into a wealthy family, he would have been able to get into the martial arts stream even with his mediocre abilities.

Ginseng and ganoderma seemed effective. To ordinary people, they were indeed great supplements. However, for people who were on the cultivation path, they were far from enough.

Therefore, modern science invented pure nutrient supplements. When a dose of a nutrient supplement was injected, it contained the energy equivalent to eating several tonnes of rice.

He was much more powerful than anyone else at the same stage after he used the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method. He could fight his old self many times over, but he also needed much more energy than a regular person.

With his family's current situation, they definitely could not afford his cultivation. He had to think of a solution.

"I've already stepped into Tier-6 now, and at this rate, I'll cultivate to the peak soon. I won't be too far away from getting to Tier-7. There's hope that I'll get into the martial arts stream now!" Chu Yunfan was secretly excited. Getting into the martial arts stream had always been an obsession of his, and he was unwilling to give it up.

The only thing that kept him from dropping the whole idea before was pure stubbornness, but he saw he genuinely had a chance now.

At such a cultivation rate, he would far surpass any prodigies.

At that moment, Chu Yunfan looked at the time. He could not believe that it was seven in the morning the next day.

"I've cultivated for almost 13 hours now. I've been cultivating the entire night, but I'm still high in spirits. I'm not sleepy at all!" Chu Yunfan thought it was unbelievable that he was still so exuberant.

In the past, he felt dizzy after cultivating for a few hours. The reason was that when he cultivated, he had to focus everything in his body. It was mentally exhausting. This time, he did not feel tired at all after cultivating through the night.

Not only that, he felt exhilarated!

If he did the math, he would have more cultivation time than anyone else!

Of course, he knew that wealthy families would definitely have other ways to replenish their mental fatigue, so he did not necessarily have more cultivation time than others. However, he could not help but get excited.

"My initial goal was getting into the martial arts stream, but now it seems like nothing at all. I must aim for a higher goal. Not only do I want to get into the martial arts stream, but I also want to get into one of the top schools, even the No. 1 school, Federation University!" Chu Yunfan clenched his fists. This time, his eyes were not filled with despair but the look of a man with ambition.

"But I'm way too far from the rest now, especially those geniuses who can get into the top ten schools. They have had outstanding talent since they were young. I don't have the resources that they do, and I started too late. Fortunately, the stream division has just started. I have about ten months to cultivate now!

"I must hold tight to destiny this time! I won't let it slip away from me!"

At that moment, there was a series of knocks from outside the door. It was his mother, Yang Yayun, coming to wake him up. It was time for school.

"Yunfan, wake up! You have to eat and go to school!"

"Okay, got it, Mom!"

After answering his mother, Chu Yunfan changed out of the clothes he had worn the day before. Having quickly packed his bag, he took it and walked out of his room.

His father, Chu Wencheng, was already eating at the side of the table, but he looked dispirited. It was obvious he had received an earful the whole night.

Meanwhile, his sister had just swallowed a handful of medicine and began to slowly eat her breakfast. She seemed to have gotten used to such mornings as well.

Chu Yunfan took a deep breath. He was still energetic, and he felt like never had such anticipation for the future before.

Watching his family living harmoniously, Chu Yunfan made up his mind to protect them and make everyone feel loved and happy.

After breakfast, Chu Yunfan immediately went out the door and rushed to school.

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Chapter 7: Academic Genius-level Learning Ability

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

When Chu Yunfan arrived at school, there were already many students at the liberal arts class.

In the Kunlun Era, every school's curriculum focused on both liberal arts and martial arts. Those nerds who buried their heads in books or the boors who excelled in sports but were simple-minded from the Common Era were good-for-nothing.

Education in the Kunlun Era aimed to train students to be good in both liberal and martial arts. All of these modern students would be considered outstanding if any of them were placed in the Common Era.

Prior to the stream division, a school day was usually divided into morning and afternoon sessions. They would learn all sorts of liberal arts knowledge in the morning, and the afternoon was their time for martial arts training.

That was how they could train all-rounded students in both liberal and martial arts. Only after the stream division would the students have the freedom to choose what they preferred.

Meanwhile, the liberal and martial arts classes were held in different classrooms. The liberal arts classroom was similar to the ones in the Common Era. The martial arts class would take place in a massive sparring arena, as this was convenient for students to cultivate.

Chu Yunfan's arrival did not grab anyone's attention. He got to his seat and took out a tablet.

Many years back, paper books were discarded and replaced with such tablets. It was convenient and environmentally friendly.

All learning materials were loaded into the tablet. It had a variety of exercise questions, and students could look for documents online whenever they wanted. It was a great learning platform.

Chu Yunfan began to look at the learning materials after he tapped into it. It was the homework that was part of his daily routine. As they had to focus on both fields, if he was to get into the martial arts stream, he had to have good results in liberal arts as well.

As it happened, he soon noticed something was different. When he went through the material he had opened, he realized he could read almost ten lines at once. Not only that, but he could also remember everything immediately after reading it. He had memorized all of it. As he recalled what he had learned, he thoroughly understood many things that he could not comprehend previously.

Although his liberal arts grades were not too bad, they were nothing special. He could only be considered middling. Nevertheless, he had read all of the materials now. When he did the materials exercise questions, it was almost too easy for him. He understood whatever he read.

This was certainly an academic genius-level learning ability.

It completely surpassed everything he had imagined!

'It seems my martial arts talent isn't the only thing that has been modified. I must've been altered in all aspects. I feel like my brain has been transformed!' Chu Yunfan thought to himself. His mind was clearer than ever, so he could think of many things that he might not have before.

The dream-like adventure was not as simple as he thought. It had a deep influence on him.

'No matter what, this is good for me!'

With this stunning learning ability, he could save a lot of time. Moreover, a capable martial artist would need to study all sorts of things. They would need to do far more than just meditation and cultivation.

With such a gift, he could go even further!

Without him realizing, time quickly passed by, and it was time for the first class.

The first lesson was about the seal script. This class was mandatory for all schools. This was because so many things in the Kunlun Era were related to the Ancient Zenith civilization. In order to study further, learning the seal script was a must.

Very soon, the teacher who taught seal script class arrived. He was an elderly man, probably older than 60, with a head full of white hair. Due to their huge age difference, the students did not call him teacher. Instead, they referred to him as Sir He, and he looked like a wizened pedant from the Common Era.

Whatever the case, Chu Yunfan was sensitive enough to sense an immense vital fluctuation coming from him. Clearly, he was a Martial Dao powerhouse. Since the dream, his ability to sense such things had heightened greatly.

Chu Yunfan thought to himself that one should not judge a book by its cover. He could not believe that he had never noticed Sir He was a fearsome Martial Dao warrior in the past two years.

After everyone stood up and bowed, the class started.

Sir He did not say much when he came in. Instead, he wrote a seal script character on the electric blackboard.

"I haven't taught you guys this character. I'm letting you guess what this word means!" Sir He said. Though he looked old, his voice was strong. "As people of cultivation, learning the seal script is a basic ability. The reason being, many secret records were written directly in seal script characters. If you don't know the characters, you won't be able to read them if you obtain some secret records in the Kunlun Realm.

"I've mentioned in the class before that the seal script is pictographic, just like our Chinese words. So, can you guys guess what it means, judging by the look of the seal script character?"

Sir He glanced at the students. He pointed at one of them and stated, "Feng Deying, tell me. You're the class monitor, and you got a good grade in seal script class too!"

It was a young man of about 16 or 17. He was tall and handsome, but there was an arrogance to his face as well. One could tell at a glance that he came from a prestigious family. His dark blue martial arts attire was gilded and looked very expensive.

He was Class 11's monitor, Feng Deying. He had a notable family background as well as great talent. His cultivation base had reached Tier-9 Physical Stage, Qi Nourishment. Given his dashing face, many of his female classmates had a crush on him, so he was the popular one in class.

Chu Yunfan looked at Gao Hongzhi next to him. He came from second-generation wealth too, and he also had great talent. His cultivation base was comparable to Feng Deying's, but their level of popularity was very different.

Like the saying went, 'Nobody will be harmed when there's no comparison'.

One was a Prince Charming that was popular in class, while the other was a fat joker!

Seeing Feng Deying's cool appearance, Gao Hongzhi pouted in disdain, saying, "All he knows is how to pose. Look at him being all vain like a peacock flaunting its feathers. Who doesn't know that he's pretentious?!"

Chu Yunfan heard Gao Hongzhi's mumbling and thought it was funny. The duo's cultivation base was the top of the class among the male students. Given that Feng Deying had a snobbish persona, it was natural that they did not like each other.

"Sir He, I think this must be onomatopoeic. The reason is that it's different from all of the seal script characters that I've ever learned!" Feng Deying answered.

Sir He merely smiled. He then looked at the rest of the class and said, "Is there anyone else who has an opinion on that?"

"Sir He, I don't think it's necessary that you ask anyone else. How would they know if I don't? My family hired a graduate who specialized in seal script research in the university to teach me!" Feng Deying said haughtily. He genuinely looked down on the other students.

"The best he can do is show off what little money he has. Does he think we can't afford to hire someone ourselves?!" Gao Hongzhi spat, "With his progress, how can he be such a blowhard since his family got him a tutor?"

He then added, "But this character is indeed strange. I've never seen it before!"

He did think it was unusual. The truth was, he had secretly got a tutor that specialized in seal script as well. He knew almost all of the commonly used characters and had memorized all of their meanings. Nonetheless, he was sure that he had never seen this character.

"How about you, Tang Siyu?" Sir He remained smiling and pointed at a young lady.

The girl also looked to be 16 or 17. She had exquisite features and a little bit of baby fat. Wearing her white martial uniform, she was tall and had a great body too.

She was Class 11's vice-monitor, as well as the goddess that most guys in the class had a crush on. Her name was Tang Siyu.

Tang Siyu's background was a mystery to the class. This was because she had not enrolled in the school like the rest had done but transferred there the previous year. When she arrived, her cultivation base was only at Tier-3. However, a year later, she was already at Tier-9.

Such talent had alerted the school's upper echelons. She even had admirers from other schools.

In Class 11, Tang Siyu, Gao Hongzhi, and Feng Deying had the highest cultivation bases and were the top three students. They were guaranteed to get into the martial arts stream.

Tang Siyu got up and said with a bright voice, "Sir He, I think this word can't be onomatopoeic. It might be a noun, perhaps a creature. I can tell from the shape of the word!"

At that moment, Sir He had a faint smile on his face and said, "Are there any other opinions?"

Suddenly, Chu Yunfan raised his hand. He stood up and said, "Sir He, I know the meaning of this word!"

All eyes were on Chu Yunfan. This was because, given that Sir He only meant for them to guess the meaning of the word, it must have been something they were not expected to know.

Despite that, Chu Yunfan said he knew.

"Oh? Tell me about it then!" Sir He said with a grin.

"The vice-monitor is right. The meaning of this word is a giant, ferocious bird!" Chu Yunfan answered, looking sure of himself.

Though others were merely guessing the meaning of the seal script character, he recognized the word immediately because the Alchemy Emperor's memories were just so clear in his head. The seal script was the text used in that era.

Besides commonly used words, he recognized some rare ones too.

"Nonsense!" Feng Deying shouted. "Chu Yunfan, stop pretending to know when you don't. Even I don't get it, so how would you?!"

Gal Hongzhi instantly jumped up.

"Eh, I don't like what you just said. What do you mean by how would he get it when you don't? Sir He said nothing, so what are you doing interrupting?!" he exclaimed. He could not stand Feng Deying behaving like that.

"You…" Rage burned within Feng Deying, and a grim expression flashed through his eyes. He was infuriated that Chu Yunfan dared to claim that his explanation was wrong. Moreover, he did not believe that Chu Yunfan really understood what the word meant at all.

Over the last few years, he had hired a tutor to teach him the seal script exclusively. He memorized the meanings of all the words and terms, but he did not know this one. How could Chu Yunfan, a boy born into a poor family, know?

"Alright, quiet!"

Chapter 8: Stunning Predictive Ability

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Sir He coughed and the duo had to stop. He stated, "What Chu Yunfan said was right. The word represents a ferocious bird. I can't believe you knew that. The truth is, this word has only been researched and translated recently. Even many people specializing in seal script research don't know that. Seems like you've been working hard! That's amazing!"

What Sir He said made Feng Deying flush. This was half because he was enraged by Gao Hongzhi and half because his guess had been entirely wrong. Although Tang Siyu did not get the full answer as Chu Yunfan had, at least she surmised the word represented an animal.

Meanwhile, he had said that it was onomatopoeic. That was completely off.

At that moment, Chu Yunfan felt two pairs of eyes looking at him. One was Class Monitor Feng Deying's rather scary glare, while on the side was Vice-monitor Tang Siyu's quite curious gaze. It seemed she never expected that the guy who was usually the most inconspicuous in class would study so deeply into such a subject.

"Since that's the case, let me test you again!" Sir He wrote a few rare seal script characters on the electric blackboard. He thought he would put Chu Yunfan to the test, but Chu Yunfan managed to answer them smoothly with a calm expression on his face.

In fact, many of his answers invigorated Sir He. A large number of translations for uncommon seal script characters only touched on their real meanings and were not that accurate. However, when Chu Yunfan discussed them, his descriptions were slightly different from the available interpretations. As Sir He thought about it, he felt Chu Yunfan's explanations were superior.

"Good, good, good. Your explanation is better. There were some words that I didn't understand before because the translation didn't make sense, but everything is so clear after you explained it. These are the correct translations of so many words. This is huge!" The more Sir He pondered on it, the more excited he became. "No, I must report this to the Seal Script Research Institute as soon as I can!"

Admiration filled his eyes when he looked at Chu Yunfan. Initially, he merely wanted to test Chu Yunfan's knowledge. He wanted to see if he knew some of the rare seal script characters. Never had he suspected that not only would Chu Yunfan know them, but he would also give a whole new perspective on them.

One of the interpretations of the seal script characters that Chu Yunfan gave seemed to be exactly the same as the mainstream explanation. However, after careful consideration and comparison, Sir He felt the previous explanation was wrong and Chu Yunfan's was correct.

"You're a genius, Chu Yunfan. I've read your profile before. You have an ordinary Martial Dao cultivation base, but that's alright. I can recommend you for professional research of the seal script in one of the top ten schools. It'll be a pity if a genius like you doesn't study the seal script!" Sir He could not stop talking. Talent was required to study the seal script. Some people can approximate the meaning of characters just by looking at their shape, while others could not guess no matter what. That was the difference between one with the talent for it and one without.

Many students looked at Chu Yunfan in shock, especially those who were obviously not getting into the martial arts stream. They stared at Chu Yunfan with envy. The top ten schools! Although he would be studying professional liberal arts, he would be graduating from one of the top ten schools. Anyone who came out of it would be part of society's elite.

They could even say that nobody in the entire class could get into one of the top ten schools, but Chu Yunfan would receive a recommendation from Sir He.

Nobody would doubt such an endorsement because Sir He had a high status in the school. Even the principal would call him Sir He out of respect. It was the principal who had begged him to come out of retirement.

Everyone speculated that Sir He must come from an influential background.

Tang Siyu's eyes were glowing when she looked at Chu Yunfan.

"This is an amazing discovery. Students, that'll be all for today's class. Do self-study now!" Sir He was very excited. Right after he spoke, he came to a decision and left the classroom.

At that moment, all the students were in an uproar. None of them could believe that Sir He valued this matter so much. One after another, their eyes all turned to Chu Yunfan.

It was his first time becoming the center of attention. From childhood, Chu Yunfan was seen as very ordinary. He was never in the limelight no matter which circle he was in. In any case, he remained calm. The Alchemy Emperor's memories were influencing him, and there were so many chaotic scenes in his mind. In comparison, this was nothing at all.

What stunned him was that Vice-monitor Tang Siyu, who was never interested in anyone in class, approached him too. She said, "I can't believe you understand the seal script so well!"

"It's nothing!" Chu Yunfan said with a smile.

It could be said that the seal script came naturally to him. It was effortless.

After Tang Siyu said her piece, she turned around and returned to her seat. She began looking at the materials on her tablet.

Feng Deying looked at Tang Siyu and then Chu Yunfan. There was ruthlessness flashing through his eyes.

"Wow, I can't believe that you know so much about seal script!" Gao Hongzhi patted Chu Yunfan's shoulder hard. He felt as if he had discovered his best buddy all over again.

Sensing the students' various expressions, including suspicion, shock, vexation, and kindness, Chu Yunfan told himself that it was just the beginning.

There was martial arts class in the afternoon. It was loud in No. 13 High School's Class 11's classroom. Unlike the liberal arts classroom, the martial arts venue was a large-scale sparring arena.

Each martial arts classroom was up to 1,000 square meters in area. They were divided into different zones for various functions. There was a meditation zone specifically for meditation, as well as a mini sparring space for students to use.

At the corner of the meditation zone, Chu Yunfan sat with his legs crossed, trying to seize every minute he had. He had just broken through to Tier-6 the night before. He wanted to make the most of every moment in order to break through to Tier-7 or even further.

Suddenly, a series of noises snapped him out of his meditative state. He lifted his head to look. At that moment, the students from the class had made a circle and taken their seats.

Within the circle, two young men who looked 16 or 17 were readying to spar.

One had a large build and was over 1.9 meters tall. Meanwhile, the other one looked like he was over 1.7 meters tall.

Chu Yunfan knew both of them. The tall student was called Mu Zhenfei, while the other one was Di Ming.

The duo did not like each other. They had similar cultivation bases and were stronger than Chu Yunfan used to be. They were at the peak of Tier-6, a step away from reaching Tier-7 and getting into the martial arts stream.

Therefore, both of them valued their time. It was the last month they had to break through. After that, they would be able to get into the martial arts stream, and their future would be bright.

Chu Yunfan sat next to Gao Hongzhi. Seeing that Chu Yunfan was there, Gao Hongzhi could not help but ask, "Yunfan, who do you think will win between the two of them?"

Gao Hongzhi looked at Chu Yunfan excitedly as he asked the question.

"Who do you think would win?" Instead of answering, Chu Yunfan turned the question back on him.

"I think Mu Zhenfei will. His tall and muscular build gives him a natural advantage. It wouldn't even matter if Di Ming had a higher cultivation base. Since their cultivation bases are similar, Di Ming has little chance of winning!" Gao Hongzhi did not notice Chu Yunfan's changes from his breakthrough. Instead, he kept on talking.

"I don't think so!" Chu Yunfan shook his head and said, "Although Mu Zhenfei is tall, his lower body will be his weakness. If he had a sturdy lower body, he'd be formidable. Unfortunately, I can see that his lower body is weak. Meanwhile, Di Ming has exceptional kicking strength. He'll defeat him with only three blows as long as he targets his lower body!"

Chu Yunfan's eyes were locked on the duo as he talked. It was as if he had analyzed both of them in the fighting zone like a scanner. The duo's advantages and flaws were all exposed in his eyes.

This was impossible before. Never mind that Mu Zhenfei and Di Ming had higher cultivation bases than he did, Mu Zhenfei was much more powerful than he was, no matter how unsteady his lower body.

As it was, all of this appeared in his head automatically. He said it without even thinking about it, and his tone sounded like he was very sure of himself. In his head, the duo had already completed a sparring simulation. The result was exactly as he predicted.

The people around heard him, and they could not help but roll their eyes. Looking at Chu Yunfan being all pretentious, they secretly criticized him for thinking that he was some expert. Mu Zhenfei had an unsteady lower body? How come they could not see that themselves?

Even Gao Hongzhi, one of the three experts in Class 11, thought that Mu Zhenfei had a higher chance of winning. However, Chu Yunfan gave a completely different answer.

'Is he trying to win the crowd through exaggeration?'

However, since Gao Hongzhi was there, they did not say anything mean.

At that point, the duo in the fighting zone began to spar.

It was intense as soon as they started the match. Although they were merely at Tier-6 Physical Stage, both of them were at the peak of Joint Popping. In the furious battle, they could even hear the cracking mixed in with the clash of arms and legs.

Just as Gao Hongzhi and the rest expected, Mu Zhenfei's punches were fearsome due to his large build. It was difficult for Di Ming to fight him head-on, and he soon saw his disadvantage.

Very soon, Chu Yunfan sensed a couple of eyes staring faintly at him around. He could sense their disdain and mockery without even looking at them.

They were definitely thinking, 'See, you got it wrong. Your jaw must be dropping now, you dumb*ss!'

If this happened in the past, Chu Yunfan would certainly have been enraged. However, he merely pouted now. He felt it did not matter. What could those people's words do to him? As it turned out, when everyone was sure Di Ming was going to lose, he suddenly changed his strategy. He kicked Mu Zhenfei's lower body directly.

At that moment, Di Ming's kicking ability was on full display. Although Mu Zhenfei did his best to dodge, his body began to shake.

"He really has a weak lower body!" Gao Hongzhi said immediately as his eyes lit up.

Naturally, by that point, he could see that Mu Zhenfei truly had a weak lower body. He looked at Chu Yunfan again, but he saw that he seemed nonchalant. He could not help but start to wonder how he could tell. Was he just guessing or did he genuinely know?

When Di Ming kicked for the second time, Mu Zhenfei's issue with his unsteady lower body was plain to see. He was losing control of his shaky frame.

Meanwhile, Di Ming was obviously not going to let go of the opportunity, and he kicked for the third time. The tall and lumbering Mu Zhenfei instantly fell to the ground. He had lost.

At the moment when they all should have been excited, the crowd went completely silent.. All of them looked at Chu Yunfan, as nobody expected that he had guessed correctly.

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Chapter 9: Defeated in One Hit

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Initially, they assumed Chu Yunfan had embarrassed himself, seeing that Mu Zhenfei had the upper hand.

'Your jaw will drop now!' they thought.

Never had they suspected that they would be the ones to be embarrassed and that their jaws would drop.

Naturally, many would not admit it.

'I never bet that Mu Zhenfei would be the victor. I've always thought Di Ming would win.'

Gao Hongzhi was the only one who did not mind that he had misjudged at all. He asked immediately, "Yunfan, how did you know that Di Ming would win? I couldn't tell that Mu Zhenfei had a weak lower body!"

At that point, many had turned their eyes toward them and their ears were listening carefully. In reality, they wanted to know exactly how he had done it. They hoped that Chu Yunfan just had a lucky guess. Otherwise, all of them would be embarrassed that they guessed wrongly while he got it right.

In that instant, Chu Yunfan realized that Tang Siyu was sitting right across from him in the circle. Her beautiful, sparkling eyes had landed on him. There was a sliver of curiosity in her gaze, and she seemed to want to know the answer as well.

Meanwhile, the other personage from their class sat diagonally across from him. Feng Deying appeared rather unfriendly when he looked at him. Although he quickly hid the hostility, Chu Yunfan's heightened senses brought it to his attention.

Chu Yunfan paused and said, "The truth is, Mu Zhenfei's lower body isn't that weak. It's just that Di Ming happens to be adept at kicking. That's why I said that!"

The crowd seemed to have come to a conclusion. It sounded like Chu Yunfan did indeed have a lucky guess after he happened to notice that. If they had seen that earlier, this fellow would not have the chance to flaunt his foresight.

Even Di Ming looked over with a huge smile across his face. Whether he chose to attack Mu Zhenfei's lower body halfway through the match after hearing what Chu Yunfan said earlier or not, only he knew.

Just then, a figure rushed over ferociously as soon as Chu Yunfan was done speaking. It was none other than Mu Zhenfei. Compared to Di Ming, the victor who was nothing but smiles, Mu Zhenfei was furious that he had lost the match.

"Chu Yunfan, stop pretending that you're so great. Come fight me!" Clearly, Mu Zhenfei heard what Chu Yunfan said. It would not have meant anything if he had won, but the fact was, he had lost. He became the laughing stock of Chu Yunfan's pretentious speech.

"What do you want? Are you a sore loser? Didn't you call yourself a man earlier?" Gao Hongzhi stood up before Chu Yunfan could speak. "You lost and you're blaming someone outside of the fight?"

"Gao Hongzhi, this has nothing to do with you. Chu Yunfan, I'm asking you if you would dare to fight me!" Gao Hongzhi forced Mu Zhenfei to take a step back. Although he looked big and chubby, everyone in class knew that he was someone they could not afford to offend.

Nevertheless, he could not hold back the rage inside him, so he issued the challenge again.

"Hey, Gao Hongzhi, this is just a sparring match between students. Why are you panicking?!" No one noticed Feng Deying had come to the fighting zone. At that moment, he casually stepped into Gao Hongzhi's path.

"Oh, the mighty class monitor!" Gao Hongzhi looked at Feng Deying and emphasized the term 'class monitor'. "What does this have to do with you? What? Do you want to fight me?"

Facing Class Monitor Feng Deying, Gao Hongzhi did not back down at all. Although one was the Prince Charming of the class and the other was a fat joker, everyone who was familiar with Class 11 knew that the duo were the outstanding ones among the male students. It made sense that they would fight.

None of them wanted to yield.

"Stop your nonsense, Gao Hongzhi. I'm just discussing the matter as it is. It's just sparring among classmates. Chu Yunfan hasn't even said anything, so what's with you coming out of nowhere?" Feng Deying said with a mocking expression on his face.

His words shifted everyone's attention to Chu Yunfan.

They seemed to want to know whether he would dare to fight. Everyone knew that Chu Yunfan's abilities were mediocre. Mu Zhenfei hoped he would get into the martial arts stream, but Chu Yunfan definitely had no chance of that.

They had just one month left, and his cultivation base was only at Tier-5 Physical Stage. They were two tiers apart and a month was far too short.

Chu Yunfan got up and said, "Let's fight then if that's what you want!"

He realized that he was secretly excited. If this happened in the past, he definitely would not have accepted such a ridiculous challenge.

His family's situation meant that he was fated to never take part in real battles. Although one could improve faster through actual combat, the treatment fee from one injury alone would break his heart.

However, after breaking through, he was eagerly anticipating this.

"Great! At least you're a man!" Mu Zhenfei had a rather fearsome expression when he saw that Chu Yunfan had agreed. He wanted to release all of the anger he had built up after his earlier defeat on Chu Yunfan. He wanted him to know that there were things that one should not say.

"Will you be alright?" Gao Hongzhi asked, feeling rather worried.

"Don't worry. What is this really? It's just sparring!" Chu Yunfan replied with a nod.

After the both of them prepared themselves, the crowd left the sparring zone.

"You said that my lower body is weak. I'll show you whether that's true!" Mu Zhenfei smirked coldly and swiftly aimed a kick at Chu Yunnan's face.

He did not just want to beat Chu Yunfan. He also wanted to humiliate him.

"You idiot!"

Chu Yunfan smirked. He did not expect that he would do that, despite saying that Mu Zhenfei had a weak lower body.

A faint golden glimmer appeared in Chu Yunfan's eyes. He merely lifted his arm and blocked Mu Zhenfei's leg.

They heard the sound of the impact, and Mu Zhenfei felt as if he had struck a piece of metal. The bones in his foot were in great pain. On the other hand, Chu Yunfan remained standing, as if the kick had landed on a wall.

Everything happened so quickly. Chu Yunfan merely took a step forward and threw a straight, simple punch. It struck Mu Zhenfei's chest directly.

The punch was incredible. Mu Zhenfei was sent flying for over two meters before he crashed into the ground.

At that moment, it was so quiet that one could hear a needle drop. Everyone was dumbstruck. Mu Zhenfei was defeated just like that?

Mu Zhenfei fared better when he sparred against Di Ming earlier. He may have been defeated, but he still felt respected. At least they fought intensely for a little bit. This time, the class could not understand what had just happened.

Chu Yunfan merely defended and attacked, but Mu Zhenfei was beaten just like that.

He was bested so soon, it was simply absurd!

Only Chu Yunfan knew that Mu Zhenfei had no chance of winning from the beginning. None of his weaknesses could escape his eyes. After he had reached Tier-6 Physical Stage, his physique was clearly several times stronger than Mu Zhenfei's.

Therefore, from start to finish, Mu Zhenfei had no hope of winning.

"Damn, am I seeing things?"

"How did that happen? I feel like I just blinked and the battle was over!"

"I must be hallucinating. I must be hallucinating!"

The people discussed among themselves. They found it unbelievable. Even Tang Siyu's sparkling eyes stared at Chu Yunfan in surprise.

They all looked at Chu Yunfan differently. They had more of an impression of Chu Yunfan on this day alone than the entirety of the previous two years. When Chu Yunfan managed to answer Sir He's questions so smoothly, it made their view of him change a little. After this battle, they truly admired him.

After all, the world looked up to Martial Dao, so anyone with a significant Martial Dao cultivation base stood at the top of the world.

While everyone was dumbstruck, a majestic voice came from the classroom all of a sudden.

"What are you guys doing?" A straight figure had walked into the class. It was their coach, Qin Wu.

He scanned the students as soon as he walked in. In the sparring zone, he saw Chu Yunfan and Mu Zhenfei, who had been sent flying.

Initially, he was not interested in the sparring matches between students. In this case, what intrigued him was that Mu Zhenfei, the one who had been defeated, was quite an exceptional student. Conversely, he had always thought the victor, Chu Yunfan, had no talent.

As a coach, he had a basic understanding of all his students. Although Chu Yunfan did his best when cultivating, he was not gifted. The chances of him improving any further were slim. It was cruel, but that was reality.

Be that as it may, he did not expect that Chu Yunfan would surprise him on this day.

Qin Wu stared at Chu Yunfan for a little bit before he asked, "You've broken through to Tier-6?"

Thinking to himself, Chu Yunfan felt it was no wonder Qin Wu was the school's martial arts coach. To be able to notice his breakthrough from a glance, he had to be quite capable.

As it was, since he had been exposed, there was no need for him to hide it. Instead, he nodded. "That's right. I've broken through to Joint Popping!"

"Not bad!" Qin Wu nodded and said nothing more.

At that moment, the students were thoroughly stirred. They looked like they had come to a realization.

"Ah, no wonder. So Chu Yunfan has broken through to Tier-6 as well!"

"It's a shame that Mu Zhenfei was beaten. He was careless, but Chu Yunfan was too sneaky. He didn't tell anyone that he had broken through. Mu Zhenfei was defeated because he didn't see it coming!"

"Mu Zhenfei definitely won't lose if they were to fight again!"

The people were discussing among themselves. It was not unusual given that Chu Yunfan was already at Tier-5, Inner Strengthening before. He had merely broken through to Tier-6, Joint Popping. It was considered a normal breakthrough.

It was just that they would not expect him to defeat Mu Zhenfei as soon as he broke through. Mu Zhenfei had broken through a few months before.

At that moment, the corner of Gao Hongzhi's lips raised a little bit. He said in disdain, "Nah, Mu Zhenfei would undoubtedly lose if they were to fight again. Whether strength, speed, or angle of attack, Yunfan is impeccable. It'd be the same if they were to have a rematch. It had nothing to do with whether he was prepared or not but with complete domination in ability!"

The people fell silent hearing what Gao Hongzhi said. Apparently, they had to admit the earlier battle could not be explained as Mu Zhenfei being caught off guard.

Qin Wu clapped and said, "Settle down. In today's lesson, I'll be teaching you guys a martial skill for use in real combat!"

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Chapter 10: How Could That Be Tolerated?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

What Qin Wu said got all the students' attention, and most of them were excited. Due to their ordinary family background and talent, they did not practice the martial skills for real battles.

Whether it was Mu Zhenfei sparring with Di Ming or Chu Yunfan defeating Mu Zhenfei in one hit, in reality, none of them had used martial skills. They were just fighting using their strength alone.

Meanwhile, the function of martial skills was to utilize their physique at the maximum level in order to defeat their opponents.

Therefore, many wanted to learn. Their coach was not teaching an extraordinary martial skill, but it was free, and it would be a waste not to learn it.

Everyone had their eyes on Qin Wu. He paused for a moment and then continued, "There's no need for me to emphasize the importance of martial skills. Today, I'm teaching you guys a set of punching techniques called the Devilish Tiger Punch. It's a set of techniques that experts based on a type of devilish tiger from the Ancient Zenith civilization!

"However, one's cultivation base is required to be at a certain level to use these techniques. Only those who have gotten to Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping and have sufficient physical strength can practice it freely. Most of you haven't gotten to that point, so you must take note as you try it. Stop as soon as you feel like you can't take it. You'll be at the losing end if you end up suffering internal injuries!"

"What? There's a physical requirement for learning this Devilish Tiger Punch!"

"That makes sense. The more powerful a martial skill is, the greater your physique has to be. Physical strength is the foundation of such cultivation. A skyscraper has to start from the ground. The stronger one's body is, the stronger you'll be when performing many other techniques!"

"That's right. I heard skilled martial artists can even destroy a mountain with a punch. In ancient times, they were called immortals. They were worshipped like gods!"

"Coach is right. The only other way is to cultivate to the point that one has an extremely developed brain and divine abilities with unbelievable power. By then, you wouldn't have to depend so much on your physical body!"

"I wouldn't dare to think of that. Such a person is rare throughout the entire human race!"

The students discussed it with each other. Half of the students in the class were only at Tier-4 and Tier-5. Some of them were still on Tier-3, and only a minority of them had a cultivation base of Tier-6 or above.

Even so, although they had yet to reach Tier-6, they would definitely get there in the future. They would not lose anything if they learned this martial skill now.

"Watch me!" Qin Wu roared. He clenched five fingers into a fist and threw a punch. "Circulate energy all over your body and use all of your muscles. The first technique—Luring the Tiger!"

When he threw the punch, his aura changed entirely and there was a series of explosive sounds. It was as if he had transformed into a ferocious tiger.

"Second technique—Earth-Shattering Roar!

"Third technique—Ferocious Tiger's Headspin!

"Fourth technique—Ferocious Tiger's Heart Plow!

"None of you can learn the last technique. You'll have to open up your qi sea and get to the Qi Sea Stage to learn this—King of the Jungle!"

The students were dizzy from watching Qin Wu's series of movements. He did not stop waving his hands. It was really like a savage beast leaping off a mountain and capturing people.

Chu Yunfan could even sense an energy passing by his face, painfully slapping his cheeks.

Thinking to himself, he felt that martial skills were indeed powerful. One's initial ability could be elevated by 120% or even 200% through martial skills. The greater the skill, the greater the boost.

He had the Alchemy Emperor's memories in his head, and there were some compelling martial skills in it. The Mighty Emperor Battle Book especially had many martial skills with terrifying power recorded in it. However, the catch was he could only use them when he had the required capacity.

Such formidable martial skills would drain one's blood essence. Even if he forced himself to use them, he would exhaust his blood essence immediately. He would shrivel up like a dried mummy and die.

Therefore, the Devilish Tiger Punch martial skill was the most suitable one for him at the moment.

Chu Yunfan felt like he had gone into a mysterious state. As he stared unblinkingly at Qin Wu, it was like his coach's movements were being recorded with a video camera and were replaying in his head repeatedly.

He felt he had learned a little more after every replay. When Qin Wu performed it the third time, he realized that he had preliminarily mastered the Devilish Tiger Punch.

However, he kept that to himself and did not say it out loud.

"That's all for my demonstration. I'll send the Devilish Tiger Punch demo video to all of your mailboxes after class. You guys can practice it on your own, but don't do it too frequently. It exhausts your physical energy!" Qin Wu said, "Now I need one of you to demonstrate. Is there anyone who has mastered it?"

"Sir, I've mastered it!"

At that moment, Feng Deying raised his hand and stood up, looking quite full of himself.

Qin Wu nodded and said, "Sure, give it a try!"

Feng Deying showed his stance and roared, "Luring the Tiger!

"Earth-Shattering Roar!

"Ferocious Tiger's Headspin!

"Ferocious Tiger's Heart Plow!"

Feng Deying demonstrated four techniques, but he did not do the last one, King of the Jungle. The reason being it took too much of a toll on one's body, so one could only perform it at the Qi Sea Stage. Although Feng Deying was already on Tier-9 Physical Stage, which was a step away from the Qi Sea Stage, he was not quite there yet.

His movements were swift and extremely smooth.

"Not bad, not bad. I supposed you got a private tutor to teach you the Devilish Tiger Punch before!" Qin Wu said.

The rest of the students looked as expected. Modern society was unfair like that. Feng Deying might have been practicing martial skills that the less privileged students were only just getting the chance to learn.

"That's right. My private martial arts coach told me that the Devilish Tiger Punch is the most powerful of the few widespread martial skills. However, it takes a toll on the body. Regular people can't cultivate it, but it's different for me. I'm a genius, so the Devilish Tiger Punch suits me best!" Feng Deying said arrogantly.

"Your private coach has great taste. Indeed, the Devilish Tiger Punch is the most powerful of the basic martial skills. It's difficult for regular people to learn it, but it has the highest value. Its power is considered exceptional even when one gets to the Qi Sea Stage!" Qin Wu explained why he taught the Devilish Tiger Punch.

"You must've studied it for a few months, seeing that you've gotten to the Competent Stage. You've got amazing comprehension!" Qin Wu looked at Feng Deying. He then turned to the rest of the class and said, "This is a great opportunity to teach you guys about the stage categories for martial skills. The first one would be the Elementary Stage. You will achieve this stage when you've just learned it and managed to perform the entire set of techniques. When you can perform it smoothly at will and combine the techniques freely, you'll be at the Competent Stage. By then, you'll be considered to have cultivated the martial skill successfully!

"After the Competent Stage would be the Impeccable Stage. When a martial skill is cultivated to this stage, it's the limit an ordinary person can achieve. You're just reaching the essence of the fist. My cultivation of the Devilish Tiger Punch is at this stage.

"The Impeccable Stage is followed by the Perfection Stage. People who are at this stage would have cultivated the martial skill vigorously. It's rare that one can cultivate a popular punching technique such as the Devilish Tiger Punch to the Perfection Stage. If 100,000 people were to cultivate it, it's possible that not even one will reach Perfection! Of course, it has to do with the cultivators eventually switching to the cultivation of other martial skills!"

Qin Wu taught the students about the stages of martial skill cultivation. The four stages were the Elementary Stage, the Competent Stage, the Impeccable Stage, and the Perfection Stage.

Chu Yunfan thought about the four stages of martial skill cultivation Qin Wu had detailed. He could not believe that he had entered the Competent Stage. Feng Deying had cultivated it for several months and was still at the same stage. Given that he had achieved the same thing, such efficiency was simply stunning.

"Coach, I think demonstrating alone can't showcase the Devilish Tiger Punch's capabilities. I want to get a classmate to spar with me!" Feng Deying suddenly exclaimed.

"Yes, only real battles can improve one further!" Qin Wu nodded.

Everyone had their eyes on Tang Siyu and Gao Hongzhi. With Feng Deying's strength, Tang Siyu and Gao Hongzhi were the only ones in the class who would be a match for him.

However, what surprised everyone was that Feng Deying walked straight to Chu Yunfan and said, "Fellow Chu Yunfan, let's spar!"

Gao Hongzhi jumped out immediately and said, "Class monitor, aren't you being a bully by doing this? You know that Yunfan only has a Tier-6 cultivation base. He merely embarrassed you in class in the morning. Must you hold onto a grudge like this?"

Gao Hongzhi and Feng Deying were old rivals, so they had hated each other for two years. Naturally, he could see why Feng Deying was targeting Chu Yunfan. He knew very well that, on the surface, Class Monitor Feng Deying was Class 11's Prince Charming. In reality, he was petty, whereby he would take revenge on people who crossed him.

Feng Deying's face showed nothing after he was called out. He merely stared at Chu Yunfan and said, "Fellow Chu Yunfan, do you not have the courage? We're just sparring. I can suppress my power to be on Tier-6 like you. How's that?!"

'Shameless!' Gao Hongzhi thought to himself. Although Feng Deying could limit his power to Tier-6, he was actually at Tier-9. He had refined his body more than Chu Yunfan had.

It seemed fair, but in reality, it was not at all.

"Fellow Chu Yunfan, underprivileged students like yourself might not have learned martial skills before. I happen to be able to give you some pointers in cultivating the Devilish Tiger Punch. It'd be the equivalent to hiring a private coach. Do you know how much a lesson with a private coach costs? It's worth a month's salary for parents of poor people like you!"

Feng Deying could tell that Chu Yunfan was cornered, so he proceeded to speak with mockery on his face.

Initially, Chu Yunfan did not want to argue with him. However, he had crossed a line by being so aggressive and even brought up his parents.

How could that be tolerated?

"Stop your nonsense. Let's spar!" Chu Yunfan stepped out and said.

"Yunfan, he's obviously taking a shot at you. You're at a disadvantage!" Gao Hongzhi said.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine!" Chu Yunfan nodded. His expression was extremely determined.

Meanwhile, standing at the side, Qin Wu merely nodded slightly when he saw what was happening.. He did not plan to interfere.

Chapter 11: Defeating Feng Deying

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After Chu Yunfan and Feng Deying arrived at the sparring zone, Feng Deying stepped forth and charged as soon as they got into their starting positions.

"Luring the Tiger!"

He was like a savage with both fists spread wide. His fists were like a ferocious tiger's upper and lower jaw, charging at Chu Yunfan's head and chest.

He was too fast. Many girls in the class even screamed. They could see that Feng Deying did not plan on holding back at all. The two punches were clearly at his Tier-9 level. If one was to get hit by those, the consequences would be terrible.

At that moment, Chu Yunfan lifted both his arms and blocked them right in front of his face.

Bang!

Surprisingly, he had managed to defend himself from both of Feng Deying's fists.

Chu Yunfan merely smiled slightly. "Class monitor, what's the rush?!"

He was fearless when fighting the rather unfair battle. Indeed, he was quite excited.

"I can't believe you can block my attack. You've recently improved, but you made a mistake by daring to show off before me!"

Feng Deying smirked and took another step forward. He was like a sharp arrow let loose, and he swung his fist like a spear. He understood the strategy of being swift, accurate, and ruthless.

"Feng Deying, you're petty. I merely contradicted you this morning and you're taking a shot at me. Didn't you call yourself a genius?" Chu Yunfan roared, "You cultivated for so many months, but you've only reached the Competent Stage. How dare you say that you're a genius? I think you're just a good-for-nothing!"

As he spoke, Chu Yunfan charged with both fists well. It was also the Devilish Tiger Punch.

He was using the same technique as Feng Deying.

Bang!

Both of them started an intense battle. Feng Deying's attacks were cruel, quick, and precise. He was familiar with the essence of the Devilish Tiger Punch. Everyone knew that his family was wealthy, so this was nothing to him. It made perfect sense given that he had hired a private coach to teach him martial arts.

What astounded them was that Chu Yunfan was defending all of his attacks. He did not suffer from any disadvantage.

Moreover, he was very familiar with the use of the Devilish Tiger Punch. He was no weaker than Feng Deying. That was what shocked them most.

This was Chu Yunfan's first time learning the Devilish Tiger Punch. He merely watched Qin Wu demonstrate it a few times before picking it up. Even if his memory and ability to comprehend were outstanding, he should have only been at the Elemental Stage.

The reason being, one could not just memorize martial skills. They would have to practice repeatedly to make it instinctive for their body so it would be smooth when they performed it.

Whatever the reason, Chu Yunfan was displaying exactly that.

In the beginning, he was clearly unfamiliar with it, and his body had yet to get used to using the Devilish Tiger Punch. However, his performance was quickly getting smoother and smoother, as if he had practiced for a few months.

Chu Yunfan and Feng Deying were moving increasingly faster, and the match was intensifying. Within a few short breaths, they had collided head-on many times.

Very soon, many could tell that Chu Yunfan was definitely taking shots at Feng Deying. No matter which technique Feng Deying used, Chu Yunfan would use the same technique on him. He attacked instead of defending and was pretty good at it, surprisingly.

They were both attacking quickly, accurately, and savagely. Whenever the pair of them paused, the crowd could clearly see that both of their arms were covered in bruises and had even started bleeding.

That was the risk of real combat. Even if it was not a battle of life and death, it was easy for one to be injured all over.

Neither of them had the upper hand!

"They're so powerful!"

"Chu Yunfan is the crazy one. I can't believe he's on par with the class monitor!"

"I get it now. No wonder Mu Zhenfei lost. They're on a completely different level!"

"I must be hallucinating. Chu Yunfan's understanding of the Devilish Tiger Punch is on par with Feng Deying. Did he learn it before as well?"

"That's impossible. His family is so poor. How could he afford to learn it?!"

At the side of the sparring zone, Mu Zhenfei was turning pale as he watched Chu Yunfan battle. Initially, he had refused to admit anything. He had thought Chu Yunfan defeated him by catching him off guard. However, he realized how mistaken he was when he saw Chu Yunfan fighting Feng Deying.

Indeed, there was a huge gap in their ability. Though they were both at Joint Popping, the disparity was there. There was nothing he could do to pretend otherwise.

Standing aside, Qin Wu's eyes were beaming brighter and brighter as he watched the duo spar. He was not looking at Feng Deying but Chu Yunfan as he leaped continuously.

He did not expect to have such a genius among the students he taught.

Feng Deying had learned the Devilish Tiger Punch before, so it made sense that he had entered the Competent Stage. On the other hand, Chu Yunfan had just learned it.

His eyes were so sharp that he could tell that Chu Yunfan was unfamiliar with the Devilish Tiger Punch at first but was now able perform it at the Competent Stage. The time he needed to get used to it was incredibly short.

He had seen countless geniuses. There were many that could memorize a technique just by looking at it once, as well as those who had photographic memories. Nevertheless, memorizing a technique from a glance did not mean that one could perform it. That was not the idea.

As it was, Chu Yunfan had shattered the old idea.

That being said, he shook his head and thought to himself, 'It's a pity. No matter how fast he can learn a martial skill, Internal Energy is the root. Indeed, that he only reached Joint Popping at this age made him quite ordinary.

'Maybe he can be specially trained in the future!'

In any case, he soon realized one thing. The entire time Chu Yunfan battled Feng Deying, he did not show any signs of fatigue at all.

In reality, If one was to perform the Devilish Tiger Punch seriously instead of just swinging one's arms, it would exhaust one's physical strength. Despite this, Chu Yunfan's breathing had remained stable throughout the battle. Clearly, he still had the strength to go on fighting.

Ordinary martial artists who were at Tier-6 would have exhausted their physical strength after performing the Devilish Tiger Punch a few times. That was the disadvantage Gao Hongzhi had mentioned. Even if Feng Deying could suppress his power to Tier-6, his physical strength was several times more powerful than someone at Tier-6.

It was surprising that Chu Yunfan was not at a disadvantage in that aspect at all. That was what shocked Qin Wu the most.

'This student is something else!'

It was his first time really observing this ordinary student that he usually would not notice at all.

The battle had set Chu Yunfan's passion ablaze. A killer instinct filled his head as he threw one punch after another at Feng Deying. The knuckles on both his fists were bleeding, and blood dripped whenever he threw a punch.

Whatever else, he felt incredible, as if the blood in his body was boiling.

The more he fought, the clearer his head became. He had displayed the advantage of the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method. True Energy was flowing endlessly in his body. He did not feel physically exhausted at all and yelled, "Hey, hey, hey. Let's fight more, mighty class monitor. Is this all you've got?"

Meanwhile, Feng Deying, who was across from him, felt extremely irritated. This was wholly different from the scenario he had expected. He assumed he could completely overwhelm Chu Yunfan and did not expect that he would not have the upper hand. Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan was getting more and more excited as they fought. He could not believe that Chu Yunfan was pressuring him and dared to challenge him over and over again.

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he was. A flaw appeared out of nowhere. Actually, it was not considered a flaw, but to Chu Yunfan, it was an opening.

Almost immediately, Chu Yunfan, seemingly in a battle frenzy, seized the opportunity and threw out a punch.

"Ferocious Tiger's Heart Plow!"

The punch landed straight on Feng Deying's chest. Subsequently, Feng Deying released a devastating scream and was sent flying.

It sounded as if it took a long time, but in reality, it happened in just a moment. The battle that seemed so intense that it would last until the next day had come to its conclusion in the blink of an eye.

It was faster than anyone had expected.

The victory was decided when they snapped back to their senses.

"T-This has got to be a joke. That's not Mu Zhenfei but the class monitor!"

"I must be hallucinating!"

"This is impossible!"

At that moment, all of the students were stunned. They could not accept what had happened before them. Although all Chu Yunfan had done was overwhelm and defeat Feng Deying, it had completely turned the way they viewed him upside down.

It would have made sense if Gao Hongzhi or the vice-monitor, Tang Siyu, had defeated Feng Deying. Instead, it was Chu Yunfan, a student whose name they might not have even remembered before.

Chu Yunfan looked calm. He was not excited just because he had just defeated Feng Deying. The burning passion he felt earlier had passed. At the moment, he really felt the pain in his arms which were both wounded all over. Most of them were bruises, but some parts of his flesh had been torn open.

Although he was several times more powerful than anyone at the same stage, Feng Deying's stage was far beyond his. Therefore, it was inevitable that he would be hurt.

It was the price to pay for these battles. It was also the reason why he tried his best to avoid being in a real battle before. As soon as he injured himself, he would need to pay a great price for treatment.

However, he could not hold back this time. Feng Deying had humiliated his parents, and he could never allow that.

"Ahh!"

Though he was lying on the ground after being defeated, Feng Deying suddenly roared and did a kip-up as Chu Yunfan was turning around. He stood straight and charged directly at Chu Yunfan's back.

Faster!

Feng Deying was more than twice as fast as he was before. His face was ferocious and his eyes were bloodshot. He was not suppressing his power at all. The only thing he wanted was revenge.

Bang!

As Feng Deying was going to hit Chu Yunfan, a hand grabbed his fist. It was Qin Wu, countering at the critical moment.

Bang!

Qin Wu threw Feng Deying forcefully, tossing him hard on the ground.

"Why are you being such a scumbag? Are you a sore loser?" Qin Wu asked with an icy expression. "Did I teach you guys martial arts or did I ask you to attack your classmates sneakily from behind?"

At that moment, Feng Deying finally came to his senses. He snapped out of his rage from earlier and got up to say, "I'm sorry, Coach. I made a mistake!"

He dared not argue with Qin Wu.. He merely stared fiercely at Chu Yunfan and walked aside to get treatment for his injury.

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Chapter 12: Popular Alchemist

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chu Yunfan walked to the side as well. Gao Hongzhi brought the healing spray over immediately and sprayed it directly on his arms. The burning pain was immediately replaced with a cooling sensation and the wounds recovered at lightning speed.

"You're really something. That was amazing. Hahaha! I've never seen him surrender like that before!" Gao Hongzhi said with a wink as he patted Chu Yunfan's shoulder.

At that moment, the rest of their classmates seemed to have just snapped back to their senses. They appeared to be in a state of disbelief.

Even Vice-monitor Tang Siyu's eyes widened as she looked at Chu Yunfan in surprise.

"Everyone, you guys have just seen a real battle. The Devilish Tiger Punch's power is great, especially for all of you. So please be careful!" Qin Wu said. He did not have much of a reaction to the duo's injuries. He was a retired soldier and had seen much worse, so he had long since been desensitized.

"You guys can ask me if you have any questions about cultivation. Now, I'll explain the important points of cultivation!"

Qin Wu began explaining the common issues that came up when cultivating the Devilish Tiger Punch and the ways to solve them.

Those were the most precious experiences. If this happened in previous eras, it would have remained a secret, but in modern times, many people would make their knowledge public. Some martial arts cultivating information would be uploaded online, available to download for a fee. They could make money from that while also spreading martial arts knowledge.

It had only taken humans a few centuries to reach their current achievements after discovering the Ancient Zenith civilization. A new out-of-the-box perspective played an important role.

Chu Yunfan sat with his legs crossed while circulating his energy using the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method. While recalling his earlier battle, he gathered True Energy onto both arms to accelerate the healing process.

Although it was just a battle, it had been highly beneficial for him because Feng Deying's understanding of the Devilish Tiger Punch was similar to his.

He could sense Feng Deying's fierce eyes on him at the other side of the classroom. He was staring at him.

He knew he had offended Feng Deying this time, but he did not care about that. The battle had boosted his confidence significantly. What did it matter if he had offended the class genius? As long as he was given enough time, he could step on everyone beneath his feet.

The lesson passed by quickly. By the time the students were dismissed, the wounds on Chu Yunfan's body were almost healed. The medical standards developed by modern technology were beyond imagination compared to the Common Era.

"Alright, that's all for today's lesson. Class dismissed! It will be a long holiday tomorrow and the day after. You guys can practice the Devilish Tiger Punch at home!" Qin Wu said, "Oh, yeah. Chu Yunfan, please come to my office!"

Chu Yunfan felt rather strange, as Qin Wu had never spoken to him alone before. He was just too ordinary back then, so Qin Wu had no interest in talking to him.

Chu Yunfan followed Qin Wu to his office.

"Sir, why did you ask me to come here?" Chu Yunfan asked in a straightforward manner.

Qin Wu glanced at Chu Yunfan and said, "Everyone, including myself, underestimated you before. I thought you had average abilities. However, though your talent does appear to be average, you learn martial skills very fast. I suppose this talent of yours wasn't discovered as you had never come into contact with martial skills before!

"Everyone talks about talents. In reality, there are many types of talents. Martial Dao has many categories of natural gifts. Some are born with an amazing ability to comprehend. Some have a knack for inferring martial skill cultivation, while some have a magnificent physique. They're born with immense strength, whereby they are more powerful than people who cultivate even when they don't do so themselves. And you must have a talent for martial skill cultivation!"

Qin Wu went behind his desk and sat on his office chair as he continued, "Forget that you were average in the past. You shouldn't bother since you have a talent for this. How did we humans flourish to the point that we even have immigrants occupying massive areas in the Kunlun Realm? It's because we changed the narrow-minded method of recruiting talents in the past. We recruit every kind of talent now!"

Qin Wu looked at Chu Yunfan and asked, "You're average when it comes to Internal Energy cultivation. Given that you were born an ordinary man and your family can't provide you with sufficient cultivation resources, your talent might be wasted. Have you considered joining the military?"

"Joining the military?" Chu Yunfan was stunned for a moment. He had never expected Qin Wu to raise such a suggestion.

"That's right. Although humans occupy a huge area in the Kunlun Realm, the truth is, we're always at risk. Even on Earth, we are left with a few base cities, while the rest of the world has become the territory of the monsters. That's not even counting the monsters in the Kunlun Realm which are even more fearsome than the ones on Earth. The military is the main line of defense for humanity. Naturally, the military must recruit the best of humankind from numerous fields!" Qin Wu said slowly, "Personally, I feel, with your family background, you definitely can't be like Feng Deying and Gao Hongzhi. Your family can't provide you with a large amount of resources, but the military can. As long as you're talented, the military can provide you with whatever need. Your prospects would be no worse than the graduates from normal universities. In fact, they'd be even better. Moreover, you have a talent for martial skill cultivation. Genuine combat will only develop you even further. Where else but the battlefield can you get the taste of real combat again?

"Although I've retired, I still have some connections in the military. If you're willing, even if you don't get into the martial arts stream, I can recommend that they accept you! And if you perform exceptionally in the military, they might request a place for you at Federation University!"

Hearing that, Chu Yunfan fell silent. He knew Qin Wu had said all this out of kindness. In modern society, apart from the graduates of the top ten schools, the soldiers from the military were the most sought-after prospects.

On the other hand, the death rate was high too. Nevertheless, those that survived would stand out in society. If they managed to become a retired sergeant, they could be like Qin Wu and coach at a school. Although it was not considered exceptional, it was much better than office workers at regular companies.

Therefore, those who were unwilling to live a regular life were eager to get into the military. Nonetheless, not just anyone could enlist. Standards for recruitment were not as strict as those for the top ten schools, but they were still beyond the capabilities of ordinary human beings.

If this happened in the past, he would definitely have said yes to such an opportunity right away. He was ready to sacrifice himself, no matter how hard it was, just to stand out.

That being said, things were different now. He inherited the Alchemy Emperor's memories and his abilities had been augmented. The geniuses could not compare to him now. He could fight for an even brighter future. Naturally, his desire to get into the military had dropped significantly.

Almost immediately, Chu Yunfan responded with determination, "Sir, I want to get into university!"

Looking at Chu Yunfan, Qin Wu could not help sighing as he said, "Sure, I won't force you to do something you don't want to. However, if you change your mind, you can always come to me. The military needs talent like you!"

"Thank you, sir!" Chu Yunfan thanked him sincerely. He could tell that Qin Wu was doing this for his own good.

"Why are you thanking me? I'm your teacher. It's only natural that I want the best for you guys. You're on Tier-6 Physical Stage now. Since you want to get into a university, I'm sure you're not interested in studying liberal arts. You have less than a month, so you must seize whatever time you have left!" Qin Wu said, "I suppose you did not have the money to buy better supplements. From now on, if you want to break through, you can only depend on consuming Body Refining Pills. I'm sure you've heard of the Body Refining Pill!"

"I know it's a medicinal pill that martial artists in the Ancient Zenith civilization used to refine their bodies!" Chu Yunfan nodded. He knew it very well because he had the Alchemy Emperor's inherited memories in his head, and those memories had records of the Body Refining Pill.

It was one of the pills that the Alchemy Emperor learned to refine when he had just started working with medicinal pills.

The function of the Body Refining Pill, as the name suggested, was to refine and strengthen one's body while improving one's physical qualities.

Although it was not a high-grade medicinal pill, one was required to eat it in large quantities. In modern times, one such pill cost more than 100,000 coins, which was equivalent to Chu Yunfan's parents' annual salary including their extra income.

His family could not afford to spend money on this, so he had only heard of it but had never seen it.

During the Alchemy Emperor's time, the Body Refining Pill was expensive, but it was not as costly as it had become. It was equivalent to about 10,000 coins in the current currency.

In modern times, apart from the materials that had to be transported all the way from the Kunlun Realm, one of the major reasons for this was the small number of alchemists that could manufacture the Body Refinement Pill.

In the Alchemy Emperor's days, there were already very few alchemists. Not everyone had the talent for alchemy, but at least they had the entire inherited wisdom of their alchemists. However, the alchemists' knowledge that had been excavated was incomplete. Some of the common medicinal formulas from back then had been lost.

Certain divine pills become legendary. Without the complete knowledge, the number of alchemists in modern times was less than one-tenth what it had been in the Alchemy Emperor's memory.

This had caused a further surge in the price of these pills. Although the Federation government had been trying their best to mass-produce such basic medicinal pills, they still could not do it at the moment.

"I know that your family won't be able to afford the expenses of cultivation. You've rapidly cultivated the Devilish Tiger Punch, so I'd like to recommend you for a job. I think it's highly suitable for you. Are you interested?" Qin Wu asked.

"What job do you mean, sir?" Chu Yunfan asked.

"Well, it's my comrade. He has a daughter who is also in Year 3 now. She's currently practicing the Devilish Tiger Punch. She needs a sparring partner. You'll be paid by the hour, 500 coins per hour. How is that? Are you interested?" Qin Wu said with a smile.

Chu Yunfan was over the moon. A job that paid 500 coins per hour was higher than his parents' salary. He immediately replied, "Of course I'm interested. Thank you, sir! May I know when I can start working?!"

"Hahaha, look at you, so eager. I'll give my comrade a call now. You can start right away if everything goes well!"

Saying this, Qin Wu immediately picked up his phone and made a call. Soon, a man was projected before him. The man had a burly body and looked like he was middle-aged. He wore a suit, but even through the projection, he radiated the aura of a formidable soldier.

"Old Qin?" The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "You usually never reach out except to ask for a favor. What is it?"

"Hey, Old Liu, didn't you tell me that your precious daughter, Yushu, is lacking a sparring partner with whom to practice the Devilish Tiger Punch? I happen to have a student who is rather talented in martial skill cultivation. He can be Yushu's sparring partner. What do you think?" Qin Wu said with a smirk.

"I'm okay with that. Bring him here, but whether he's hired or not depends on Yushu. Anyway, I'm confident in whoever you recommend!" the middle-aged man replied.

"Sure, I'm hanging up. Go ahead with your day!"

Qin Wu hung up and turned to Chu Yunfan, saying, "You can go to his place after class today. I'll send you his address!"

"Thank you, sir!" Chu Yunfan said in all sincerity.

"Don't worry about it. Do your best and you'll be alright!"

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Chapter 13: Breaking Through the Devilish Tiger Punch on the Spot

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chu Yunfan got off the bus, and his eyes were greeted by a large and luxurious community.

"The Spirit Moon Community, one of the renowned high-class communities in Calm Ocean City. Anyone who can afford to live here has a net worth of several billion at least. Tsk tsk, they're really extraordinary!" Chu Yunfan said, looking at the opulent neighborhood before him.

In his eyes, the entire community was covered in a lingering sea of clouds. There was a massive Spirit Gathering Formation circulating within, making the Spirit Energy in the community at least ten times thicker than elsewhere.

The local residents would live long and healthy lives even if they did not cultivate. Cultivating would increase the effect even further.

Huge villas were scattered all over and there were mountains and rivers around. It was an affluent community. Each villa cost at least ten million or even tens of millions.

Nevertheless, he knew that people who lived here were not the really wealthy ones. The richest inhabitants of Calm Ocean City would buy the entire mountain and develop it into their own private kingdom. It would be a vast manor with an astronomical price.

That being said, although it was not the wealthiest area, poor families like the Chus would have to save up for years to amount to the net worth of the residents living in the Spirit Moon Community.

He took his time to get in. Very soon, a man wearing a black suit and sunglasses walked out of the community's entrance and approached him. After taking a look at him, the man asked, "Hello. May I know if you're Mr. Chu Yunfan?"

"That's me!" Chu Yunfan nodded.

"Excellent. Please follow me. Our young mistress has just finished class and asked me to pick you up!" the man replied.

Chu Yunfan followed the man and entered the community without issue. They passed by one villa after another and finally arrived at a particularly massive one.

Once inside, there were bodyguards in similar black suits everywhere and many servants handling their own tasks.

Chu Yunfan was taken to a large training room. Inside was a young lady wearing martial arts attire. She was leaping up and down, and she was very agile as she moved her body.

Chu Yunfan knew at a glance that the young lady was practicing the Devilish Tiger Punch.

The young lady's Devilish Tiger Punch was majestic and smooth. Although she was only at the Competent Stage, she was obviously more familiar than Feng Deying with the techniques and was also more powerful.

Clearly, she had gotten to the peak of the Competent Stage. She was merely a step away from reaching the Impeccable Stage.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan was surprised to see that, as she punched, her fists had a faint layer of True Energy covering them. She had clearly activated the qi sea in her body. When someone got to the Qi Sea Stage, they would have unlimited True Energy and could wrap it around their fists. This would raise the power of their attacks significantly.

She was the client that Coach Qin Wu introduced him to, the young mistress of Calm Ocean City's Liu Group, Liu Yushu.

According to the documents that Qin Wu gave him, Liu Yushu was someone extraordinary. She showcased impressive talent from a young age and got into Calm Ocean City's No. 1 High School. It was different from the lesser-known No. 13 High School that he attended.

Calm Ocean City's No. 1 High School was the best high school in the city. It was even considered one of the most notable schools in all of Donghua City.

Those who got into it were the cream of the crop of Calm Ocean City's high school students.

It was no wonder that she had completed the cultivation of the Physical Stage and stepped into the Qi Sea Stage even though they were around the same age.

"Miss, I've brought him here!" The bodyguard got Chu Yunfan to wait aside. He only spoke when Liu Yushu had stopped.

The young lady looked approximately 16 or 17. She wore a bright red martial arts outfit, the slim fit complementing her beautiful body. She had skin as fair as snow and her features were sharp. She would be the campus belle no matter where she went.

Liu Yushu picked up a towel and wiped off her sweat. She then walked to Chu Yunfan and said, "You're the person that Uncle Qin recommended?"

"Yes, it was the coach who recommended me!" Chu Yunfan nodded.

"Uncle Qin said that you got to the Competent Stage right after you started learning the Devilish Tiger Punch. I don't believe it. I've just started practicing that and I only got to the Competent Stage now. I only brought you here to try because I didn't want to say no to Uncle Qin!" Liu Yushu's voice was sweet and modest, but her tone was extremely cold.

This guy was the same age as her and she did not trust him at all. She could tell from a glance that Chu Yunfan had not even reached the Qi Sea Stage. She was suspicious of this genius that her Uncle Qin talked about.

"Did Uncle Qin say why he sent you here?" Liu Yushu asked after raising her pretty brows.

"He did. I'm here to be your sparring partner!" Chu Yunfan said.

"You should leave. You're not even at the Qi Sea Stage yet. You're not worthy of being my sparring partner at all!" Liu Yushu spoke without holding back. "I'm worried I might kill you by mistake!"

Liu Yushu turned around and walked to the middle of the room after she was done speaking. She was ready to proceed with practicing the Devilish Tiger Punch. She felt that it was nice of her to be willing to meet Uncle Qin's student.

"Ms. Liu, I supposed you're only looking for a sparring partner to practice the Devilish Tiger Punch with. The understanding of techniques has nothing to do with my cultivation base!" Chu Yunfan noticed that Liu Yushu was leaving, and he was unwilling to give up on such a rare and rewarding opportunity. He hastily said, "Forgive me for being straightforward, but Ms. Liu, you don't understand the Devilish Tiger Punch the way I do!"

"What did you say?" As expected, Liu Yushu turned around upon hearing that. Her beautiful eyes were staring daggers at Chu Yunfan. She said, "You better not spout nonsense. Otherwise, I'll teach you a painful lesson even if Uncle Qin recommended you. You need to understand that you can't just say whatever you want!"

"It's simple really. If I was just spouting nonsense, you'll find out as soon as we spar!" Chu Yunfan said directly, "Although my power isn't on par with yours, if you're willing to suppress it, can't you practice the Devilish Tiger Punch with me? All you want is a sparring partner to break through your stagnation with the Devilish Tiger Punch!"

Liu Yushu did not expect Chu Yunfan to be so good at talking. She thought about it carefully and realized that he was right. However, she still said, "If that's the case, I'll give you a chance. But you must understand that I've entered the Qi Sea Stage, so I've completed the preliminary refinement of my body. Even if I suppressed the True Energy, you're no match for me based on our physique alone!"

"Don't worry about it. We'll find out after we spar!" Chu Yunfan replied.

"If that's how it is, I won't hold back!"

Liu Yushu stepped forward. Her beautiful, slender body was extremely agile. She charged at Chu Yunfan and performed the Ferocious Tiger's Heart Plow. She was like a spear thrusting forcefully at Chu Yunfan's heart.

Chu Yunfan was calm. After defeating Mu Zhenfei and Feng Deying consecutively that day, his skill in actual combat was elevating at a stunning rate.

He focused his eyes and formed five fingers into a fist. He performed the same technique and charged without holding back. It was extremely fearsome like a ferocious tiger plowing one's heart.

Bang!

The duo's fists collided, with Chu Yunfan's arriving first even though he attacked later. The punch he had thrown crashed into Liu Yushu's.

Stomp, stomp, stomp!

Stomp!

Both of them retreated at the same time. The only difference was that Liu Yushu merely took one step back while Chu Yunfan took three. Although she did not use True Energy, she had completed the refinement of her body. Her physical strength was much greater than Chu Yunfan's.

"Interesting!" Surprise flashed through Liu Yushu's beautiful eyes. Although she did not use True Energy in her punch, she had performed at her full capacity in other aspects.

Many people at the same stage as her were forced to retreat when they sparred. Although Chu Yunfan was merely at the Physical Stage, he managed to remain still after taking a few steps back. It proved that although he was ordinary, the refinement of his body was solid.

She began to think that perhaps Uncle Qin did not recommend just anyone to her. This Chu Yunfan was indeed pretty capable.

"Let's go again. I'll need to see how powerful you are if you're to be my sparring partner!" Liu Yushu called out softly and thrust her fair fist into the air.

It was directed at Chu Yunfan's face.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan, who had made up his mind to stay, took a step out, going forward instead of retreating. He was confronting the difficult situation he faced.

Bang!

Their fists collided again and again. Within ten short seconds, they had smashed together dozens of times. Their movements were fast, accurate, and ruthless. Every attack was savage and showed no mercy.

Very soon, there were some bruises on Liu Yushu's fair arms. Contrasting with her snow-white skin, the dark bruises seemed especially grotesque.

Despite all that, she did not relax just yet. She threw the Devilish Tiger Punch over and over. Meanwhile, her opponent, Chu Yunfan, was worse off. Both of his arms were trailing blood. His injuries were much more severe compared to Liu Yushu's.

There was a disparity between Liu Yushu and him after all. As time went on, he was being thoroughly beaten.

He was bearing the brunt of each collision. Fortunately, he had diligently cultivated using the Eternal Mighty Emperor Method, which made his body several times stronger than someone else at the same stage. Without this, any other martial artist at Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping would have been defeated much earlier.

Although that was the case, he had been fighting strenuously the whole time. He could only clench his teeth and bite the bullet.

'I don't believe it!'

Chu Yunfan screamed internally. Suddenly, he seemed to have entered a state that he had never been in before. In his eyes, Liu Yushu's movements seemed to have slowed down now.

Her physical strength was greater than his, leave alone her speed. The speed of her attacks left him dizzy, but she seemed to have drastically slowed down now.

The shadow of her fists seemed perfect at first, but he could now see their flaws.

He attacked those flaws almost without hesitation.

Liu Yushu noticed something different immediately. Indeed, Chu Yunfan's punch frequency remained lower than hers because her physique was still superior to his. However, the accuracy of his punches was much higher than before.

He was attacking her flaws each time. She had not even noticed them before.

Instead of feeling surprised, she was pleased. This was why she wanted to hire a sparring partner. She could only discover her flaws in real battles.

Nevertheless, she soon noticed that Chu Yunfan's accuracy was still increasing. From being beaten by her at the beginning, a casual punch from Chu Yunfan would panic her now.

She knew that Chu Yunfan's understanding of the Devilish Tiger Punch was elevating. When the accuracy was raised to an extreme level, Chu Yunfan's aura underwent a fundamental change.

His punch broke through the shadow of Liu Yushu's punch and was about to smash directly into her face.

It was too quick!

The strike was as fast as lightning and the stance was powerful like rumbling thunder!

Even the bodyguard who was standing aside exclaimed.. Just as he was about to intervene, the punch stopped an inch before Liu Yushu's face.

Chapter 14: Giving Liu Yushu Pointers

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The gust from Chu Yunfan's punch blew the silky black fringe from Liu Yushu's fair forehead.

Her pupils shrunk slightly and her cheeks blushed. She was pretty when she blushed. Chu Yunfan's move had left her in a daze. She could not believe that she failed to react immediately to his punch as it arrived before her majestically.

The bodyguard who was standing aside could not help but feel relieved when he saw that Chu Yunfan had held back. He recalled his aura as if nothing had happened.

Chu Yunfan relaxed and stood with his arms at his back. His aura had changed so much from before, as if he had become a different person.

Liu Yushu was not angry that he had stunned her. On the contrary, she was rather excited. She said, "I suppose you've just broken through. I saw videos in the virtual world where the martial arts master performed an Impeccable Stage Devilish Tiger Punch. It was similar to yours!"

Hearing that, Chu Yunfan nodded and said, "Indeed, I comprehended all the questions I had in that instant. I reached the Impeccable Stage at once!"

Under the immense pressure Liu Yushu placed on him, he entered a mysterious state and finally broke through to the Impeccable Stage. He understood the depth of the Devilish Tiger Punch at the Impeccable Stage.

He had just broken through, and his power had elevated by a level. He breached the shadow of Liu Yushu's fist and almost hurt her.

Naturally, that was what that bodyguard thought he was going to do. Chu Yunfan's Devilish Tiger Punch had broken through to the Impeccable Stage and the techniques had become instinctive, so he could control them as he wished. He could recall them and release them. He definitely would not hurt anyone by mistake.

He was exclaiming internally as well. Liu Yushu truly was the young mistress of a wealthy family. He could not believe that she could afford to watch martial arts masters' Martial Dao videos.

In the Kunlun Era, martial arts were widely spread. Unlike the practice of keeping everything to themselves in the Ancient Zenith civilization, it was normal that martial arts masters would upload videos of their techniques on the internet for others to learn, especially basic martial skills like the Devilish Tiger Punch. The various martial arts masters had uploaded up to a hundred types of martial skills, though access to those videos required payment. An hour-long video would cost up to 1,000 coins. Only the rich could afford to spend that kind of money.

Although 1,000 was not a lot, when one watched many videos, it would amount to a great fortune.

"I heard from Uncle Qin that you just learned the Devilish Tiger Punch today? Did you really break through to the Impeccable Stage within a day? I didn't believe it at first, but I do now, seeing that you managed to break through during the battle. Perhaps your talent in this aspect is exceedingly high. Even higher than the praise Uncle Qin gave you!" Liu Yushu said. Although cultivation books always mentioned breaking through in battles, a mere one in a million could actually do it. Not only that, it was only made possible by chance.

She had been going to famous schools since young, and she had met many of those so-called geniuses, but she had never heard of anyone who could break through in battle.

"Indeed, I just learned it today. I didn't have the resources to learn the Devilish Tiger Punch before this. On the other hand, I assume Ms. Liu isn't lacking money, so why are you only learning the Devilish Tiger Punch now?" Chu Yunfan heard her say she had only been studying the Devilish Tiger Punch for ten days.

"It's for the stream division in a month. By then, there will not only be exams in cultural studies but also classes for real combat. I mainly wanted to cultivate Internal Energy with all my might before this, so I never cultivated martial skills!" Liu Yushu explained. If this had happened before they sparred, she might not have bothered explaining to Chu Yunfan.

Dragons do not live with snakes. She would not speak this much to someone so ordinary in all aspects.

"Before this, we were the protected flowers in the conservatory. We didn't have any chances in real battles, so it didn't matter whether we learned martial skills or not. Nevertheless, it'll be different after the stream division!" Liu Yushu said, "In the regular schools that you guys go to, reaching Tier-7 Physical Stage, Blood Renewal is the factor that determines whether you can get into the martial arts stream. However, the martial arts stream is divided into regular class and elite class!

"With my level of Internal Energy, it's a no-brainer that I'll get into the martial arts stream. But I want to get into my school's elite class for the martial arts stream. I want to fight for top 10, top three, and even No. 1 in my school's elite class!" Liu Yushu extended a fair finger and said ambitiously, "My next goal will be getting into Federation University, but do you know how low the acceptance rate is? I must try my best to be in my school's top 10, even top 10 in Calm Ocean City, to guarantee my spot in Federation University!

"Of course, the first goal is to get into the elite class of the martial arts stream. Apart from the cultivation of Internal Energy, real fighting skills are the most important thing for me. It seems out of nowhere, but that's the reason why I want to cultivate the Devilish Tiger Punch. It's not just me. Many of my classmates are doing the same thing!"

Hearing her explanation, Chu Yunfan understood. Although they had both just cultivated the Devilish Tiger Punch, they had completely different reasons for doing so. He was doing it because his talent was horrible. He had to make the most of the time to cultivate Internal Energy for a chance to get into the martial arts stream so that he could stand out.

Meanwhile, Liu Yushu was cultivating Internal Energy to get into Federation University. She only recently had time to cultivate the Devilish Tiger Punch.

It appeared similar, but in reality, the difference was like Heaven and Earth.

"This talent of yours is hard to come by. However, it's a pity that your level of Internal Energy is just average. Otherwise, you might be seen as exceptional!" Liu Yushu said with some pity, shaking her head.

Although the cultivation of martial skills was important, no matter what, Internal Energy was the root of Martial Dao.

"Ms. Liu, I supposed I've passed the test now?" Chu Yunfan asked.

"You can say you've passed the test. I'm sure Uncle Qin told you already that you'll be given 500 coins for sparring with me for an hour, and it'll be two hours per day. Plus, I'll give you more if I can break through to the Impeccable Stage!" Liu Yushu said, "The thing that I lack the most now is time. If you can save me time, I'll be generous with the fee!"

Liu Yushu walked to the side of the sparring zone as she spoke and took out two bottles of healing sprays from one of the tiny medical boxes.

She tossed one to Chu Yunfan while she opened the cap of the other one and sprayed it on the bruises on her arms. She was familiar with handling such injuries.

Chu Yunfan did not hold back and sprayed it directly on his arms. He soon felt a cooling sensation. His wounds were obviously healing.

He laid down his head and looked at the healing spray. It was the upgraded version. It was a few times more expensive than the one he used and had a stronger effect.

He was no longer in pain. He could even see the bloody wounds vanishing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He was secretly dumbfounded. These kids from wealthy families had much more martial arts resources than he did as an ordinary person. With such a healing spray, one could almost practice real battles indefinitely. Naturally, their ability would elevate continuously.

It was crazy to think that this was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the advantages kids from powerful and wealthy families possessed.

In the Kunlun Era, everyone seemed to be equal because Martial Dao was accessible to all.

In reality, the gap between people was even greater than in the Common Era.

"You've just broken through, so I'm sure you've gained some insight. Please tell me. I've been stuck between the Competent Stage and the Impeccable Stage. I still can't reach the latter!" Liu Yushu said. Envy flashed through her eyes when she looked at Chu Yunfan.

Had she not seen it herself, she would not have believed that someone had such incredible talent for cultivation. Even if it was just a gift for martial skill cultivation, it was still remarkable enough.

Chu Yunfan closed his eyes. He was shocked to find that his earlier battles were replaying clearly in his head. Since obtaining the Alchemy Emperor's memories, he realized that his own memory had become ridiculously accurate. In fact, it was photographic.

It felt like he was watching 3D projections in his head. He clearly saw all of the details that he had not noticed earlier.

Chu Yunfan only opened his eyes a while later and said, "Since you saw coaching videos of so many famous experts and masters, I suppose you already know the difference between the Competent and Impeccable Stage. The Competent Stage would mean that you've mastered all the techniques and you can release the most power in each punch. Meanwhile, the Impeccable Stage is something else. You can combine all of the techniques freely instead of being restricted to the initial sequence. You can also change the techniques at will, recalling and releasing them, altering the strength of your blow, and so on. You'll be able to control them as you wish. That's the Impeccable Stage!

"In reality, you've mastered all of the techniques perfectly. It's just that you're restricting yourself a little when you change them. You can't recall and release like I'm capable of doing now. The truth is, there's no secret to it. Although I've never seen the coaching videos of those martial arts masters, I won't hide anything from you since I'm charging you a fee. The important thing isn't the so-called depth. There's nothing else you should do other than practice. After you've practiced changing techniques so much that it becomes instinctive, they can no longer restrict you. It's only a matter of time before you can recall and release them as you wish!" Chu Yunfan explained.

Liu Yushu nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I thought too. That's why I recruited a sparring partner. I suppose your injuries are almost healed now. Let's seize the moment and proceed with the practice now!"

"Sure, there's no problem with that. I'm always ready!"

Chu Yunfan waved his arms around. He should be fine now. The healing spray was much more powerful than the one he had at home.

"Taste my fist, then!"

Liu Yushu threw out a punch. It was the Ferocious Tiger's Heart Plow again.. It was fast and ruthless as it charged directly at Chu Yunfan's face.

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Chapter 15: Liu Yushu Breaking Through

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Bang!

The two figures in the sparring zone clashed like two agile apes. There would be a low hum every time their fists passed each other by. The hums sounded like exploding landmines.

One could tell that they were a young man and young lady of 16 or 17.

They were Chu Yunfan and Liu Yushu.

They fought fiercely. Although they were only sparring, nothing was prohibited besides killing their opponent.

The duo would spar for at least 15 minutes each time. When ordinary people sparred with the Devilish Tiger Punch so intensely, they would be panting hard. In this case, the physical strength of these two had stamina. Although their breathing began to grow heavy, they did not appear to be exhausted at all.

Because Chu Yunfan's body was not as powerful as Liu Yushu's, he was thoroughly dominated before. However, it was different now. The battle was arduous, and Chu Yunfan could actually overwhelm her now.

The speed and strength of his punches still could not match Liu Yushu's. This meant he could not strike as many times as she could, but amazingly, he could break her defenses each time he punched.

With every one of his punches, he would panic her..

The bodyguard had been watching from the side, and he did not dare to relax. The reason being that they had been fighting like that for over an hour. Apart from stopping every now and then to use the healing spray to recover their strength, they did not take any breaks at all.

At that point, Liu Yushu and Chu Yunfan had all sorts of wounds and bruises on their arms.

Such battles were very effective. Liu Yushu had already reached the peak of the Competent Stage and was merely a step away from the Impeccable Stage.

With Chu Yunfan's continuous attacks and the pointers he gave her along the way, she was showing fewer and fewer flaws. She had become more familiar with switching between techniques at will.

As she accumulated her experience, Liu Yushu started to feel almost like she was going to explode.

Under the pressure of Chu Yunfan's attacks, she did not have the time to think of how to counter many of his techniques. She could only attack out of instinct.

Just as Chu Yunfan had said, if she wanted to reach the Impeccable Stage, not only did she have to be familiar with mastering the techniques but also had to know them instinctively.

Finally, Liu Yushu had performed everything that she had accumulated through practice. She had entered another stage.

Initially, Chu Yunfan attacked her through her flaws, but those had gone away entirely. She could remedy the so-called flaws at any time because she had mastered all of the techniques. They came to her naturally.

Without the restricted routine, the flaws and loopholes had naturally vanished.

Stomp, stomp, stomp!

Chu Yunfan was forced to withdraw a few steps before he could steady himself. Instead of being stunned, he was beaming with joy as he clapped and said, "Congratulations, Ms. Liu. You've now entered the Impeccable Stage of the Devilish Tiger Punch!"

Liu Yushu took the healing spray the bodyguard passed over and sprayed it on both of her arms. The wounds and bruises looked terrifying on her snow-white arms.

They covered her arms densely all over!!

Liu Yushu was very hard on herself when it came to cultivation. She had never complained about the pain even though her arms were badly injured. That made Chu Yunfan admire her.

Coming from a wealthy family was not the only reason she achieved what she had.

"It's thanks to you for sparring with me!" Liu Yushu said. Excitement appeared on her pretty face.

No matter how mature she presented herself, she was still a teenage girl after all. With the elevation of her Devilish Tiger Punch, her strength in battle would be enhanced as well.

She had a classmate who started learning it over half a year ago, and he had only gotten to Impeccable Stage after hiring many private coaches. Meanwhile, she achieved that after only 10 days.

Naturally, the credit belonged to Chu Yunfan.

"You're too kind, Ms. Liu!"

Chu Yunfan was using the healing spray too. A series of cooling sensations replaced the burning pain.

Liu Yushu was being hard on herself by not stopping the training despite the wounds all over her arms. Of course, he would not stop either since he was her sparring partner. Moreover, he would obtain many rewards from such battles. He had just broken through to the Impeccable Stage earlier, and now he had completely stabilized himself.

He was more than happy to have someone sparring with him, providing him with healing spray, and at the same time, paying him.

As he fought and elevated himself, he had a deep realization at the same time. Although martial skills were important in the cultivation of Martial Dao, Internal Energy was the root after all.

Although Liu Yushu had suppressed her True Energy, her physique was much greater than his. When she had stepped into the Impeccable Stage of the Devilish Tiger Punch, she had almost regained her previous advantage, whereby she was suppressing him again.

Before, he could fight back by searching for her flaws, but he could no longer do that. He could only confront her head-on, and he was far behind her when it came to this.

"I wasn't being too kind. I've hired a private coach before, but he took a day off today. I'll fire him later!" Liu Yushu said in a straightforward manner. "That coach isn't as good as you. Although I was only one step away from surpassing the Competent Stage and entering the Impeccable Stage before, it seems I would've needed at least half a month if it weren't you sparring with me, helping me break through. That private coach of mine would need a long time to notice an obvious flaw. In your presence, I feel like there's no way that I can hide. I had exposed all of my flaws. You noticed them one after another, and that's how I improved so fast!"

Naturally, Chu Yunfan knew what Liu Yushu was talking about. That being said, even he had no idea why her flaws were exposed so easily as soon as he focused.

One could even say that in his eyes, the Devilish Tiger Punch that Liu Yushu had performed was full of flaws from the beginning.

"I'm hiring you as my private coach now. I'll do up a contract later. Every day for the next month, you'll have to spend two hours cultivating the Devilish Tiger Punch with me. Because of you, my plan has been brought forward, so I'm trying to see if I can break through to the Perfection Stage before the stream division exam. By then, I might be able to fight for the top 10 in school!"

Liu Yushu was a clear-cut person and never dragged things out. She proceeded to say, "Uncle Qin initially told you that you'd be paid 500 per hour. Now I'll give you the treatment of a private coach. You'll be paid 3,000 per hour, so it'll be 6,000 per day. The contract will last around 30 days, which will add up to around 180,000. I'll pay your salary as long as you come to work on time every day!"

Chu Yunfan was overjoyed hearing that. He had been thinking of ways to make money to buy the Body Refining Pill, but this meant he could earn enough simply by working there. Although it was only a month-long contract, he would get more than his parents would in a year.

He was sure that he wanted to get into a good university and work toward becoming a martial artist. If he was to have a regular job, it would take years for him to make 180,000.

He was not even an apprentice yet, but he was already earning so much money. He would make more and more in the future. By that point, he could surely make enough money to treat his sister's congenital gene defect.

"Ms. Liu, can I ask for the salary in advance?" Chu Yunfan thought about it and decided to make the request.

"Pay you in advance? Why is that?" Liu Yushu asked.

"I won't lie to you, Ms. Liu. I'm on Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping now. I would like to ask for an advance to buy a Body Refining Pill. Just like Ms. Liu, I want to get into the martial arts stream. We only have a month, so I don't have much time left to do that!" Chu Yunfan told her his objective plainly. It was not a secret anyway.

Liu Yushu nodded. "That makes sense. I didn't think about that. Give me your bank account number later when we sign the contract. I'll transfer 100,000 to you first as the deposit for hiring you for a month. How does that sound to you?"

That was a big sum to Chu Yunfan, but to Liu Yushu, that was merely a few days' worth of pocket money. It was nothing at all.

After all, she would have to pay Chu Yunfan sooner or later. She was just paying him a few days earlier. It was convenient for both sides.

She never suspected that Chu Yunfan would run away with the money. She did not care about a measly 100,000 coins anyway. Moreover, they lived in a federal society. The Federation government could watch every corner in the country. If Chu Yunfan was planning to take the money, he would have to run to some secluded mountain forest, never to return. Otherwise, it was impossible that it would happen.

To her, Chu Yunfan had an extraordinary aura. He was ambitious and would certainly have a bright future. He would not do something so dumb.

"That's great. Thank you, Ms. Liu!" Chu Yunfan said. With that money, it would be much easier for him to break through to Tier-7, Blood Renewal.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing. Stop calling me Ms. Liu. My friends call me Yushu. You can call me that from now on!" Liu Yushu said.

Not far away, her bodyguard heard this. He could not help but have a slight change of expression and his eyes widened in disbelief. He had been protecting Liu Yushu for years. One could say that he had watched her grow up. He knew that the young mistress did not come across as arrogant, but in reality, she did not accept many people as her friends.

Nevertheless, that was what happened to Chu Yunfan after just sparring with her for two hours. He could not help but look at the boy and wondered what was so special about him.

"I won't hold back then. I'll try my best to help you to break through to the Perfection Stage in that time!" Chu Yunfan said.

Although it was less than two hours, their series of battles was the equivalent of fighting many rounds with someone else due to the extremely packed and continuous bouts. He understood the Devilish Tiger Punch a little more now, and he seemed to be nearing the Perfection Stage.

He believed it would be easy to help Liu Yushu get to the Perfection Stage within a month. Meanwhile, he would definitely maximize their cultivation of the Devilish Tiger Punch in order to get to the Perfection Stage himself.

"That'd be the best. I'll have a reward for you if I break through to the Perfection Stage!" Liu Yushu said, "It's late. Let's end the sparring lesson today. You can leave after we've signed the contract. Just come around this time in the future!"

"Got it!"

Chapter 16: Donghua City's No. 1 High Schooler

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Liu Yushu was quick with the money transfer. One hundred thousand coins were transferred directly to the bank account under Chu Yunfan's name.

The sky was dark when Chu Yunfan got home. His father, Chu Wencheng, and mother, Yang Yayun, did not find it strange that he was late. He sent them a message earlier telling them that he was working that day and would be there two hours later.

Students were much more independent and opinionated in the Kunlun Era. Many kids from working-class families would get part-time jobs from a young age to pay for their living expenses, tuition fees, pocket money, and more. It was commonplace.

Chu Yunfan had worked many part-time jobs over the past two years, so his parents were not worried.

When he got home, his family had already finished dinner, but they left him some food. His mother Yang Yayun reheated the meal and served him.

Chu Yunfan thought about his future plans as he ate. He had gotten the advance of 100,000 from Liu Yushu, but he did not plan to purchase the Body Refining Pull with the money directly.

He had checked online on the way home. He found he could purchase the herbs to refine the Body Refining Pill on the market. The total would add up to around 50,000. The medicinal pill was usually sold at 100,000 as it included various agents' cuts and logistic costs. The most important one was the pill refinement fee paid to the alchemist.

Until now, there was no way to mass-produce medicinal pills like other businesses. They had to be refined by humans, so the labor cost was high too.

Of the 100,000 selling price, at least 20,000 was the alchemist's labor fee!

Naturally, what was crucial was that Chu Yunfan had inherited the Alchemy Emperor's memories. He could say that he knew many pill refinement methods like the back of his hand. He could save the 20,000 labor fee if he refined it himself.

Moreover, the Body Refining Pill in his memory was different from the one that was popular now. It was a recipe that the Alchemy Emperor improved on back then. The effect was twice as great as the ones sold on the market.

Chu Yunfan was not dumb. Naturally, he knew how great a treasury the Alchemy Emperor's memory was to him. The improved recipe of the Body Refining Pill alone could make one rich overnight. Although the medicinal pill was a basic one, there was a huge demand for it.

It was particularly sought after because humans gave birth to so many children every year, and they needed Body Refining Pills. Although most families could not afford it, the market for the wealthy was massive.

Therefore, he was not worried that he would be lacking money in the future. As soon as he realized a portion of the Alchemy Emperor's memories were in his head, he knew it was enough to change his current situation.

The only thing he lacked was time.

What was urgent at the moment was the stream division exam a month later. It was the exam that would decide one's fate. Just as Liu Yushu had said, getting into the martial arts stream was not what they were after.

There were regular classes and elite classes in No. 13 High School's martial arts stream too. Although they were not as outstanding as the Calm Ocean City's No. 1 High School that Liu Yushu went to, the resources and coaches provided by the elite classes were far beyond those in the regular classes.

However, he could not refine medicinal pills at home as he did not have the required alchemical furnace. Even the cheapest one would cost at least a million. The better ones would cost tens of millions and even up to 100 million. Meanwhile, the magic tool-grade alchemical furnace that was excavated would cost an astronomical price.

The best way was to go to the Calm Ocean City branch of the Alchemist Association to borrow the alchemical furnace. Naturally, he would need to pay to rent it. The cheapest one would cost 5,000 per day.

That was equivalent to one month of his parents' salary. Chu Yunfan felt his heart break when he considered the cost. Nonetheless, there was nothing else that he could do since his family could not afford to buy an alchemical furnace. That being the case, this was much better than buying a Body Refining Pill directly.

Meanwhile, Chu Qingxuan's bell-like laughter came from the living room, piquing Chu Yunfan's interest.

Although she always seemed so sensible, whereby she tried her best to appear happy, it was rare that she would laugh so joyously.

"Mom, Dad, Brother, check this out. I made money today. I did a commentary on a competition and I got over 1,000 federal coins as a reward!"

In the living room, Chu Qingxuan lifted her tiny head, and there was some pride on her face.

Being ill since childhood, she was much more sensible than people her own age. She knew very well that her malady had placed a large burden on her family. Her little heart felt much better now that she could earn money on the internet to help with their expenses.

"What kind of competition did you commentate on that paid you so much?!" Chu Wencheng put down the tablet. Instead of watching the news, he looked at his daughter, feeling a little puzzled.

His monthly salary was only a few thousand. Including the benefits provided by the company, it would add up to around 10,000.

Meanwhile, his daughter was making over 1,000 coins commentating on a competition. That was more than the salary many adults made per month.

Her mother, Yang Yayun, also said, "That's right. I went to check it out after you told us that you're doing commentaries on martial arts battles. I'm sure a newbie commentator like you would only make 1,000 to 2,000 per month!"

Although the guarantee of jobs for minors was high now, and there was nothing dangerous about doing virtual battle commentaries on the internet, her mother was worried. She had learned about the basics of the job.

Just like most industries, this one had a wide range. Some top commentators would make up to ten million annually, while it was pretty good for a newbie to make 1,000 to 2,000 per month.

Some beginners might not even earn that much.

Noticing her parents' worried faces, Chu Qingxuan could not help but stick out her tongue and say, "It's usually not that much, but I did a commentary on a major competition yesterday. The number of spectators was ten times more than the ones that I did in the past. Some of the audience thought I did a great job, so they gave me a reward!"

Relieved after hearing Chu Qingxuan's explanation, Chu Wencheng casually asked, "Whose competition had such a big audience?!".

"Dong Fanghao, the guy who is known as Donghua City's No. 1 High Schooler now. You guys don't know how powerful he is. He challenged an Energy Refinement Stage Martial Dao powerhouse today. There were over a million people watching the battle in real-time. I was just lucky that our website was one of those given the broadcast rights!" Chu Qingxuan explained.

"Dong Fanghao has already reached the Energy Refinement Stage?" Chu Yunfan's voice came from the dining room to the living room.

He could not help but feel shocked hearing what his sister said. Of course, he had heard of the name Dong Fanghao. There were up to 100 million people in Donghua City. It was one of the ten base cities on Earth. There were many high school experts among them. Since Dongfang Hao was known as the No. 1 High Schooler, one could imagine how fearsome he was.

For instance, at No. 13 High School, the three most capable people in Class 11, Feng Deying, Tang Siyu, and Gao Hongzhi, were only at Tier-9 Physical Stage. The Qi Sea Stage would be after the Physical Stage, followed by the Energy Refinement Stage.

Such a cultivation base was already superior to that of most teachers in No. 13 High School.

Most of the teachers in No. 13 High School, especially those from the liberal arts stream, only had a cultivation base at the Qi Sea Stage. Only some older teachers had Energy Refinement Stage cultivation bases.

"That's right, he's incredibly powerful. Everyone was shocked today. Wasn't it rumored that Dong Fanghao was only at the peak of the Qi Sea Stage? He broke through to the Energy Refinement Stage without telling anyone. I'm sure he'll be on the news for the next few days!" Chu Qingxuan said, "However, I saw on the internet that our planet Earth is nothing. The truly powerful figures are in the Kunlun Realm. The Spirit Energy in the Kunlun Realm is ten times thicker than on Earth. There are many powerhouses over there. Although there aren't many Energy Refinement Stage high schoolers, there aren't that rare either. I thought it was a lie, but now it seems to be the truth!"

"That's a genuinely powerful figure. If he's aiming to get into Federation University, he'll certainly be accepted. It's a sure thing!" Chu Wencheng nodded and said. In truth, he did not really care. There were more and more geniuses among humans in recent years. There were so many of them, and they got stronger as generations went by. "I remember over 100 years ago, if there were high schoolers who had a Qi Sea Stage cultivation base, they could definitely get into one of the ten top schools and even Federation University. Now Qi Sea Stage students can't even get into ordinary universities. We humans are getting more and more powerful these days!"

Chu Qingxuan nodded and said, "Of course. I saw on the internet that an expert said the journey that took us a century would have taken millennia in the time of the Ancient Zenith civilization. We're advancing at a stunning speed every day!"

No matter Chu Wencheng or Chu Qingxuan, they merely treated Dong Fanghao's achievement as an anecdote. To them, Dong Fanghao, the No. 1 High Schooler, was just too far beyond them.

On the other hand, it was different for Chu Yunfan. Although Dong Fanghao was so much stronger than he was now, it was hard to say if that would be the case in the future. Perhaps the Alchemy Emperor's memories had given him an intense will to fight that he never had before.

He wanted to catch up to those people who might have just been legends to him in the past. In fact, he wanted to surpass them one by one.

After chatting with his parents for a little bit, Chu Yunfan returned to his room. There was a task he needed to perform before heading to the Alchemist Association the next day.. It was something that he had to do.

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Chapter 17: The Alchemist Association

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the Ancient Zenith civilization, alchemy was a rare profession. One needed a wealth of knowledge, as well as a great number of resources, to support oneself. The major factions and sects were usually the only ones that could afford to sponsor alchemists.

It was impossible even for talented alchemists to pick it up as soon as they began to refine medicinal pills. They could only familiarize themselves during the process of medicinal pill refinement. That was how they got elevated their capabilities.

Meanwhile, it was a great expense for one to refine medicinal pills each time. Everything cost a lot of money, including the alchemical furnace, laboratory, medicinal pill recipes, herbs, and all sorts of inherited methods. Not just anyone could afford to provide that.

It was the same in modern society. Although herbs could be planted on a large-scale and alchemical furnaces could be mass-produced with modern technology, the number of alchemists was even lower than during the period from the Alchemy Emperor's memories.

The reason for this was that modern alchemists did not have all their knowledge. In reality, it was not only alchemy that this happened to. Even the information on Martial Dao was incomplete as well. It was because humans had only excavated a portion of the ruins of the Ancient Zenith civilization for the moment. The Martial Dao knowledge that was deciphered from the ruins could not compare to the time when the Ancient Zenith civilization was flourishing, the time when many Emperors battled in Chu Yunfan's inherited memories.

Even so, the standard of Martial Dao in modern times was not to be scoffed at. On the contrary, it was constantly improving, and there were always new ruins being excavated. More and more information from the Ancient Zenith civilization was being uncovered.

Therefore, the top human powerhouses were advancing at a stunning speed. Every ten to a hundred years, an elite powerhouse would break through to a brand-new stage. They would soon discover cultivation methods suitable for one to do so.

When the Kunlun Era had just begun, only powerhouses in the military could reach the Qi Sea Stage, but everyone could get there now. As long as one vigorously cultivated for decades, even the least talented person could break through to the Qi Sea Stage.

The discovery of the alchemy system came much later compared to the Martial Dao system. The information had only been organized into a system 200 years ago. Therefore, although the Federation government supported the research with all of its might, its development was still relatively slow. To Chu Yunfan, who possessed the Alchemy Emperor's memories, the standard was low. It was far from the peak of the Ancient Zenith civilization.

That was not even comparing it to the genius Alchemy Emperor, the master of the field, in Chu Yunfan's mind.

In the Federation, the Alchemist Association handled many matters related to alchemists. It was considered a semi-official association. Although the Federation government paid and provided for it, the association's president was the legendary alchemist, Du Qingtao, who was known as the Alchemy King.

Du Qingtao was a free man among the people. He did not work for the Federation government. His alchemy skills were unparalleled throughout all humanity for the moment. Any of the medicinal pills that he refined would be fought over by countless wealthy people.

The pills he refined had helped numerous powerhouses, so quite a few of them owed him a favor. Nobody dared to offend him for fear of facing the wrath of the great number of powerhouses supporting him.

Additionally, he was a Martial Dao powerhouse himself. Although Du Qingtao was not the strongest of them, he would always be chosen as one of the most influential people by the Federation government every year.

Even the government was scared of the Alchemist Association that he led, so they dared not interfere with his business.

The alchemists who joined would usually enjoy great benefits, including supplies of all sorts of herbs for pill refinement. They also had a large variety of ancient medicinal pill recipes. Given that it was a massive force, countless alchemists would flock to the association.

Of course, not every alchemist would join the Alchemist Association. This was because, although there were a number of benefits, there were various restrictions as well. Some alchemists founded their own companies and made their own fortunes through them. Some worked for the Federation government, the Saint Lands, organizations, companies, and so on.

Whether one decided to join the Alchemist Association or not, one would need to obtain the qualifications to be one. This meant they had to pass the test given by the Alchemist Association.

Without passing the association's test, one could not even rent the alchemical furnace.

If one was to work in the private sector, the Federation government, or some big companies, even without the Alchemist Association's certification, they could purchase their own alchemical furnace and sufficient herbs to refine medicinal pills.

Chu Yunfan did a little research on the way home that day. According to the documents given by the Alchemist Association, the certification was divided into categories, namely alchemy apprentice, alchemy trainee, alchemist, and alchemy expert. Meanwhile, each category was divided into beginner-level, intermediate-level, and advanced-level. Apart from the three levels, Du Qingtao was the only one who had reached the Alchemy King level.

There were many registered alchemy apprentices as the qualifications for that category were relatively simple. They only had to master the refinement of a couple of simple medicinal pills. The Body Refining Pill was one of them.

Of course, although the recipe was said to have been widely available, the success rate of refinement differed between individuals. Naturally, Du Qingdao, the Alchemy King, had a success rate of 100% when refining Body Refining Pills. Conversely, an apprentices success rate was less than 10%, very low by any measure.

For one to level up from an alchemy apprentice to an alchemy trainee, they would need to have at least a hundred pill refinement attempts. That would cost at least a million coins, which was beyond the means of ordinary people.

To even achieve the 10% success rate of an alchemy apprentice, one would need to go through many attempts at hands-on pill refinements.

There were only three to five students from the No. 13 High School that Chu Yunfan went to who had obtained the alchemy apprentice license.

All of those students came from wealthy families!

His good friend Gao Hongzhi had enough wealth to support him in alchemy, but that was not his ambition. Not everyone had the talent for refining medicinal pills.

That was not just for the lesser-known No. 13 High School. Even the top schools like Calm Ocean City's No. 1 High School only had a small portion of people who obtained the alchemy apprentice license. It was just that there were more of them than in the No. 13 High School, and they were of better quality.

Thus, those who obtained the alchemy apprentice license when they were still in high school were prized students. All modern universities had a faculty of alchemy that specialized in training those with the talent for it. Anyone who graduated from an alchemy faculty would be in great demand everywhere they went. The Federation government, the military, and the Nine Saint Lands needed such talents.

High school students that got the license were practically guaranteed a spot in an ordinary university's alchemy faculty. It was a bonus if the pay managed to get into one of the top ten schools.

It was said that there were some students from the top schools in Donghua City who had obtained the alchemy trainee license when they were still in high school. They would assuredly pass the exam for the top ten schools' alchemy faculties. Having such unique talents at a professional level would make them desirable to the Federation government.

Meanwhile, most alchemists were wealthy or quickly became so. Even if they were poor before, they would grow rich overnight after becoming an alchemist. It was possible for a regular person to become an alchemist. It was just that it was clearly much more difficult for them compared to those who were born into wealthy families.

Du Qingtao was one of the outstanding ones. He was born poor, and he chanced upon an inheritance from the Ancient Zenith civilization. He started on the path of an alchemist and eventually became the famous Alchemy King.

Since founding the Alchemist Association, he promoted many reformations in the alchemy world, giving opportunities to numerous commoner alchemists who were struggling. Although most of the alchemists were born rich, the number of commoner alchemists was growing gradually. They were not to be underestimated.

Most importantly, virtual alchemy software was launched on the virtual network. Relying on the conditions and situations of simulated alchemy on the network, even commoners could learn basic alchemy.

It was only virtual and could not compare to the speed of hands-on practice. However, it was enough to determine whether one had the talent. If someone was talented, the Alchemist Association would pay attention to them no matter their financial situation. The talented ones might even be trained by the Alchemist Association. A lot of large companies and groups would recruit people in that manner.

Although these people were nobodies, the major factions were willing to provide them with sufficient resources to advance. That being said, the price was signing an employment contract with their sponsor. After they graduated, they would need to work for them.

It might be the only way for the commoners to stand out!

Although it was plainly unfair, such an opportunity was the best option available to the commoners.

Due to the virtual alchemy software, the potential apprentices could take the test on the virtual network instead of dropping by the Alchemist Association themselves.

There was no restriction as to what kind of medicinal pills they wanted to refine in the future, at least for alchemy apprentices. Those who did not obtain the license would be illegal and were not protected by the Federation government.

Meanwhile, the test for trainees would have to be done at the Alchemist Association, since an alchemy trainee was considered an official alchemist. It was different for alchemy apprentices, given that they were just beginners after all.

Chu Yunfan got the virtual glasses used for the virtual network in the Kunlun Era. It was a necessity for everyone in modern society, just like a personal computer in the Common Era.

Of course, he was using the old version from ten years back.. It was said that the latest version could have the network terminal equipment installed under one's skin, allowing one to surf the virtual network anytime.

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Chapter 18: Passing the Alchemist Test

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chu Yunfan turned on the device after putting on the virtual glasses. The scene before him changed suddenly, and he appeared in a crude space. It was the default landing everyone would arrive in every time they logged into the virtual network.

Everything seemed so lifelike, but only his consciousness was in it. It was said that the virtual network could not have been created before. Even if it had been, it would not have been like what he was feeling, as if he was in another world.

People could even fight in it just like in the real world. It did not exist over 100 years ago, but it was said that people found Ancient Zenith civilization ruins during the process of moving to the Kunlun Realm a century in the past. They discovered a magic tool within the ruins and created the virtual network using the tool's power.

The virtual network currently covered the entire world and the human base cities in the Kunlun Realm. One could go online whenever one desired.

Chu Yunfan had no idea what kind of magic tool it was. That was the confidential secret of the human government. Although it was a secret that everyone knew, they officially did not admit such a tool existed, making it even more mysterious.

Everyone would register an account when they were young. The account would be the only one they would have, and it was tied to their identity.

They would be scanned every time they connected to the virtual network. Their abilities would be reflected within the network.

It would mean that Chu Yunfan would also be at Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping in the virtual network, just like what he was in real life. It was no different from reality.

This could not have been done with technology. It was only made possible by that mysterious magic tool.

However, there were restrictions on such recreations in the virtual world. Under normal circumstances, only the Physical Stage would be recreated. Those at the Qi Sea Stage, the Energy Refinement Stage, or even the Acquired Stage and the Innate Stage would need to pay a fee to reflect their capabilities from reality in the virtual world.

The greater one's abilities were, the higher the required fees. The cost was practically astronomical for those who were supremely powerful, but the powerhouses who could cultivate to that stage could most probably afford that.

The official explanation was that a lot of energy was required for the scanner to rebuild the body that accurately reflected real life in the virtual world. Therefore, anyone wanting a perfect recreation in cyberspace needed to pay, like Dong Fanghao who did martial arts battles in the virtual world.

When Chu Yunfan first learned of him, he was not amazed by his Energy Refinement Stage level but by his wealth. He was only stunned by Dong Fanghao's incredible abilities later on.

After arriving at the default landing, Chu Yunfan did not choose to log out. Instead, he clicked on the virtual assistant and downloaded a software called the Alchemy Assistant. It was the software that Du Qingtao had launched. However, it did not come cheap, costing 5,000 coins. Although it was targeted at commoners, Chu Yunfan felt some pain when he purchased it. If Liu Yushu had not paid him 100,000 that day, he could not have downloaded the software.

Overall, it was value for money. If it had not been, software that cost 5,000 coins would not have survived and continued thriving for so long. Moreover, it had been improved and upgraded countless times over the years. Its current state was considered to be perfect.

A couple of seconds later, the Alchemy Assistant finished downloading. Chu Yunfan clicked on it and the environment around him suddenly changed. He had appeared in an alchemy laboratory. The lab was simple, no more than a basic room with an alchemical furnace in the middle. There was a cushion for someone to sit on in front of the furnace and nothing else.

One would have to purchase the herbs to refine medicinal pills. Although it was just virtual data, those herbs did not come free. They had to be bought from the shop through the Alchemy Assistant.

Naturally, the price was up to a hundred times cheaper than the real thing. However, the cost would be terrifyingly high if one refined medicinal pills repeatedly.

Given that there were so many users, nobody knew how much the owner of the software, Alchemy King Du Qingtao, had made throughout the years.

Although there were some hints of profiteering in the software, it was good enough for commoners. At least it provided a path for talented people to have a chance to stand out.

In reality, there were even many wealthy alchemy apprentices who liked using the Alchemy Assistant to refine medicinal pills. Although the experience gained could not be compared to reality, the deciding factor was that it was cheap.

It was a prudent choice to refine real medicinal pills only after practicing in the virtual network. Money did not grow on trees, even for wealthy people.

Chu Yunfan did not choose the pill refinement practice. Instead, he went directly to the option below, the alchemy apprentice test. To regular alchemists, they would need many practice runs to be familiar with it and understand it. In his case, he already had that since he obtained the Alchemy Emperor's memories.

He had to admit that the Alchemy Emperor was indeed a genius in alchemy. He was much more skilled than the current greatest alchemist on Earth, Alchemy King Du Qingtao.

"Is this the first time you're taking the test? Considering that you've never taken any tests before, you'll have to take the beginner-level alchemy apprentice test! The test fee is 1,000 coins!" a robotic voice said into Chu Yunfan's ears.

To prevent people from just trying their luck, there was a fee for each alchemist license test. The more advanced it was, the higher the fee.

"Begin the test!"

Chu Yunfan chose that without any hesitation.

"Random test question has begun!"

There was a ringing sound, and then a screen was projected before Chu Yunfan.

"Please refine a beginner-level Flow State Pill. You have two hours!"

Subsequently, a bunch of herbs appeared around Chu Yunfan. Clearly, they were the herbs to refine the beginner-level Flow State Pill.

At that moment, the information about the Flow State Pill emerged in his head. Meditation was the first step in a martial artists' cultivation. It was the root and the beginning of Internal Energy, but not everyone could go into the flow state easily. Many people would spend a long time getting rid of the thoughts in their minds before they could begin to cultivate in peace. A lot of time would be wasted in the process.

Moreover, there was a big difference within meditation. The deeper the meditation was, the better the result. It helped cut the rigors of cultivation in half.

That was how the Flow State Pill came about. It could help one get into the flow state quickly. The pill could induce the flow state in someone in just a moment.

The Flow State Pill was categorized into beginner-level, intermediate-level, and advanced-level.

Beginner-level Flow State Pills were cheap at only 5,000 coins each. Although it was rather expensive to regular people, they could still afford it. However, an intermediate-level Flow State Pill would cost 100,000, and an advanced-level Flow State Pill would be up to a million. Not only could it help one to get into the flow state, but the Flow State Pill could also augment one's body if consumed for a long time. However, even most rich people could not afford to spend such money.

Regular people would need the Flow State Pill to help with cultivation. His cousin, Chu Yuntian, consumed the Flow State Pill regularly, which cut his cultivation time in half. Getting into the flow state used to be a major issue each time he cultivated. In two hours of cultivation, he would spend at least an hour getting into the flow state in order to clear his mind and cultivate attentively.

However, it was different now. He felt that each time he got into the flow state whenever he cultivated was better than consuming the legendary advanced-level Flow State Pill. As soon as he got into the cultivation mode, he would focus immediately. It was amazing.

He could save a lot of time and money from that alone.

However, Chu Yunfan did not need it. His parents and sister did. After he made enough money and got his sister treated, he would refine Flow State Pills for them so that they could cultivate.

He had never refined any medicinal pills. He actually never learned anything about it since alchemy was elective and not mandatory in school. Only a fraction of students with money and time would take it. He did not even have time for cultivation, so he certainly would not have time to take the alchemy course. This was because he knew that he would not stand out in the industry.

Nevertheless, Chu Yunfan started the alchemical furnace. When the fire was burning, a familiar feeling spread through his body. One would understand everything by understanding the underlying principle. The modern alchemical furnace had a fire state underneath it instead of requiring wood be used as in the Ancient Zenith civilization. Though the furnace was modern, the familiar feeling made him master the pill refinement quickly.

He added water, lit and added fuel to the fire, and added all sorts of herbs!

The process was smooth as silk to Chu Yunfan, as if he had practiced it tens of millions of times. He did not pause or hesitate at all.

He knew when to add fuel to the fire, how big of a fire it should be, when to add the herbs, and how much to add. Those were not in the recipe. The recipe only had the combination of the most basic herbs and the basic process.

The so-called secret inheritance was not detailed. It was the thing that all alchemists passed down verbally through generations.

Regular alchemists could only learn to refine medicinal pills with the highest efficiency after practicing it for many years. In modern times, they would not be as narrow-minded as they were in the Ancient Zenith civilization. Back then, they would take their secrets to the grave with them. There were still many uncertainties since the alchemist system had only been excavated and documented for 200 years. It was far behind compared to the masters of the alchemist system in the Ancient Zenith civilization, such as the Alchemy Emperor in Chu Yunfan's memory.

An hour later, the medicinal pill was successfully refined. Boiling steam spread out, and one could even smell the pill's fragrance.

"Congratulations, you've successfully refined the Flow State Pill.. You've obtained the Alchemist Association's beginner-level alchemy apprentice certification. Please head over to the local Alchemist Association to pick up your license!"

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Chapter 19: Levelling-up Consecutively, the Body Refining Pill was Done

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Of course, after successfully refining the pill, Chu Yunfan had passed the beginner-level alchemy apprentice test. Nevertheless, he was unsatisfied and planned to take further tests.

Following the Alchemist Association's rules, the tests that could be done through the virtual network stopped at advanced-level alchemy apprentice certification. If one wanted to become a legitimate alchemist, they would have to take the test at the Alchemist Association.

According to the rules set by the Federation government, alchemy apprentices could only refine medicinal pills for themselves. Only legitimate alchemists, those who had at least trainee certification, could sell the pills they refined to others.

When one was still an alchemy apprentice, they were merely giving instead of receiving any rewards. On the other hand, as soon as one became an official alchemist, they could sell the medicinal pills that they refined on the network.

At that point, they could recover some of their costs. The higher the level of an alchemist, the more they would make. As soon as one passed the alchemy trainee test and became an official alchemist, they were basically an honored guest by all factions.

Within Calm Sea City's population of up to 10 million, very few of them had the qualifications to become an official alchemist. One could only find intermediate-level alchemists in Donghua City. An alchemist at such a level was basically a tycoon with a net worth of 100 million and great influence.

Being on the path of alchemy was in Chu Yunfan's plan. Regular people would need to practice many times in order to pass the test, but he did not have such concerns. Given the situation, he would rather take all of the tests at once.

Therefore, he hesitated no more and clicked on the Alchemy Assistant to register for the intermediate-level alchemy apprentice test.

After the beginner-level alchemy apprentice test, the intermediate test required that he refine one more medicinal pill. It was merely a basic medicinal pill, so it was very easy.

To Chu Yunfan, who inherited the Alchemy Emperor's memories, it was as easy as drinking and eating.

"You've obtained the Alchemist Association's intermediate-level alchemy apprentice certification. Please head over to the local Alchemist Association to pick up your license!"

Immediately after obtaining the intermediate-level alchemy apprentice certification, Chu Yunfan began the advanced-level alchemy apprentice test. Just like the intermediate test, the advanced test only required one more medicinal pill refinement.

Although only one more basic medicinal pill refinement was needed, as he did the refinement continuously, it was actually pretty difficult for newbies who had just gotten familiar with alchemy.

In Chu Yunfan's case, it was nothing complicated. He merely followed the steps of adding herbs, fire, and water. He completed it with ease.

"You've obtained the Alchemist Association's advanced-level alchemy apprentice certification. Please head over to the local Alchemist Association to pick up your license!"

After obtaining the intermediate-level and advanced-level alchemy apprentice certifications consecutively, Chu Yunfan logged out of the virtual network. It was already 5 a.m. when he checked the time.

His parents would wake up two hours later, but he had yet to sleep. Instead, he began to meditate. He realized now that since his body had been modified by the mysterious energy, he would be energetic for the whole day after meditating for an hour.

He read on the network that it was a deep sleep. Regular people could only maintain their energy the next day after sleeping for eight hours. However, if one could maintain a deep sleep for the long run, one could replenish the sleep that the human body needed with minimum deep sleep.

Meanwhile, being in the flow state in meditation was his equivalent to deep sleep.

He could seize the opportunity to cultivate with the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method. It was no wonder that the method was an amazing one. He realized that the power he could gain by cultivating with the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method was a few times greater than before. It had halved the time he needed.

As it was, he ended the cultivation after meditating for an hour. It was because he was too hungry.

In the modern cultivation theory, they determined that the True Energy coming from Internal Energy cultivation was bioenergy. In other words, the amount of True Energy one produced from cultivation would be the amount of energy one had exhausted.

Therefore, it was hard for regular people to cultivate for a long time because they would starve. Moreover, the cultivation efficiency of the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method was several times greater than regular methods. It would mean that it was equivalent to cultivating for a few hours at once.

Chu Yunfan was considering whether he should purchase some elixir that replenished one's energy. Such elixirs were tasteless and colorless. They were created by distilling a large amount of food countless times.

It was a miracle only possible with modern technology. When the Kunlun Era had just begun, the cultivators were all big eaters. These days, they could rely entirely on elixirs. One tube would be enough energy to last the entire day.

That being said, this elixir was expensive, costing up to 1,000 coins per tube. If a martial artist was cultivating, they would need a few tubes per day. The accumulated sum would be terrifying.

Due to the technology explosion, modern society had found solutions to the difficulties faced in the Ancient Zenith civilization. Even commoners had access to it, as long as they had the money.

He definitely could not afford it in the past. However, now that he was Liu Yushu's private coach, he made 6,000 per day. He could still afford that.

With such an energy elixir, his cultivation speed would have a significant elevation.

Early in the morning, right after finishing breakfast and informing his family, Chu Yunfan left home. He took the bus to get to the Alchemist Association.

His family was rather poor, so the place they lived was considered a secluded part of Calm Sea City. On the other hand, the grand Alchemist Association would naturally be in the city center.

After riding the bus for an hour, Chu Yunfan had finally arrived at the crowded city center of Calm Sea City. Although the city with a population of up to ten million was nothing in the Kunlun Era, it would definitely be considered an international metropolis back in the Common Era.

It was already crowded although it was only morning. Many regular office workers from the urban district had come there to work. Numerous well-known organizations and companies were located in the city center.

Very soon, Chu Yunfan found the Alchemist Association with the help of GPS. At that moment, there was already a queue and crowds at the association.

Many people would go there to ask for help, while others had come a long way to purchase medicinal pills. The common medicinal pills were sold cheaper at the Alchemist Association. There were also many high-grade pills that were unavailable elsewhere.

Very soon, an Alchemist Association attendant saw Chu Yunfan and asked, "How can I help you, sir?"

"I'd like to refine medicinal pills. I wonder where do I register myself to rent your alchemy lab?" Chu Yunfan saw and asked directly.

He had never been to the Alchemist Association, so he had no idea what kind of procedures there would be.

"You'll need the certification of a beginner-level alchemy apprentice or above to rent the alchemy lab at our Alchemist Association!" the attendant said after glancing at Chu Yunfan.

He was rather doubtful for no reason other than Chu Yunfan looking too young.

"Of course I have the qualifications, but I took the tests on the network. I didn't come here before to pick up my license!" he said to the attendant. Naturally, Chu Yunfan knew what he was doubtful about.

"That won't be a problem. It's recorded in our database as long as you got the certification on the network. I'll take a look later since it's tied to your citizen identity!" The attendant said swiftly.

"Sure, show me the way!" Chu Yunfan said, "Oh yeah, order the herbs I need as well!"

"Sure. You can reserve the herbs on the network. After you've booked the alchemy lab, someone will send them over to you!" the attendant replied immediately.

The attendant brought a tablet over. There were all sorts of herbs listed on it along with their prices.

Chu Yunfan picked the herbs quickly while walking. The price was roughly the same as what he saw on the network. Since it came from the Alchemist Association, the herbs' quality was guaranteed.

The attendant took the tablet and looked. He had been working at the Alchemist Association for some years, so he could determine what pill would be refined from the herbs the alchemists ordered. Although it was slightly different, he could tell that Chu Yunfan was refining a Body Refining Pill.

He was secretly surprised. Only intermediate-level alchemy trainees and above would have the ability to refine Body Refining Pills. Meanwhile, the man before him appeared so young. He did not seem like an intermediate-level alchemy trainee at all.

Nevertheless, since he had been working at the Alchemist Association for some years, he knew what to ask and what not to.

He turned around immediately and sorted things out for Chu Yunfan.

Very soon, an alchemy lab was prepared, and even the medicinal herbs Chu Yunfan ordered were sent. Indeed, the Alchemist Association was efficient in this aspect.

After entering the lab, Chu Yunfan wasted no time. He lit the fire for the alchemical furnace and added water.

Very soon, the water in the furnace came to a boil. He began to grab a bunch of the herbs in a pile and tossed them into the furnace.

He had integrated the Alchemy Emperor's memories entirely, as if he had performed refinement himself many times. He knew how many herbs to grab, just like a master who had years of experience.

To an alchemist, those were the basics. One could roughly tell the year and place of the herbs production from a glance. It was elementary.

Conversely, modern alchemists would not practice that since they used advanced technology. They had digital scales anyway, as well as alchemy apprentices to assist them. Everything from when to add the herbs, categorization, weighing, and cutting was done by the apprentice.

Chu Yunfan's skills were as smooth as flowing water each time he added water and herbs. There was nothing to criticize at all.

The process of pill refinement was boring, so Chu Yunfan decided to meditate. He waited for the pill refinement to complete while meditating.

Very soon, an hour had passed. The charming fragrance of the pill spread out from the cauldron. At the same time, the alchemical furnace was opening gradually.

A brownish-yellow medicinal pill slowly rolled out of the opening.. Chu Yunfan did not even have to open his eyes, as he knew that the Body Refining Pill had been successfully refined just from the scent alone.

Chapter 20: Breaking Through, Blood Renewal

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

He had refined the Body Refining Pill!

If someone from the alchemy industry were there, they would notice that the fragrance of Chu Yunfan's Body Refining Pill was many times thicker than most. It meant that the efficacy of Chu Yunfan's pill was exponentially better than the Body Refining Pills sold on the market.

It was the Body Refining Pill that was created according to the Alchemy Emperor's superior recipe. As such, some of the herbs had been replaced, and the refinement method was slightly different as well.

Although the changes seemed insignificant on the surface, it would be an improvement. It would be something else if all the herbs were changed.

This was because, whether it was medicinal pills that refined one's body or precious herbs, the Body Refining Pill was not the only one available. In that case, why was it so popular?

It was mostly because the price of the Body Refining Pill was considered pocket-friendly. It was suitable for most commoners, and it was value for money.

If one was to replace the recipe with higher-quality herbs, it could definitely elevate the effect significantly, but the price would shoot up too.

This made the Alchemy Emperor's improved Body Refining Pill precious. In fact, when the Alchemy Emperor had refined the alchemical process, he had upgraded many medicinal pills. He elevated the effect of the pills significantly without changing the recipe too much, and he organized them into a book.

Unfortunately, before he could promote it to the whole world, the battle between the gods broke out, and he died on the battlefield.

Chu Yunfan took out the medicinal pill from the alchemical furnace. It was almost noon at the moment. Figuring that he had rented the alchemy lab for the entire day, he did not leave just yet. He treated the place as a cultivation room.

He sat on the cushion with his legs crossed. Positioning himself for meditation, he swallowed the Body Refining Pill.

He began to circulate the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method immediately to refine the effect of the Body Refining Pill. Warmth streamed from Chu Yunfan's pill, rushing into his limbs and bones.

The cultivation of the Physical Stage, as the name suggested, was the development of one's physical body. The Body Refining Pill was a medicinal pill that was created for this. It was most effective when consumed at the Physical Stage. In truth, there were benefits to refining the body at any stage, but the effect was not as great.

Almost immediately, popping sounds came from Chu Yunfan's body as if there were firecrackers inside him. All his muscles were wriggling. The sound was being made by his bones rubbing against each other.

The most important factor when cultivating at the Physical Stage was refining one's body, not elevating one's power. Blood Renewal would come after Tier-6 Physical Stage, Joint Popping.

It was the last tier that required a lot of body refinement in the Physical Stage and was considered a minor achievement.

Additionally, it was also the stage of rebirth. As more and more medicine spread through his limbs and bones, it was helping his body renew itself continuously. Dense sweat began to form on his skin.

The sweat did not stop dripping, and Chu Yunfan was soon drenched, as if he had just been pulled out of water.

Just then, it quickly changed from sweat to a black substance. It was flowing together with the sweat at first, but the black substance swiftly became the only thing oozing from his body. In the blink of an eye, that black substance covered Chu Yunfan entirely.

There was even black blood seeping through his pores. The process was painful, as if someone was tearing his body apart.

If this happened in the past, the pain would have kept Chu Yunfan from meditating. This time, he seemed calm. The torture he went through when he received the inheritance was much more agonizing than this. His mentality could not be compared to how it was before.

The most difficult tier to cultivate to in the Physical Stage was Blood Renewal.

Blood Renewal did not mean that one's blood would be replaced entirely, but reborn from one's physical body. People in the past said that one would not share the real methods, as most people had a regular body.

Not just anyone could go on the path of cultivation. Therefore, the first step of cultivation was to shed the regular body and be reborn.

In ancient dao cultivation, it was called the Innate Dao Body. Only people who had achieved that qualified to cultivate.

There were restrictions in ancient times, so cultivation depended on one's luck. Some people were born with clear meridians, which made them a good seedling for cultivation. Only those people could cultivate, while regular people had no chance of turning their fate around.

This was also the reason why it was hard to find an heir. Therefore, the cultivation that flourished in ancient China for a time gradually died out. It was the limitation of the era.

Conversely, in modern times, people had the ability to turn their lives around. A man's determination could conquer nature.

It wasn't sure how long had passed, but Chu Yunfan finally opened his eyes when he was completely covered in the pitch-black substance and blood. The odor was foul and one could no longer see his face.

The stinging pain he had felt had gone away. On the contrary, he had a good, refreshing feeling all over his body.

He felt as light as a feather. It was a genuine rebirth!

Chu Yunfan was covered in the black substance, but he was not surprised. He knew very well what would happen during Blood Renewal.

As it was, the black substance covering his body had a terrible smell. Chu Yunfan got out immediately and took a shower at the Alchemist Association's bathhouse.

After he had showered and washed his clothes with the vacuum washing machine, it was afternoon when he checked. He had been meditating the whole time, and he had been hungry for a while.

In any case, he could not be bothered by that. He had to coach Liu Yushu first. He got out immediately and hailed a cab. He was heading to Liu Yushu's house.

Since it was his second time there, Chu Yunfan walked into the training room Liu Yushu used under the black-clothed bodyguard's guidance.

At that moment, Liu Yushu was alone in the sparring zone. She wore a weighted vest that was used as training equipment. When one got used to training with such a vest, their will in battle would increase significantly after taking it off.

That was also the reason why many wealthy people loved buying cultivation equipment.

It was impossible in ancient times, and it was rare in the Ancient Zenith civilization. These days, with the help of modern mass-production, one could even adjust the gravity on the weighted vest according to their preference. A regular weighted vest could increase the gravity fivefold at most.

Even a regular weighted vest cost millions, so ordinary families could not afford it.

Nevertheless, Chu Yunfan knew she was not one of the richest. Those who were even wealthier would make the entire training room into a gravity chamber. The effect from cultivating in it would be even better than putting on a weighted vest.

Since Liu Yushu wore that vest, her movements were clearly not as agile as she usually was. She was rather slow and there was a heavy sound every time she landed on the ground.

Fortunately, the ground in the sparring zone was reinforced. Otherwise, it would have collapsed from all the heavy steps.

Very soon, Liu Yushu stopped. She took off the weighted vest while panting. Her sweaty hair stuck to her fair forehead. She was no longer as intimidating as she was before. Instead, she looked like the girl next door.

She glanced at Chu Yunfan and said, "You're here. Give me a second, please!"

Subsequently, she took out a bottle of energy elixir from the medical box. When she consumed it, the effect was very obvious. Liu Yushu stopped panting almost immediately. She had stopped sweating too. The strength she exhausted from the intense punch training had replenished in mere moments.

Suddenly, a growling noise came from Chu Yunfan's stomach.

After appearing so calm, he could not help but blush. The half a day of cultivation which made him break through to Blood Renewal had drained him of almost all his energy. It was not the usual hunger, whereby your body was reminding you to eat.

In reality, a person had energy reserves, but the hunger caused by such cultivation sent an intense craving throughout the body.

Across from him, Liu Yushu could not help but smile. She then took another bottle of energy elixir from the medical box on the side and tossed it at Chu Yunfan.

"Were you cultivating earlier? Replenish your energy or you might not be able to fight with all of your strength when training later!" Liu Yushu was generous.

"Alright, thanks. Deduct it from my coaching fee!"

Chu Yunfan was not shameless. Indeed, he needed the energy elixir to replenish his strength. He would have to buy it if he did not get it from Liu Yushu, so it made no difference anyway.

After drinking a bottle of energy elixir, Chu Yunfan felt the hunger all over his body disappear. He was filled with energy.

Compared to drinking an energy elixir, refueling by eating was too slow and inefficient. He could not help but exclaim inwardly that there were just too many cultivation aids for the wealthy.

Even if they were not especially talented, the cultivation results of the rich would far surpass the commoners.

"Alright, face my fists. I came to understand something today. You happen to be here for me to try it out!"

Liu Yushu yelled in a girly manner and pounced at Chu Yunfan like a tiger that was charging from a mountain. It had some of a tiger's strength, the sign of the elevated power of the Devilish Tiger Punch.

However, Chu Yunfan was not afraid at all. He threw a punch out too with some tiger strength of his own. It was even more intense than what Liu Yushu had.

Bang!

Their two fists collided. Chu Yunfan remained still, while Liu Yushu took a few steps back before she managed to steady herself.

Instead of being stunned, she was quite happy as she said, "Have you broken through to Blood Renewal? That's so fast. No wonder you were starving. I supposed you cultivated the entire day? That's great. I'll punch even harder now!"

Her aura elevated significantly as she spoke. Chu Yunfan was only on Joint Popping before, so she had limited her power to the same stage. Since Chu Yunfan had broken through, she unleashed a little more of her strength.

"Alright, let's go again. I'd like to see how much I've improved!" Chu Yunfan charged forward instead of retreating, rising to the challenge.

The duo fought intensely again.

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Chapter 21: Breaking Through the Devilish Tiger Punch Again, Perfection Stage

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Bang!

In the sparring zone, two figures moved agilely as the force of their strikes whistled through the air. Within a short period, they had exchanged dozens of blows. Both of them were attacking to defend themselves, their fists continuously colliding.

The sound of flesh and bone clashing echoed through the entire sparring zone.

The duo finally stopped a while later and were panting hard. Cultivating the Devilish Tiger Punch exhausted a lot of one's strength.

"Not bad, not bad!" Liu Yushu said as she quickly recovered and started breathing normally again. "What kind of method do you use to cultivate exactly? Your physique is far beyond the standards for Blood Renewal. Given that your Devilish Tiger Punch has reached the Impeccable Stage, it'd be an achievement for anyone at the Blood Renewal tier to be able to take three hits from you!

"You have your own secrets. There's more to you than what Uncle Qin told me. He said you merely have ordinary cultivation of Internal Energy. I suppose you broke through to Joint Popping not too long before I saw you yesterday? And you've already broken through to Blood Renewal. Hehe, if that isn't considered genius, what is?"

Liu Yushu chuckled and proceeded to say, "Don't worry. I'm not interested in your secrets. Which martial artists don't have secrets? Especially those who've achieved big things, all of them had techniques of their own. The faster your elevation, the more benefits there are for me. I can release more of my power. I no longer have to hold back!"

Hearing her words, Chu Yunfan liked Liu Yushu a little more. It was not that he had a crush on her. He merely felt that although she was a girl, she was determined in the things she did and she was easy-going. She was indeed a friend to keep.

"The truth is, you're a great match for me. If I were to fight with all my might, people at the same stage can't take many hits from me!" Chu Yunfan was being honest too.

At that moment, he felt a burst of energy fill his body. The Mighty Eternal Emperor Method was indeed terrifying. It was hard for him to find a worthy opponent with people at the same stage.

"That's great. I feel that I understand the Devilish Tiger Punch better when I spar with you. Our knowledge of the Devilish Tiger Punch is equal. Indeed, you're even slightly more skilled than I am. You're a great sparring partner for me. Within a month, I must break through to the Perfection Stage. Let's go again. We shouldn't delay. You're an expensive sparring partner. I don't want to waste any time!" Liu Yushu called out softly and rushed at Chu Yunfan again. She was performing Luring the Tiger once more, looking majestic as she charged at him.

Chu Yunfan was fearless, and he said loudly, "That's not enough, Yushu. Release even more power. I need more pressure. This won't force me to elevate myself!"

Liu Yushu was rather stunned hearing that. She could not believe that he wanted to break through in a real battle like this. Nonetheless, her eyes immediately started beaming.

She was not envious of Chu Yunfan's elevation. On the contrary, the faster Chu Yunfan elevated, the faster he could help in her own elevation since she had less than a month.

Within a blink of an eye, Liu Yushu's aura grew significantly. She had reached Tier-9 Physical Stage.

If Chu Yunfan could still hold his own against Liu Yushu earlier, this put him under immense stress.

The terrifying pressure suppressed him immediately. After releasing her power a little bit more, Liu Yushu's punching speed was clearly faster. Each punch was like a bullet being fired.

A skill was a skill, but one's strength was the root. When Liu Yushu released her power, she did not have a stronger Devilish Tiger Punch, but the power was twice of what it was before.

Bang!

Chu Yunfan defended her Luring the Tiger. He failed to maintain his position and fell back a few steps. A red mark appeared on his arm. It was terrifying.

Nevertheless, he did not panic at all. On the contrary, he looked excited. He felt his fighting spirit soar. After managing to stabilize himself, he went forward instead of retreating, swiftly charging at her.

Bang!

The two of them were like shadows that kept intersecting. Low hums exploded each time they collided.

As Liu Yushu unleashed more and more of her power, the pressure on Chu Yunfan increased. Even so, he was unafraid. Although his body was in an intense fight, his mind was calm like never before.

He was like the central computer that could process huge amounts of information instantly. His Devilish Tiger Punch seemed perfect before. One could almost say that they could not find his weaknesses at all. The reason being, even if there were flaws, he could change them the moment he attacked.

Given that, as Liu Yushu released her power, Chu Yunfan's punches that initially seemed perfect quickly revealed their many flaws. Some things that did not seem to be errors were revealed as such now.

It made him understand something. Some flaws might not be flaws at first. Perhaps they became flaws from external power, while some assumed flaws might become his most powerful traits.

At that moment, he felt like he had fallen into a mysterious state again. It was magical, as if he was inhumanly calm. He could observe all issues and solve them continuously.

Meanwhile, Liu Yushu was the one who sensed all these the clearest. When she attacked casually in the beginning, Chu Yunfan's flaws were easily seen. However, she gradually noticed that she could no longer see them.

Such improvement was obvious, and she could almost see it with her naked eyes.

Until then, she had to look for Chu Yunfan's flaws carefully to be able to fight him. Such a rate of improvement was indeed stunning.

"You have a real talent for martial skill cultivation!"

Liu Yushu was surprised by Chu Yunfan's performance. This was because he had fixed all of his flaws as his Devilish Tiger Punch improved. He could only endure passively in the beginning, but he could fight back now.

Although his targeted strikes were few, he would aim for the crucial points. He would always attack her flaws, revealing the vulnerabilities in her seemingly perfect punches.

Chu Yunfan's eyes were like an automated scanner, allowing him to find all of the weaknesses as well as counter them accordingly.

It was an opportunity for her to learn. Although she did not seem to be improving faster than Chu Yunfan, whose progress was skyrocketing before her, the speed of her improvement was ten times faster than the private coach she had previously!

That private coach's standards for theory were high indeed, but he could not compare with Chu Yunfan at all when it came to standards for real battles.

Chu Yunfan's gift for martial skill cultivation was shocking. Among Liu Yushu's many genius classmates, none could compare to him. Furthermore, she had never heard of anyone who could improve so much so quickly.

The duo was sparring as if they would not get tired. They would only stop when they could no longer bear it. Their arms were covered with all sorts of bruises and wounds. They would fight again after using the healing spray and recovering.

If they exhausted too much of their strength, they would take the energy elixir to recover.

This time, Chu Yunfan did not mention anything. Although he would have to deduct the price of each bottle of the energy elixir from his coaching fee, he felt that he was at the door of a breakthrough.

Breaking through from the Impeccable to Perfection Stage on the Devilish Tiger Punch was a huge leap, a complete transformation.

In reality, many people cultivated the Devilish Tiger Punch, but only a few could cultivate it to the Perfection Stage. Most people would not spend too much time on such a punching technique. After all, it was just a basic move to train one's body to defend against enemies.

The duo immersed themselves in the battle like maniacs. One hour, two hours, three hours, and then four hours had passed.

They initially agreed on two hours per day of coaching. None of them minded that time was passing by quickly.

Finally, everything changed in the sparring zone. Suddenly, Chu Yunfan seemed as if he had transformed. If one was to close one's eyes, one would feel as though Chu Yunfan was not human at all, but a ferocious tiger on the hunt. He had a stunning aura, and the air around them seemed to have frozen.

Facing Liu Yushu's attack, he merely opened his eyes calmly. Suddenly, his aura spread, as if he was a devilish tiger that was getting off the mountain to hunt.

"King of the Jungle!"

Chu Yunfan charged with his punch, his entire aura contained within it. The wind coming from the punch had practically transformed into an arrow, firing at Liu Yushu.

This punch broke all of the shadows of her punches and charged at her face. She retreated immediately and released her Qi Sea Stage power. She lifted her arm to defend Chu Yunfan's punch.

Bang!

There was a sound from the collision of flesh and bones. Chu Yunfan's attack had finally stopped.

"I suppose this is the last technique of the Devilish Tiger Punch, King of the Jungle. I thought only people at Qi Sea Stage could perform it?" Liu Yushu flung her arm. She could not believe that her arm was rather sore after he punched it earlier.

"That's right, it was indeed the King of the Jungle. I was already at the peak of the Impeccable Stage. However, I have to perform the King of the Jungle to be able to get to the last stage—Perfection Stage. This set of punch techniques would only be considered perfect when I perform the King of the Jungle. I can only break through to the Perfection Stage by doing that!" Chu Yunfan nodded and said calmly.

"That means you must have broken through to the Perfection Stage!" Liu Yushu's eyes lit up. Had she not witnessed it herself, how would she believe that Chu Yunfan had broken through twice within two days?

None of her classmates could compare to such a talent.

"That's right!" Chu Yunfan said.. He had indeed stepped into the last stage of the Devilish Tiger Punch when he performed the King of the Jungle.

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Chapter 22: This Kid's Future is Boundless

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"That's great. Let's spar again. I've a feeling that I'm not far from breaking through now!" Liu Yushu said.

"No, let's call it a day. The King of the Jungle I performed earlier took a toll on me. I've broken a rib!" Chu Yunfan said while shaking his head. With a rib broken, he was just about tolerating the pain.

Only now did he understand why his coach Qin Wu said that one should only perform the King of the Jungle at the Qi Sea Stage. This was because it would take a great toll on one's body.

Only when one cultivated to the Qi Sea Stage did one have enough physical strength for the King of the Jungle.

Even when one got to the Qi Sea Stage, the burden on one's body when performing the King of the Jungle remained intense.

Liu Yushu recalled that as well. Her private coach had told her about it when she was learning the Devilish Tiger Punch. He had merely mentioned it briefly and she did not take it seriously as she was already at the Qi Sea Stage.

Her coach merely reminded her to perform the technique less!

As it happened, she was staring at Chu Yunfan in shock. Her private coach had told her that if one performed the technique forcefully in a battle, they might fracture every bone in their body. The burden was just too great.

Naturally, most Physical Stage martial artists did not have the strength to perform the last technique—King of the Jungle. They would usually stop when they failed half-way through.

Nevertheless, Chu Yunfan performed it in its entirety. Moreover, the only side effect was a broken rib.

That was enough to prove that Chu Yunfan's physique was extraordinary!

"If that's the case, forget it. We still have time, so there's no need to rush. There's emergency medical equipment in my house. Get yourself treatment first. You should be fine by tomorrow after resting for a day!" Liu Yushu said.

In the Common Era, a fractured rib was a serious injury, but it was something minor in the Kunlun Era. One could basically hop around after resting for one or two days.

Such a level of medical technology was needed to support the public's cultivation frenzy. It was normal for one to suffer external and internal injuries from the collisions. Nobody would cultivate if they needed to stop for a hundred days after hurting themselves like back in the Common Era.

"Alright!"

Chu Yunfan was not stubborn. He did not want to go home in agony and worry his parents.

"Come back tomorrow. We won't be sparring. You'll sit out and give me pointers on my cultivation!" Liu Yushu said directly.

"Sure!"

Chu Yunfan nodded.

At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man came in.

He was tall and muscular, and he walked in a majestic manner. When they looked, he had a square face, bushy brows, and big eyes. He seemed powerful.

Chu Yunfan stared at that man and thought he looked a little like Liu Yushu, but his demeanor was similar to Qin Wu's. Clearly, he used to be in the military. The charisma that was deep in his bones would stay even after retirement.

"Dad, why are you here?!" Liu Yushu asked.

Chu Yunfan was taken aback. This was Coach Qin Wu's old comrade, Liu Weiguo. As expected, his aura was similar to his coach's, but he gave out an even more threatening vibe.

This middle-aged man, who looked so ordinary, was actually a Martial Dao powerhouse.

Although there was no proof of that, Chu Yunfan believed his assumption was correct.

"It's time for dinner. Your mom asked me to come here to check on you since you're not at the dinner table!" Liu Weiguo said with a smile. He pampered his daughter very much.

In turn, his daughter did not disappoint him. Even with money, not just anyone could get into Calm Ocean City's No. 1 High School. They had high standards for their students' talent and ability.

"May I know who this is?" Liu Weiguo asked as he looked at Chu Yunfan.

"Dad, this is the student Uncle Qin recommended. His name is Chu Yunfan, and we're the same age. We're both in Year 3!" Liu Yushu said.

"Hi, Director Liu!" Chu Yunfan said and nodded.

Surprise flashed through Liu Weiguo's eyes. He did not suspect something was happening between this young man and his daughter. He just thought it was rather strange.

He remembered his comrade, Qin Wu, called to recommend a sparring partner for his daughter. As it was, he did not think too much about it. He merely wanted to be nice to his old friend.

His daughter seemed easy-going on the surface, but she was actually very proud. She would not even take a university graduate seriously, let alone a student of the same age.

He should have been chased away on the first day!

Nonetheless, given that Chu Yunfan was still there, he had to be someone extraordinary.

"Ah, so you're the student Old Qin recommended. You're a talented young man indeed. Old Qin sure has great judgment!" Liu Weiguo laughed and said, "Thank you for training my daughter in the Devilish Tiger Punch!"

"It's nothing. It's been very beneficial for me too!" Chu Yunfan said immediately.

He thought that it was no wonder Liu Weiguo was a business tycoon.

He had not been bothered by his presence before, but now, he looked like a caring senior, putting people at ease when he spoke.

He was different from Qin Wu after all. Although they were both soldiers to the core, Qin Wu still had the masculinity of a warrior, while Liu Weiguo was much more easy-going since he was in business now.

Such changes were neither good nor bad. They were merely different ways of dealing with people.

"Since you're Old Qin's student, I'm akin to your senior since I'm close to him. It's quite late now. Stay for dinner with us!" Liu Weiguo offered.

His face appeared calm, but the reason he asked Chu Yunfan to stay was that he wondered what this young man had done to convince his daughter to keep him around.

"It's alright. Thank you for your kindness, Director Liu. It's just that my parents are still waiting for me at home for dinner, so I can't stay!" Chu Yunfan replied immediately.

"If that's the case, I won't make you!" Liu Weiguo did not force it upon him.

"Yunfan, I'll ask my bodyguard to take you to get treatment. Go home after that!" Liu Yushu said.

"Thanks!"

Liu Yushu only spoke as he watched Chu Yunfan leave the training room with the bodyguard, "Yushu, what's so special about this Chu Yunfan exactly? I got you a private coach two days ago. Did you fire him?"

"Yes, Dad. That private coach you got me was considered great. But compared to Chu Yunfan, the difference is like heaven and earth!" Liu Yushu said without holding back, "It was Chu Yunfan's first day yesterday, and he helped me break my Devilish Tiger Punch through to the Impeccable Stage!"

"Oh? That's interesting. It seems Old Qin has really discovered a genius?" Liu Weiguo squinted and mumbled.

"It's not an exaggeration to call him a genius. Dad, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. Chu Yunfan had just cultivated the Devilish Tiger Punch to Competent Stage yesterday, and he broke through to the Impeccable Stage during our battle. Not only that, his cultivation base broke through from Joint Popping to Blood Renewal within a day. His Devilish Tiger Punch broke through to the Perfection Stage today. Apparently, he was mediocre for the last ten years before this. I suspect that he might have been enlightened!" Liu Yushu put out her thoughts accordingly.

"Enlightened? If that's the truth, then this kid's future is boundless!" Liu Weiguo said. No matter whether Chu Yunfan had an unexpected gain or he was suddenly enlightened, whereby he transformed from a regular man to a genius, he would be considered a great talent, judging by his performance over the past two days.

"If he can show even more talent in the future, I can recruit him. Our company has formed a reclamation team to explore the Kunlun Realm. Apart from some researchers, scientists, linguists, historians, and so on, we need many Martial Dao powerhouses as well!" Liu Weiguo said, "What's the most lucrative project in modern times? It's the reclamation of the Kunlun Realm. If we discover a ruin, our business would grow even more, and our net worth would rise exponentially. Therefore, we must pay attention to recruiting all sorts of talents!"

"But Dad, isn't reclamation dangerous now? People are often killed doing that!" Liu Yushu said.

"There's nothing that we can do about it. How else do you think humans managed to migrate to the Kunlun Realm within just two centuries? We couldn't possibly advance so fast if we only depended on the government-organized reclamation teams. Naturally, reclaiming the Kunlun Realm is gravely dangerous. We pay a great price for every failure. As it is, our company has reached a bottleneck now. This is a path we must take to go further. Each of the top 500 businesses in the world have reclamation teams in the Kunlun Realm. Even the regular military might not be a match for the best of these teams!" Liu Weiguo said, "Never mind. This is still far beyond you. The only thing you should do now is get into Federation University. The rest is secondary. Just take however much money you want to spend!

"Alright, let's stop discussing this. It's time for dinner. Your mom must be worried from all the waiting!"

"Alright!"

It was late when Chu Yunfan had treated his wounds and returned home. Fortunately, the modern treatment methods were incredible. Although he broke a rib, he felt much better after the preliminary treatment, so Chu Wencheng and Yang Yayun did not find out about it.

The next day, Chu Yunfan did not do anything else apart from resting at home. He went to the Liu residence in the afternoon. This time, he did not spar with Liu Yushu. He merely watched her practice while pointing out some flaws in her Devilish Tiger Punch.

Meanwhile, time passed by quickly, and soon enough, it was time for school as it was Monday.

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Chapter 23: Challenging Feng Deying to A Battle

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Early Monday morning, Chu Yunfan arrived at the school door on time. The difference was, he radiated confidence like never before.

If he had ever had anxiety, it was all gone at this point. He had broken through to Blood Renewal. Getting into the martial arts stream was harder than flying before, but it was a piece of cake for him now.

Just like Liu Yushu, how would he be satisfied with only a place in the martial arts stream now? Instead, he wanted to work hard to get into the elite class. He was still far away from achieving this goal.

Judging by what happened in the previous years, one could only get into the elite class after reaching the peak of Physical Stage, which was Qi Nourishment.

As it was, he still had close to a month, which was enough time to break through.

He had been lagging so far behind for years, so he had to do his best to make up for that. Even so, he had already surpassed all expectations he had had for his future.

The treatment machines at Liu Yushu's house were outstanding. After a single day of rest, his broken rib was almost fully healed. One could not tell that two days ago, even walking had been painful for him.

Chu Yunfan followed the crowd into the school.

When he got to class, half of his classmates had arrived. Chu Yunfan scanned through the other students and found out that Gao Hongzhi had yet to arrive. Actually, it made sense when he thought about it. He usually would not come to school early.

Just as he was going to his seat, he suddenly felt a tall figure standing in his path.

Who else could it be other than Mu Zhenfei?

Mu Zhenfei blocked Chu Yunfan with an unfriendly look.

If this happened in the past, Chu Yunfan would have probably been nervous. He had too little experience with real combat. He would not help but feel anxious even when they were at the same stage.

However, after all that sparring with Liu Yushu over the past few days, he could say he had much experience. Perhaps not many in the class could compare to him.

He merely smiled slightly and said, "Fellow Mu Zhenfei, you're in my way!"

"Chu Yunfan, I want to be in your way. Who do you think you are? You either get beaten up by me, or you'll have to walk around me every time from now on!" Mu Zhenfei glared fiercely at Chu Yunfan as he spoke.

At that moment, Chu Yunfan realized that Mu Zhenfei held a grudge because of what happened before.

"Beat me up? If I remember correctly, it's written in the school rules that we'll be punished if we fight privately!" Chu Yunfan said calmly.

"So be it. Do you think I'm scared of that? Who do you think you are? You're just a piece of trash who can't even get into the martial arts stream!" Mu Zhenfei smirked. He had been bottling up all his rage for the past few days.

He was one step away from getting to Tier-7 Physical Stage, Blood Renewal. As long as he worked hard, breaking through to Blood Renewal within a month was just a matter of time. He was someone who could definitely get into the martial arts stream. Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan certainly could not. To him, Chu Yunfan was a piece of trash, but that piece of trash had defeated him. Not only that, he had done so in one hit.

Chu Yunfan won the admiration of his classmates, while Mu Zhenfei became a laughing stock. Every time they talked about Chu Yunfan's blow, they would make fun of Mu Zhenfei. How could he not be mad?

As he blocked Chu Yunfan, Mu Zhenfei had gotten most of the class's attention. Everyone knew about the grudge between the duo. His embarrassing defeat to Chu Yunfan became the hot topic in class for the past two days.

"Mu Zhenfei wasn't embarrassed enough before, and now he's asking for more!"

"Maybe not. Mu Zhenfei isn't dumb. He was defeated by Chu Yunfan with one hit the last time. Would he dare to fight him again if he didn't have a trump card?"

"This is interesting. Seems that coming to school early was worth it!"

Chu Yunfan put down his bag and shrugged. He said, "Since you're not afraid of being punished, there's nothing that I can say!"

Mu Zhenfei grinned and took a step forward. He charged with Luring the Tiger at Chu Yunfan's face.

Whether speed or strength, he was much more powerful than he had been two days before.

Most of the students were waiting to make fun of Mu Zhenfei, but many of their eyes lit up when he attacked. They could tell that he had broken through with his elevation.

"He has already broken through to Tier-7, Blood Renewal. No wonder!"

"Ah, so he has broken through. If I were him, I'd definitely try to win my dignity back as well!"

"Hahaha, now this is interesting! No matter how powerful Chu Yunfan is, he's merely at Tier-6!"

Facing Mu Zhenfei's punch, Chu Yunfan merely scoffed. He did not even dodge it, and just countered with a punch of his own.

Bang!

Although Chu Yunfan attacked later, his speed was obviously greater and his fist reached the duo's center point faster.

A devastating shriek was heard as soon as the collision happened. They then saw Mu Zhenfei fall back while clutching his arm.

Clearly, he was at a disadvantage from the collision earlier. Chu Yunfan's strength was overwhelming. Even when faced with Liu Yushu at the Qi Sea Stage, he dared to fight her fearlessly, despite the gap in their power.

People at the same stage were hardly a match for him.

Mu Zhenfei did not expect such a result at all. He had been caught off guard. He failed to control his body and had to retreat. However, Chu Yunfan was not done with his attack yet.

He felt something rush at him, and before he knew it, a figure arrived in front of him and kicked him directly on his chest.

Bang!

Mu Zhenfei released a low grunt. The kick sent him flying for a few meters, and he landed hard on the ground.

He was dizzy from the fall, but he was still in disbelief.

"That's impossible. I'm already at Blood Renewal. How did you defeat me?!"

"I wondered why you came to humiliate yourself again. So it's just because you broke through to Blood Renewal. So what? I'm warning you, you better not irritate me. Otherwise, you won't be able to handle the consequences!"

Chu Yunfan did not like Mu Zhenfei at all. His loathing was not only because of their earlier conflict.

Mu Zhenfei had always bullied the regular students just because he was big and tall.

Although it was the era where all could cultivate, not everyone was talented. In reality, only about one-third of all the students in a class could get into the martial arts stream.

Although he was not the most powerful one in class, he was much stronger than average, so he enjoyed bullying the ordinary students on a regular basis.

Chu Yunfan was close with Gao Hongzhi, so Mu Zhenfei hardly bullied him. However, Chu Yunfan had been watching what Mu Zhenfei had been doing. He did not have the ability to do anything, but it was different now. Mu Zhenfei had dared to offend him. Naturally, he would not let this chance slip away. He wanted to teach him a good lesson.

He did not think Mu Zhenfei's breakthrough was unusual. He was already at the peak of Joint Popping before, so it made sense that he broke through to Blood Renewal.

At that moment, the classmates had finally snapped back to their senses.

'Damn, he's so powerful. It's an instant kill again. Oh, no. I'm afraid there's no hope for Mu Zhenfei to win back his honor!'

'Didn't the coach say that he definitely won't be able to get into the martial arts stream? I can't believe he's so powerful!'

'Could it be that he had an unexpected gain? He's so strong. I've seen many people at Blood Renewal, but is anyone as formidable as he is?'

Many of them had such thoughts popping into their heads.

A student who was at Blood Renewal said with a smirk, "How is he so good? I'm also at Blood Renewal, but I don't even have one-third of his strength and speed!"

Many of them could not help but feel shocked when they heard that.

"It's inhuman to have trained to such a level. He's more like a monster. I heard monsters of the same stage are a few times more powerful than human martial artists. They're hard to deal with!"

"Most importantly, he was just a regular person before. How did he become that great so quickly?"

"Chu Yunfan, I can't believe you hurt a classmate at school. It seems the schools' rules don't matter to you!" someone shouted loudly. It was none other than Feng Deying.

Chu Yunfan picked up his bag and glared at Feng Deying, saying, "Oh, the great class monitor. I wonder if your ears are rotten or your eyes are blind? Didn't you see it was he who attacked me? I was merely defending myself. I'm not afraid of you even if you want to report it to the principal!"

Feng Deying's expression changed slightly. He then looked at the class and said, "Did anyone see that it was him who attacked you first? Who can be your witness?!"

He looked terrifying and exuded a faint sense of danger. Those who wanted to stand up for Chu Yunfan became silent.

"I think I can be Fellow Chu Yunfan's witness!" A sweet voice came from the other side of the classroom and the students looked over. Who else could it be if not the vice-monitor, Tang Siyu?

Chu Yunfan was a little stunned. He did not expect that she would be his witness. He nodded slightly to show his gratitude.

That Tang Siyu who would be his witness made Feng Deying look even worse.

"Since it's Siyu who's your witness, there's nothing that I can say. However, I definitely won't stand by if you bully our classmates just because you have Gao Hongzhi supporting you. Otherwise, you'll ruin the class' reputation!" Feng Deying looked fearsome as he pretended to preach about righteousness.

"Class monitor, stop being pretentious. I know you've always despised me. Well, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Let's fight for real in the battle ring in half a month. I don't want you to find excuses to make trouble for me in the future!" Chu Yunfan pointed out Feng Deying's objective openly.

The school prohibited private fights, but it allowed sparring in the battle ring. It was impossible for youths not to stir things up when they practiced martial arts at such an energetic age.

Seemingly worried that Chu Yunfan would take his words back the next second, Feng Deying agreed to that immediately.

"Sure. See you in the battle ring when the time comes!"

He had a cruel grin on his face, as if he could see Chu Yunfan kneeling and begging him half a month later.

Chapter 24: Chu Yunfan's Confidence

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In between classes, Chu Yunfan read the textbook on his tablet. He did not want to only be skilled in martial arts, so he made sure not to neglect the liberal arts. He had been behind all these years, so he had to make up for it.

"Yunfan, are you sure you want to fight Feng Deying?" Gao Hongzhi who was next to him kept asking. He came to school late that day, but he heard about it eventually.

Nobody could help it, since it was a hot topic. Feng Deying was their class monitor, and he was even quite popular among other classes of the same year.

Compared to Feng Deying, Chu Yunfan was just an ordinary student. Only students from the same class knew him before this, and they were going to fight in half a month. No matter which angle one viewed this from, it was big news.

Even the teachers were alerted of this. After investigating, they found out it was indeed Mu Zhenfei who attacked Chu Yunfan first, so they did not do much to Chu Yunfan. They merely spoke to him a little bit, asking him to watch out in the future, and that was all.

On the other hand, after provoking Chu Yunfan, Mu Zhenfei had been injured in their fight. The tendons and bones in his arms were damaged, and he was still being treated at the infirmary.

"Yeah, that's right. He's never liked me since the beginning of time. Instead of letting him find an opportunity to bother me, I'd rather initiate the battle!" Chu Yunfan nodded and said, "I'm sure you heard what happened this morning. Mu Zhenfei came looking for trouble with me out of nowhere. He wanted to win back his dignity after breaking through to Blood Renewal, but I suspect that his breakthrough had something to do with Feng Deying!"

"That's right. I asked around earlier. Mu Zhenfei was at Feng Deying's house the past two days. Hehe, our class monitor put in a lot of effort to fight you. Given that you defeated Mu Zhenfei in one hit, I wonder if he'd be so shameless to come at you again!"

Gao Hongzhi said with a snicker, "But you have to understand that although Feng Deying is irritating, his skill is solid. Even I'm not sure if I could defeat him. Although everyone is saying how powerful you are, in the end, you're at Blood Renewal. You're still far away from reaching Qi Nourishment!"

"Don't worry about it. Since I dared to invite him to a battle half a month later, I'm confident I'll defeat him!" Chu Yunfan said calmly.

"It's great that you're confident. Just tell me if there's anything that you need help with!"

Seeing that Chu Yunfan had made up his mind, Gao Hongzhi said nothing more.

"But how did you get so powerful out of nowhere a few days back? Don't try to tell me all those perfunctory things you tell people. They might not know about you, but do you think I don't know? You were just at Tier-5 Inner Strengthening a few days back and you're already at Tier-7 Blood Renewal now?" Gao Hongzhi could not help but ask.

In the Kunlun Era, it was taboo to ask people about the secret to their cultivation. Liu Yushu was interested in Chu Yunfan's transformation too. She wanted to know, but she could not ask.

However, it was different for Gao Hongzhi. They were close, so he was not worried about such a taboo.

"Would you believe it if I tell you that I've been enlightened?!" Chu Yunfan said while smirking. He and Gao Hongzhi had a close relationship. If it was something ordinary, he would share it with him naturally, but it was different this time. He knew that the consequences would be severe as soon as the secret was revealed.

Not only could die, but he might also drag his family down with him!

Even though Gao Hongzhi was his good friend and was not planning to expose him, he would have to carry the secret for the rest of his life!

Chu Yunfan could only mentally apologize to him.

In truth, his claim that he was enlightened actually made sense. It was just that he had been reborn and was not as simple as having his mind enlightened.

Gao Hongzhi glanced at him and said, "I do. Forget it. I'm not really interested. All I need to know is that you're still my good friend. I only have one request. Please beat him up thoroughly for me. That guy is all about his reputation. I challenged him to a battle a few times before, but he never agreed. You have to thrash him good for me!"

"Definitely. No problem at all!" Chu Yunfan said with a grin.

Since Chu Yunfan said that, he certainly had the confidence.

Tier-7 of the Physical Stage's cultivation was Blood Renewal, and Internal Observation was Tier-8. This stage was neither difficult nor easy.

Internal Observation did not mean that one could really see what was happening inside their body. Instead, when one had mastered their body at a certain level, everything that was happening within them would be reflected in their head. That was the so-called Internal Observation.

The stage required one to master their body accurately after strengthening their physique many times in the past.

By then, one could perform some rather magical abilities. For instance, when they were injured, they could even control the muscles around the wound to stop the bleeding automatically.

Many got stuck at that stage, some even for two years. The reason being, it was too exhausting for the brain when they had to control everything that was happening in their body.

Even when one reached the Internal Observation Stage, getting to such a state was no easy task.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan's mastery over his body was quite impressive after being modified by that mysterious energy. Given that his Devilish Tiger Punch had been cultivated to the Perfection Stage, though it was a basic punch technique, the mastery of his body had peaked throughout the cultivation. Otherwise, it was impossible that he could perform the Devilish Tiger Punch perfectly and reach the Perfection Stage.

Regular people would spend six months to a year mastering their body. All he had to do now was to master the overall system, which would only take a few days.

By then, he would achieve true Internal Observation!

After Internal Observation would be Qi Nourishment. The most important part of that stage was to breathe in a mouthful of True Energy to activate one's dantian in the stomach to form a solid qi sea.

The key to this step was to nourish one's qi. It would usually take a long time, as impacting the dantian to activate one's qi sea was a very dangerous process.

If one had insufficient True Energy and failed to activate their qi sea, it would cause massive damage to the dantian. It might even make achieving Qi Sea Stage impossible for the rest of one's life.

Meanwhile, one could accelerate the process with medicinal pills. Whether in the Ancient Zenith civilization or the modern civilization, there was a pill called the Qi Nourishment Pill. When one consumed it, they would have a huge boost of True Energy in their body, accelerating the process of reaching the Qi Nourishment Stage.

However, such a pill was expensive. It was on par with the Body Refining Pill, whereby it cost 100,000 coins. Not just anyone could afford it. Normally, only those families that had some money to spare could buy them.

In modern society, mass-produced matured ginseng would only cost some 100 coins per catty. When one took it for an extended period, it could improve one's physique, but the process was just too long.

That was why the price of medicinal pills remained high. They could shorten cultivation time significantly. It was not the herbs that were valuable, but the effect of the refined herbs.

It was clear to be seen. Regular people only needed one Qi Nourishment Pill to complete the cultivation of the Qi Nourishment Stage. They could save years of the time needed to nourish qi.

In the time before the alchemy system had been discovered and nobody knew about alchemy, a martial artist would need a couple of years to get to the Qi Nourishment Stage.

Therefore, although the Qi Nourishment Pill was expensive, it was worth it. In truth, there were no people who genuinely lived in poverty in modern society. A regular family could afford it as long as they were willing to bite the bullet.

In any case, it was insufficient for Chu Yunfan. He cultivated using the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method, so the thickness of his meridians and his body's strength were several times greater than people of the same stage.

Meanwhile, it was much more difficult for him to tackle his dantian to activate the qi sea. Regular people only needed one Qi Nourishment Pill, but he needed at least three. That would cost 300,000 at least. Given that he needed to achieve that within a short time, he would need at least two more Qi Nourishment Pills.

In other words, he had to find some way to make at least 500,000 coins. He would only make 180,000 from being Liu Yushu's sparring partner for a month. Although she had paid him 100,000 in advance, that was not enough for even one Qi Nourishment Pill. It was also not enough for him to refine medicinal pills.

Only now that he understood why people in the past included luck as one of the four factors of cultivation. It made sense and was entirely true.

It was indeed time for him to come out with a plan to make money!

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Chapter 25: Breaking Through to Internal Observation, Discovering the Godhead

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Five days later, Chu Yunfan sat on the cushion with his legs crossed in his room in the middle of the night.

He was ready to break through to Internal Observation!

For the past five days, he had been going to school and cultivating as usual daily. He would go to Liu Yushu's place after school to give her pointers on her Devilish Tiger Punch's cultivation.

Everything went on as usual!

Class Monitor Feng Deying did not challenge him over the past few days. He clearly wanted to thoroughly thrash him in the battle half a month later to win his dignity back.

However, that was perfect for Chu Yunfan. He did not have to think about anything else.

Liu Yushu's cultivation in the Devilish Tiger Punch was improving gradually. Although she had yet to reach the Perfection Stage, it was only a matter of time.

She was only one step away from understanding it and breaking through!

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan's role was clear. If he did not give her pointers with his experience as a person who had been through it himself, she would not have improved so quickly!

Nonetheless, Chu Yunfan had no idea when she would break through to the Perfection Stage. The reason being comprehension was different from cultivation. One could cultivate little by little, whereas with comprehension, you either understood it or you did not. There was nothing in between.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfan was a step away from getting to Internal Observation, but he had yet to achieve it.

Throughout the past few days, he had been working on consolidating Blood Renewal before working towards Internal Observation.

Although the Body Refining Pill was expensive, its effect was amazing. Breaking through to Blood Renewal on his own strength would have taken a long time, and then he would need even more time to get it solid.

Instead, he had reached the peak of Blood Renewal in a few days. The effect of the Body Refining Pill had fully manifested.

On the other hand, he was always a step behind whenever he was trying to break through to Internal Observation. It just exhausted too much of his mind whenever he went into the state of Internal Observation.

He began to break through that night.

He focused everything he could to pay attention to his body.

Muscles, bones, meridians. Everything in his body appeared in his head, as if he was having an X-ray.

As more and more images imprinted in his head, he gradually felt strained. Internal Observation exhausted one's mind a little too much.

Theoretically, the first problem of cultivation was only developing one's mind instead of one's life. So-called wisdom cultivation and life cultivation were actually the cultivation of one's physical body and mental strength.

The cultivation of the Physical Stage would mean the refinement of one's physique. It was the cultivation of the body. Conversely, the mind would be the cultivation of one's mental ability.

The main reason it was difficult for one to achieve Internal Observation was that one was cultivating the physical body at the Physical Stage, whereas the cultivation of mental ability was lacking. It would be easy for people with great mental strength and determination to break through to Internal Observation. It would be very difficult for those who were weak-willed and lacked the mental capacity for it.

Meanwhile, Internal Observation was also proof of the accuracy of wisdom cultivation and life cultivation. If one cultivated only wisdom or life, they would be walking on one leg on the path of cultivation. It was impossible that they would get to the end.

Naturally, the physical body was the foundation of everything. Mental cultivation could not be done without sufficient cultivation of the physique.

According to modern cultivation documents, one's brain would develop as one cultivated. Divine abilities would emerge in them, and they would become incredibly strong. They could do anything, like an immortal.

However, it was impossible for all this power to appear out of thin air when divine abilities were activated. It needed the strength of one's physical body to support it. Otherwise, those with unimaginable mental strength would die as soon as they performed their divine abilities. They would exhaust all of the energy in their body.

Although Chu Yunfan did not make it the first time, he managed to perfect the observation of the images in his head each time he tried to break through. The efficiency was stunning.

After just a few days, he had already mastered observing most of his body simultaneously.

Not knowing how long had passed, he felt that he had reached his limit again. His head began to hurt, but he had improved significantly compared to the day before.

"No, I must go on!"

Chu Yunfan clenched his teeth. This time, he planned to hold on to it forcefully. There was only a small portion left that he could not grasp in his Internal Observation.

He did not have much time left. His fight with Feng Deying was in ten days, so he had to break through to Qi Nourishment.

At that moment, he felt as if there were countless needles poking his head. Not knowing how long had passed, he felt a stream in his body all of a sudden. It flowed throughout his entire body, eventually reaching his head.

Suddenly, the piercing pain in his head vanished, and he entered an exceedingly clear state.

The last portion of his body that he had been unable to contain was now included among his Internal Observation images.

"Did I break through to Internal Observation?"

Chu Yunfan soon confirmed that he had indeed broken through to Internal Observation, but he was only at the preliminary stage.

In reality, Internal Observation was an ancient cultivation method. It was a meditation technique, refining the human body as an entire universe. It would deepen the control of the body continuously, cultivating their mental power.

There was no end to it!

At that moment, Chu Yunfan could vaguely sense the existence of some of the bigger meridians. It was said that those skillfull martial artists could even feel their blood vessels, and some could sense the existence of cells when they gazed internally. Only then, could it be said to be mastered.

In reality, they had to break through Internal Observation before activating their qi sea. This was because the amount of True Energy in one's body would surpass its normal capacity after the qi sea was activated. If they did not master it, they could be overwhelmed by recklessness. The True Energy would devour them.

The more they could control their body, the less likely they would encounter such blowback. Some could even cultivate True Energy to be an instinct of their body by then.

In any case, he was proficient enough in Internal Observation for him to proceed to the next stage, Qi Nourishment.

However, just when he was going to exit the state of Internal Observation, he suddenly noticed something. He saw that there was something in his upper dantian that reflected in his mind. Although he could sense its shape and size, it shocked him.

Was that not the Godhead that the Alchemy Emperor and many other Emperors fought for in the Ancient Zenith civilization?

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Chapter 26: Talent Black Market

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Through Internal Observation, Chu Yunfan could not believe that he discovered a Godhead in his head. Furthermore, there was a scroll wrapped around the Godhead. It appeared in his head out of nowhere, and he did not feel anything.

At that moment, he understood many things, including how he was thoroughly altered and how his talent had grown so much. Perhaps everything came from that Godhead.

It had integrated into his head completely. Very soon, Chu Yunfan found out that there were glimmers that he could only 'see' appearing around the Godhead whenever he cultivated. That was when he felt the cooling sensation, making him feel exhilarated and cutting his cultivation time in half while elevating the efficiency.

It turned out the Godhead was the reason!

Meanwhile, the landscape painting scroll that existed in his head was wrapped around the Godhead. No matter what Chu Yunfan did, he could not move the painting.

He had to leave it be. He speculated that he had insufficient mental power, so he could not move the painting nor could he trigger any reaction from it.

Many magic tools were excavated from the Ancient Zenith civilization ruins, and some were still functioning. There were even magic tools that were made following the records in the Ancient Zenith civilization books.

Based on some of the documents the Federation government published, one would require an exceedingly great amount of mental power to be able to use those magic tools. Chu Yunfan had not reached that level yet.

Moreover, the Godhead had come a long way if it was from the Ancient Zenith civilization. It had traveled for so long and reached the modern era. Clearly, it was not some ordinary magic tool, so it was much more difficult to activate it.

"Forget it. Since I can't move the Godhead or the scroll, I'll figure it out in the future!"

Since there was nothing that he could do in any case, he could only put the matter aside.

For the moment, his top priority would be making more money!

After Internal Observation would be Qi Nourishment. He could only activate his qi sea by taking in a mouthful of True Energy, and the process was just too long and dreadful. Moreover, Chu Yunfan's physique was more powerful than average. Taking in a mouthful of True Energy would be several times more difficult for him.

According to his estimate, he would need at least five Qi Nourishment Pills. Even if he could refine them himself, excluding the labor fee, he would need 300,000 coins at least.

The medicinal pills that could help one save time and elevate faster had always been expensive, and the price would only get higher.

Suddenly, Chu Yunfan thought of something. Apart from the cost of the herbs, the main reason the price of medicinal pills kept going up was the expensive labor fee for the alchemist.

Since that was the case, why did he not refine pills for others?

Although the number of alchemists was much higher compared to some years ago, it still could not meet the demand on the medicinal pill market.

Given that many alchemists were recruited by all sorts of factions, groups, and the Federation government, that meant they no longer serve the common people. In reality, the demand for alchemists remained high.

Meanwhile, the Alchemist Association usually only sold common medicinal pills. They did not have medicinal pills with unique effects. Even if someone obtained the recipe, they would still need an alchemist to refine it for them.

On the other hand, the alchemists found through the Alchemist Association would have to pay the high taxes for the medicinal pills, whether the pills were for themselves or to be sold. It would be a different story when one found an alchemist privately. They could save a significant amount on the fee.

However, Chu Yunfan only had an advanced-level alchemy apprentice license. According to the rules, he was prohibited from refining medicinal pills for others. Meanwhile, the official alchemy trainee's test would only be held at the Alchemist Association itself. One would have to take the test, and the next test would only take place a month later.

Obviously, Chu Yunfan could not wait until next month no matter what.

This made him recall another type of market—the talent black market.

Compared to the regular talent market, a talent black market was not run out in the open, but many people knew about it anyway. Those with various requirements that needed to be met would look for help at the talent black market.

There were all sorts of people in there, and there were also wanted notices with handsome rewards hanging about. However, the strange thing was that security at a talent black market was better than other places. Regular people did not have to worry about their safety when they got in. It was said that there was a powerful force supporting the talent black market. Nobody dared to do as they wished there, or they would suffer savage retribution.

It made sense when one thought about it. Such a talent black market had yet to be banned by the Federation government. Meanwhile, many people knew about its existence. One would figure that the force behind the talent black market must be someone extraordinary.

Chu Yunfan had heard Gao Hongzhi mention it before. That was how he found out about such a place.

Naturally, one's safety was no longer guaranteed as soon as they visited the talent black market.

He could not refine medicinal pills for others at the proper platforms as he did not have the relative license. However, it was a different story at the talent black market. Nobody would ask to see his license. In reality, there were many alchemist apprentices who would look for business at the talent black market.

The reason being the official alchemists would have many factions and consortiums making them offers. They were not short of funds.

Popular alchemists would be millionaires or even billionaires. They had no problem making money at all.

It was those alchemist apprentices who did not have a steady income. If they wanted to stand out in the field of alchemy, apart from being trained and pampered by those factions, consortiums, or the Federation government, this was the only way to make a living.

Even official alchemists would look for jobs at the talent black market, but they looked for the rather high-end jobs. They did not have to pay taxes to the Federation government for such illegal jobs. There were people protecting them in the talent black market, so there was nothing to stop them.

Since Chu Yunfan had made up his mind, he no longer hesitated.

The next day was a Sunday. Seizing on that, he took the bus to an area between Calm Ocean City and Donghua City in the early morning. It was the intersection between the jurisdiction of both cities, which was the managerial blind spot. That was the foundation of the talent black market's existence.

Chu Yunfan had finally arrived at the talent black market rumored by the many citizens for the very first time. However, it was very crowded. It was on par with the regular talent market.

They were not afraid of being discovered at all, and Chu Yunfan was amazed by that. The force that supported the talent black market might be invincible in Calm Ocean City and Donghua City.

He hesitated no more and blended in with the crowd.

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Chapter 27: Business Came to Him

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Although this talent black market was illegal, it was unexpectedly orderly. It even had an exclusive management agency to handle all sorts of issues. Clearly, there was a major faction supporting this and it had not just come out of nowhere.

The first thing Chu Yunfan did when he arrived at the talent black market was to go to the management agency, which was located in a skyscraper.

He paid 5,000 coins to apply for a stall at the talent black market. It was the smallest stall, and it could be rented for 5,000 per day. As for what he was going to sell, the talent black market did not care. They did not even ask about his background or name.

If they were to ask questions, perhaps they would scare many away and people would not dare to come. Even though the talent black market was operating openly, it was a black market after all. Those who came in looking for business were still illegal.

It operated the same as all black markets. They would not ask about one's background or what they were going to do. They merely did what they were supposed to do. Since it was a black market, naturally, dog-eat-dog situations were inevitable. One could only depend on oneself.

Chu Yunfan rented a small stall, and he put 'Refining all sorts of medicinal pills at a discounted price!' on the digital screen in front of it.

He then sat with his legs crossed. He cultivated while waiting for customers to come to him.

Although the stall he applied for was located in a rather secluded area in the talent black market, the foot traffic was quite high. There were many people coming to enquire about alchemy in the morning.

However, they immediately lost interest as soon as they heard that he merely had an advanced-level alchemy apprentice license.

Chu Yunfan looked like a teenager, which was another reason nobody trusted him. Those medicinal pills would cost tens of thousands to even hundreds of thousand coins, so nobody was willing to take the risk.

Finally, a slender figure approached Chu Yunfan. He lifted his head and saw a lady with a slim body before him. She looked to be about 20 and had exquisite features. She had proper makeup on and a neat professional uniform.

"You sure are boastful to say that you can refine medicinal pills of all sorts. Can you really do that?" Her doubt was plain to see as it flashed across her face.

It sounded like she had met with many alchemists. Normally, all alchemists at such a talent black market would list all of the medicinal pills that they could refine so it was convenient for the clients to choose from. Normally, no one had the audacity to say that they could refine all sorts of medicinal pills.

"I wouldn't dare to say that I can refine all, but most of the common medicinal pills shouldn't be a problem for me!" Chu Yunfan said.

That young lady was obviously even more doubtful and asked, "Do you have an alchemist license?"

"Nonsense. Of course I don't have an alchemist license. Would I be at this black market if I had one? I would've gone to the regular talent market!"

Chu Yunfan was getting rather impatient. This lady seemed to be skeptical and appeared to be mocking him with her questions.

"You…" Chu Yunfan had triggered the young lady, but what he said next quickly calmed her down.

"Would I be here if I didn't have the proper tools or talent? Do you think I applied for a stall here at 5,000 coins per day just to waste your time?" Chu Yunfan said.

The lady thought about it and figured it made sense. Those who came to the black market were usually not exactly good people. Some even planned to do something harmful there. Nobody would be bored enough to apply for a stall just to waste people's time.

"Tell me, what medicinal pill do you want to refine?" Chu Yunfan asked.

Although he was a little testy, he did not want to give up on this client. Of all the potential clients that came by in the morning, she was the only one who did not leave right away. It seemed she had greater urgency than the rest. Even though he looked like a teenager who did not even have an alchemist license, she did not want to give up on the opportunity.

After considering, the lady said, "I'm thinking of refining a batch of Body Refining Pills!"

"Body Refining Pills? Why don't you go to the Alchemist Association instead?" Chu Yunfan asked rather doubtfully.

It seemed this lady was something else. The Body Refining Pill was a regular medicinal pill that was sold legally. It was not a controlled medicinal pill, so the fastest way to get it was to go to the Alchemist Association directly.

Moreover, she was clearly not consuming them herself since she wanted to refine a batch of them. She must have been planning to sell them. Why would she come to the talent black market to do legitimate business?

Although the talent black market usually had the upper hand when it came to prices, there were all sorts of dangers there. Nobody dared to act recklessly within the market, but it would be a different story as soon as they left.

With the demand for Body Refining Pills, profit was guaranteed even if one was to look for the alchemists at the Alchemist Association to refine them. Fewer people would come to the talent black market looking for unlicensed alchemists to do such a job.

Normally, those who came to them wanted to refine some medicinal pills that were unapproved and unusual, or illegal medicines that were officially banned.

Although the excavation and restoration works of the Ancient Zenith Civilization were mainly done by the Federation government, in reality, there were many consortiums, big companies, major sects, and Saint Lands with their own reclamation teams. That was how many illegal medicine recipes ended up in their hands. They would then be shared to interested parties through various channels.

Not all factions had the ability to train their own alchemists. In that case, the talent black markets would be the best choice.

There were many illegal medicines that the Alchemy Emperor was familiar with in Chu Yunfan's memory. These medicinal pills were illegal because they were either not thoroughly researched or had excessive side effects on the human body.

"You don't need to know why I came to you. Let me ask you this, since you said you can refine all sorts of medicinal pills, can you refine Body Refining Pills or not?" the lady asked.

"It's just the Body Refining Pill. Naturally, it won't be a problem at all!" Chu Yunfan nodded. Although he had his doubts, he decided to take up the job in the end. He did not care why she came to the black market.

He wanted to seize the opportunity to make a bucket of gold. Many things that he had planned would be much easier with the money.

The thing that Chu Yunfan was most lacking now was seed money. The path of cultivation in the future would be a process of spending a fortune. This was just the beginning.

Since that lady said she wanted to refine a batch of Body Refining Pills, the quantity would be high. He might be able to make the 400,000 coins that he needed.

"Anyway, I can't trust you just like that. You must first prove your ability!" the lady said in all seriousness.

"Sure, that's no problem at all!"

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Chapter 28: A Chance

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lu Qingxuan was in her twenties and had just graduated from university. Though young, she was the owner of a medicinal pill trading business. She had inherited the company from her father, but she was considered the cream of the crop among the students of her batch.

Her father's poor health led to an early retirement, so she took over his business in Calm Ocean City. Since taking the reins, it was inevitable that she would be underestimated as a young lady. However, by relying on the foundations her father built and the connections he developed, the business was said to have bloomed.

Even so, a great change took place a month ago. A young master named Chu Zhiguo was interested in her. It started out as nothing.

Since young, she had always had a stunning appearance. With her elegant features and slender body, she was called a goddess at school. She had many suitors, including some young masters from big companies.

Nevertheless, she rejected all of them. She had no interest in those young masters who were dependent on their parents. It was a feudal society that they were living in, so even the major factions were being controlled. It was impossible that women would be dominated by men like in the olden times.

Therefore, she did not care about all that. She thought Chu Zhiguo would leave her alone after some time.

She never expected that he would be enraged after courting her for half a year and still he yielded no results. He threatened to boycott her company, destroying her place in the industry.

Initially, she did not give it a thought, but she noticed that Chu Zhiguo was being serious after an incident with a business deal.

A high-ranking member of the company signed a huge deal to trade 100 Body Refining Pills when she was not paying attention. It cost close to ten million coins. If the trade was successful, the company would make up to a million.

To a big company, ten million coins was nothing, but to a small company like hers, it was an enormous sum.

If the deal succeeded, she would become the trusted director of the company, but something went wrong. The employee who signed the deal was soon poached by another company, and the two alchemists that the company hired resigned at the same time.

When she was looking for other alchemists, she found out that all of them were warned to not serve her. Obviously, a trap had been set for her.

The agreed liquidated damages for the business were very high. If she failed to do as the agreement said, she would have to pay compensation of up to ten million coins.

The market value of her small company was only worth ten million coins in total. In order to complete the deal, she even took a loan of a million coins from the bank to purchase herbs to refine into Body Refining Pills.

If they failed to complete the task, her company would go bankrupt.

At that point, Chu Zhiguo appeared before her. By then, she knew it was he who was doing everything behind her back.

The Chu family's Tengda Group that Chu Zhiguo worked at was the major dealer for herbs. It was influential in the medicinal pill market in Calm Ocean City, and it was one of the top-ranked groups in all of Donghua City.

The main business of Tengda Group was herbs and medicinal pills. They had to deal with alchemists, so alchemists were important to them.

Even the alchemists from the Alchemist Association had to obey the Tengda Group's orders. After all, they did not need to pay anything. All they needed to do was not refine medicinal pills for Lu Qingxuan's company. By doing that, the Tengda Group would owe them a favor. They were happy to do it since it cost them nothing.

Even though that was the case, Lu Qingxuan was unwilling to yield to Chu Zhiguo. When he was courting her, she had heard something about him. He was overbearing and arrogant. Naturally, she was unwilling to date such a person.

She got her people to look for any alchemists who were willing to work for her company at the Alchemist Association while contacting alchemists elsewhere.

As it got closer to the deadline, all of her efforts seemed like death throes. It was completely futile.

The date of delivery was the next day, and there was no time left. Even she was in despair. Therefore, she thought she would try her luck at the black market, but the Tengda Group's influence had clearly reached the alchemists there as well.

The alchemists at the black market were either unable or unwilling to take up the job and offend the Tengda Group even if they were capable.

When she saw Chu Yunfan, she was planning to leave considering that he was so young and most likely a high school student.

There were high schoolers who got an alchemy apprentice license. In fact, there were quite a few of them, but the problem was alchemy apprentices could not refine the Body Refining Pill.

The few pills an alchemy apprentice was required to refine during the tests excluded pills such as the Body Refining Pill.

Even beginner-level alchemy trainees were not familiar with that. Only intermediate-level alchemy trainees could refine it.

Moreover, it was not that she wanted one or two, but up to 100 Body Refining Pills. One or two alchemy trainees could not complete the task within a short period of time.

However, Chu Yunfan's confidence gave her some hope. It was like a person who was drowning would be unwilling to let go even if they were merely grabbing at straw.

"Of course, you wouldn't believe it when I'm only talking about it. Since you're here looking for someone to refine the Body Refining Pills, I'm sure you must've prepared all the herbs needed to do so. Would you like to find out whether I'm capable by getting me to refine one?" Chu Yunfan said confidently, "Furthermore, I'm sure I'm not the only one you talked to along the way. I've no idea why they're unwilling to refine for you, but since you're left with no choice, I think you should give me a chance. It's not a bad idea!"

"Alright. Since that's the case, follow me!" Lu Qingxuan said.

Chu Yunfan followed Lu Qingxuan and arrived at the garage on the side of the talent black market. Her flying car was parked there.

Judging by the car, Chu Yunfan knew that Lu Qingxuan was wealthy, at least more so than his family. Actually, she was not that rich. All the flying cars parked at Liu Yushu's house looked much more expensive than Lu Qingxuan's.

After the two of them had taken their seats, the flying car quickly activated.. It shot into the sky and flew towards Calm Ocean City.

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Chapter 29: Pill Refinement Techniques by the Book

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Soon, Lu Qingxuan arrived at a business district in Calm Ocean City as she drove her flying car. Her company was in the district.

It was an individual office building. Although it was rented, one could tell that her company had great revenue indeed. If not for the trouble Chu Zhiguo brought upon her, she would not have had to face such issues.

Chu Yunfan saw what had befallen the company as he followed Lu Qingxuan in. The building looked rather deserted. Although it was a Sunday, there was not even a security guard there. Obviously, something wrong had happened to their operations.

Very soon, Chu Yunfan followed Lu Qingxuan to the alchemy lab in the company's lower levels. The company she ran was related to medicinal pills and herbs, and it usually refined the pills for sale themselves. However, the lab had been closed since the two alchemists from the company were poached.

Nevertheless, the entire alchemy lab used the latest dust-free technology. Although it had been a while since it was used, it was still clean and new.

Meanwhile, the herbs to refine Body Refining Pills were all piled together in a corner of the lab.

Chu Yunfan took a glance at them and asked, "Are you planning to refine a hundred Body Refining Pills?"

"How do you know? I don't think I mentioned that to you!"

Lu Qingxuan looked at Chu Yunfan in surprise. She did not mention how many Body Refining Pills she wanted to refine along the way. She merely said she wanted a batch.

Chu Yunfan stood with his hands behind his back. He was checking the freshness of the herbs as he casually answered, "That's the basics for an alchemist. It's nothing!"

Although Lu Qingxuan was quite doubtful of Chu Yunfan's abilities, she trusted him a little more after he managed to tell how many Body Refining Pills she wanted to refine just by sight. It seemed almost magical.

"This is our first time working together, so it makes sense that we don't truly trust each other. I'll refine one Body Refining Pill for you first. After you've seen my technique, we can talk about the collaboration!" Chu Yunfan said shamelessly. He knew that it was rather difficult for Lu Qingxuan to believe him just like that. He thought he would refine a Body Refining Pill to show her.

Chu Yunfan ignored her rather suspicious expression and walked to the alchemical furnace before him. He lit the fire and added some water. He was as smooth as a flowing river with his movements, as if he had refined medicinal pills countless times.

"Your words are pretty boastful. I wonder if you're genuinely so capable!" Lu Qingxuan said with some suspicion. She could no longer tell at this point. Chu Yunfan's performance confused her a little, so she was not sure whether he was well-versed in alchemy.

Very soon, the water in the alchemical furnace had boiled. Chu Yunfan walked to the side and grabbed a bunch of herbs, tossing them into the alchemical furnace.

"Hey, you didn't even weigh the herbs. You tossed them in just like that!" Lu Qingxuan said immediately, feeling speechless.

Although she was incapable of refining medicinal pills, her company had long-term contracts with the two intermediate-level alchemy trainees. She had seen them refining a few times, and they were careful in every step they took. They took precise notes of when and how many herbs to add. The effect of the pills would be significantly different if they made a single error.

The difference between alchemists would be shown here. Their capabilities could not be decided merely by the number of recipes they were familiar with. The medicinal pills refined by different levels of alchemists would be like heaven and earth though it was the same recipe.

"Don't worry. This is the right way!" Chu Yunfan said assertively.

Seeing his confident appearance, Lu Qingxuan suddenly recalled the two alchemists who used to work at her company.

They mentioned before that alchemists who relied on modern technology like them were rogue or illegal alchemists without a proper inheritance.

The alchemists who had a real inheritance would obtain the correct amount of herbs they needed just by grabbing. They had the inheritance that did not have to rely on modern technology at all, but it was rare to see alchemists with such an inheritance. Even those two alchemists had only heard about it, but they had never seen one.

'Could it be that Chu Yunfan is an alchemist with an inheritance?'

After having that thought popped into her head, Lu Qingxuan got rid of it immediately.

'How is that possible? Judging by Chu Yunfan's face, he's clearly a regular high schooler. How could he be an alchemist with an inheritance?'

Those people with an inheritance came from noteworthy backgrounds. They worked with all factions, major groups, and even the Federation government. They were not lacking in money at all.

How was it possible that he would be here to refine medicinal pills for money? She thought it was most unlikely.

Despite all that, she inexplicably had some hope rising in her. If this was really what she was expecting, it could save her company from going bankrupt.

Subsequently, she saw Chu Yunfan did not even watch the alchemical furnace. Instead, he sat with his legs crossed. She could not believe that he was cultivating.

"Is it alright that you're not watching the fire?"

Chu Yunfan was calm, but Lu Qingxuan was panicking. Although she had low expectations of him, she hoped that he would make it.

"Don't worry. It's fine. I've refined such Body Refining Pills many times. I won't make a mistake even if I close my eyes!" Chu Yunfan said calmly and then closed his eyes again to meditate.

At that moment, the pill refinement had begun. No matter how little Lu Qingxuan knew, she understood that she should not interrupt him now. Although she was secretly frantic, she could only watch. Soon enough, something magical happened. When she was going to remind Chu Yunfan to add more herbs according to the recipe, she saw him opening his eyes and adding the herbs himself.

It was the perfect amount of herbs. It was one thing if he got it right the first time, but he added herbs accurately while closing his eyes several times. He was familiar with the switch between divine fire, mild fire, and strong fire.

It was as if there was an automatic alarm in his body that was reminding him.

Lu Qingxuan was impressed. Chu Yunfan's incredible performance gradually increased her confidence.

Finally, it was time for the medical pill to be taken out of the furnace. Chu Yunfan appeared calm while Lu Qingxuan clenched her hands so tightly that her fingers had turned pale. To him this might have been a minor task, but it was of the utmost importance to her. It would decide whether her company would go under or not.

As white steam spouted, the huge alchemical furnace cover opened automatically. Seeing the real thing for the first time, Chu Yunfan could not help but feel impressed. There were indeed many advantages to modern civilization.

During the Ancient Zenith in the Alchemy Emperor's memory, it was not as simple for an alchemist to open an alchemical furnace. It would take a lot of effort.

There was a herbal fragrance. Judging by the scent alone, Chu Yunfan was sure that the Body Refining Pill had been completed.

Lu Qingxuan walked over to pick up the pill immediately. Having just been made, the pill was still hot, but she no longer cared. She had a cultivation base as well. After wrapping her hands with a layer of True Energy, she began to check it out while holding it.

Although she was unfamiliar with alchemy, she was in this business after all and had the basic judgment for that.

It was undoubtedly a Body Refining Pill. Even the color was perfect.

At that moment, Lu Qingxuan was a little astonished when she looked at Chu Yunfan. Although medicinal pills could be refined by following the recipe, each alchemist had different capabilities. If they were to add the herbs just a few seconds too late, it would affect the end product.

Normally, a medicinal pill with 70% of the right color would be considered to have passed. It would be a luxurious medicinal pill if it had 80% of the right color, and above 90% would depend entirely on chance. Only those with good luck could refine that.

Only if each step one took in the process was precise, by the book, and free of any errors could 100% color accuracy be achieved.

It definitely did not depend on luck. It was only possible when one understood the recipe to its core.

Clearly, the young man before her had achieved that!

When Lu Qingxuan looked at Chu Yunfan, she seemed rather shocked.

If Lu Qingxuan suspected that he was just boasting, all of her doubts vanished after she witnessed him refining a Body Refining Pill with the perfect color.

She was thoroughly surprised. She knew how rare it was for one to refine a medicinal pill with the perfect shade, and it was certainly not achievable with luck alone.

That was why she wanted to know who exactly this young man before her was!

Only intermediate-level alchemy trainees could refine a Body Refining Pill, but to refine one with the perfect color was only possible for an official alchemist.

"I…" Lu Qingxuan had no idea what to say.

On the other hand, next to her, Chu Yunfan said, "How is it? You've checked the color. I'm sure it's fine!"

"It's all good, it's all good. So you're a master, I apologize for being rude!" Lu Qingxuan said immediately.

Alchemists had a high status in human society. Although only official alchemists could be called a master, some were willing to call an alchemy trainee a master too. Nobody would refuse to hear something nice about them.

In this case, Lu Qingxuan spoke with sincerity. At least when it came to medicinal pill refinement, Chu Yunfan could indeed be called a master.

"Since you're done watching, let's discuss the price if you want to hire me!" Chu Yunfan said.

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Chapter 30: Refining Medicinal Pills Maniacally

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

If Lu Qingxuan was skeptical of Chu Yunfan's abilities in the beginning, she no longer had any doubts about him now.

Thus, they began discussing his price so that he could start working.

"I researched the price at the black market earlier, and Body Refining Pill costs around 100,000 coins. You want a hundred, so I'll do the math for you. How about one million coins?" Chu Yunfan asked.

The price was half that of what it would cost to get a regular alchemist to refine the pills.

That was the price offered at the black market. Those who looked for an alchemist at the black market were either like Lu Qingxuan, who had no other options, or they were looking to refine some rather unique medicinal pills. They basically wanted a lower price.

The black market would not be so enticing if it was expensive. After all, legal alchemists were more reliable as they had the Alchemist Association supporting them.

Most of the alchemists who looked for business at the talent black market had no license. Apart from making money, they wanted to practice.

Even if one was talented, it was impossible that they would master the medicinal pill refinement techniques without experience.

In turn, alchemy training cost a lot of money. Unless one joined a big group or faction and got them to pay for their training, they would need to find ways to pay for it themselves.

Although the Body Refining Pill was not considered an advanced medicinal pill, the herbs would cost tens of thousands of coins. One would need to invest at least several million to be able to master refining it.

If one wanted to take the test to become an official alchemist, then they would need to master more than just the Body Refining Pill. The investment was terrifying when one thought about it.

That was the real reason why so many alchemists would go to the talent black market.

The beginning stage for an alchemist was purely consumption of materials, but improved as they became more adept.

When one became an alchemy trainee, they could handle the exhaustive process, and they could even sell the medicinal pills they refined.

Although the opportunities to make money increased significantly when one became an alchemy trainee, they would need to buy more herbs to practice refining other medicinal pills if they wanted to improve further. That would be another huge sum of money.

When an alchemy trainee became an official alchemist, that was when things truly turned profitable.

It was a piece of cake for the official alchemists to have a net worth of tens of millions of coins. Although their expenses for regular alchemy were huge, they could still make a profit out of their profession.

Because of this, Chu Yunfan was not worried about his sister Chu Qingxuan's illness. For a person with a normal job, it was an impossible mission to pay the ten million coins it could cost to treat congenital gene defects.

However, with the Alchemy Emperor's memories, it was not a difficult goal for Chu Yunfan.

As soon as he managed to seal this deal, he would have the money to refine the Qi Nourishment Pills.

However, Lu Qingxuan's expression looked rather embarrassed as soon as Chu Yunfan was done speaking.

"M-Master, I'm sure you can tell that my company isn't doing well. We used all of the company's capital to purchase this batch of herbs. The deadline is tomorrow. To be honest, if I didn't meet you today, I might have been bankrupt by then!" Lu Qingxuan could no longer be subtle as she talked about this.

In reality, all of the company's funds were invested in this.

Indeed, Chu Yunfan had a feeling that he was being tricked. He considered just leaving right away, but after thinking about it for a moment, he chose not to in the end. If he did not make a deal with Lu Qingxuan, whether anyone would give him a chance aside, such a big sale would rarely come his way again.

It could be worth up to a million coins to him.

"It's fine if you can't pay me cash now, but we'll need a contract!" Chu Yunfan declared.

If they were doing business at the black market, they would usually not sign a contract, as they would deal with cash instead.

However, if one could not pay cash right away, they would definitely need to come up with a contract.

"Sure, no problem. Thank you so much, master!"

Lu Qingxuan felt as if she was on an emotional rollercoaster. She was at the bottom and then was catapulted right to the peak.

If Chu Yunfan disagreed, she would really have to file for bankruptcy. There was nothing else that she could do.

One could say that the success or failure of the company her father founded would depend on Chu Yunfan's decision.

"We'll need to send the Body Refining Pills out tomorrow. According to the contract, the company that ordered the pills would transfer three million coins tomorrow. At that point, paying you a million coins won't be a problem for me!" Lu Qingxuan said immediately.

At that moment, Chu Yunfan was her only hope, so she wanted to give him all the details.

"Sure, let's sign the contract now. When you can, just transfer the money to my account!" Chu Yunfan said, "However, I'll be spending most of the money on herbs and pill refinement. Could I purchase the materials to refine five Qi Nourishment Pills from you? Also, can I use your company's alchemy lab?"

Chu Yunfan could feel how inconvenient it was to not have his own alchemy lab. It was very troublesome. If he did not borrow her lab, then he would have to go to the Alchemist Association again.

"Sure! Please help yourself, master!" Lu Qingxuan said immediately. At that moment, she was eager to butter up this master before her. It did not matter how young he looked.

Given that her company was in the medicinal pills and herbs business, they were eager to flatter alchemists.

With their skills, even if they fell out with a company, there would be other companies willing to take them in. Conversely, if her company was to fall out with alchemists, the consequences would be severe.

Now that Chu Yunfan had shown his value, the price was merely lending him their alchemy lab. It was nothing at all. She might need his help again in the future.

Although Lu Qingxuan had guessed that Chu Yunfan was young, she was still shocked when they showed their IDs during the contract signing.

"Master, you're genuinely a high schooler!" Lu Qingxuan could not help but exclaim in shock.

However, she did not look down on Chu Yunfan despite him still being in high school. On the contrary, she looked up to him more. For a high schooler to be able to refine the Body Refining Pill was a miracle.

She had seen many talented people. She found those with a gift for alchemy to be attractive too, not just those skilled in Martial Dao. Since she was in this industry, she would definitely pay attention to people like him. She had never heard of anyone called Chu Yunfan, let alone someone who could easily refine the Body Refining Pill when he was so young.

Clearly, he did not refine by mistake or luck and was truly capable.

He was obviously a talented young alchemist.

One could only say that there were just too many hidden talents in the world. Not only those in the limelight were gifted.

"Do you have any questions about this?" Chu Yunfan asked as he read the words in the digital contract.

After confirming everything was fine, a copy of the contract would be uploaded to the virtual network as a copy.

If it was a more important contract, the contract would even be printed out to be signed on paper. However, it was not the regular paper used in the Common Era, but a special paper that would not rot even hundreds of years later if one was to preserve it properly.

It was the advantage of the explosion in technological advancement after the disaster.

"No, no!" Lu Qingxuan said immediately while shaking her head, worried that Chu Yunfan would backout.

After both of them signed the contract, Chu Yunfan began to refine the medicinal pills.

Refining a hundred medicinal pills was undoubtedly a big project. It was huge even with the Alchemy Emperor's memories.

He had to guarantee that he would not make any mistakes each time. If he made a mistake, he would waste one to two hours of his time and effort.

The biggest reason modern medicinal pills were expensive was that they could not be mass-produced. A regular intermediate-level alchemy trainee could only refine one Body Refining Pill at most each time.

Even if they had a perfect rate of success, it would require a couple of days to refine a hundred of them.

Including time for rest, failures, and other factors, even two intermediate-level alchemy trainees would need at least a month to refine a hundred Body Refining Pills.

As it was, Chu Yunfan impressed Lu Qingxuan with what he did next. She was surprised because a regular intermediate-level alchemy trainee could only refine one Body Refining Pill at the same time.

On the other hand, Chu Yunfan could refine five simultaneously. When he did that in the beginning, she thought he was out of his mind, but she soon realized that she was wrong. Just because she thought it was impossible did not mean Chu Yunfan could not do it.

He was the opposite of what one expected, as if he existed just to turn her perceptions around completely.

The first time, Chu Yunfan was worried that he would fail if he refined multiple Body Refining Pills. He only limited himself because he was worried he would waste time and herbs. Otherwise, he could refine even more at the same time.

After all, he had the Alchemy Emperor's memories. If the Alchemy Emperor was there himself, it was a piece of cake for him to refine 50 at once, leave alone five. There was still a huge disparity between them. Experience was not the only problem.

By the time Chu Yunfan had refined a hundred Body Refining Pills, it was already afternoon the next day.

In order to refine the hundred Body Refining Pills, he asked Liu Yushu for a day off. He also called home to explain himself before he began to focus on pill refinement.

It had taken 20 hours and he did not dare to rest the whole time and was exhausted in the end. He had completed the pill refinement, so he would let Lu Qingxuan do the rest. All he had to do now was to receive the money for the pill refinement.

He did not have to rest for too long. He merely meditated for a little while. When he recovered some of his strength, he headed to the Liu residence to give tips on Devilish Tiger Punch cultivation to Liu Yushu.

Meanwhile, it was the next morning when his bank reminded him that 700,000 coins had been transferred to his account.. Lu Qingxuan transferred him the money as promised.

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Chapter 31: A Sister's Care

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The next morning, Chu Yunfan had received 700,000 coins.

According to the contract, he would be paid a million for the pill refinement for Lu Qingxuan this time. She used the 300,000 coins to purchase the materials to refine Qi Nourishment Pills for him, while transferring the remaining 700,000 to his account.

'I got the money now. It's a few days earlier than I expected!' Chu Yunfan thought to himself.

The battle with Feng Deying would take place in approximately a week. It was sufficient for him to break through to Tier-9, Qi Nourishment.

By then, it would be time for him to grow popular from the battle. It was not the time for him to keep a low profile.

The national college entrance examination would take place in less than a year. If one displayed great talent before that, it was only natural that they would win the attention of the colleges and be trained. The chances of him getting into one of the top ten schools and even Federation University would rise significantly.

Hiding one's talent and keeping a low profile was no longer encouraged. The talented were needed as colonizers in the Kunlun Realm at all times, and those who were capable should sacrifice for the human race. That was the popular perception around the globe.

Chu Yunfan's spirit was lifted when he got the 700,000 coins. He was no longer in the mood to stay at home.

He needed to head over to Lu Qingxuan's company to refine the five Qi Nourishment Pills. Although he was supposed to go to school that day, he took a day off.

It was common for students in Year 3 to do that as they needed to cultivate with all of their might. Sometimes, closed-door cultivation would take many days. Naturally, it was impossible for everyone to be at school on time every day.

Over the next few days, Gao Hongzhi too did not go to school several times. Chu Yunfan spoke to him privately and found out that he had completed the cultivation of Qi Nourishment, and he was going for the Qi Sea Stage.

Although Gao Hongzhi was the cream of the crop among those who could get into the martial arts stream with his cultivation, it was completely different if one could reach the Qi Sea Stage.

If they could get to the Qi Sea Stage before the stream division, the entire school's resources would be focused on training that particular bunch of students.

Just as Chu Yunfan was going out, his sister, Chu Qingxuan, stopped him for some reason.

When he thought it was strange, he heard his mobile PC notify him that 50,000 coins had been transferred to his account. He was in disbelief that it was his sister who transferred him the money.

"Where did you get that money? And why did you transfer it to me?!" Chu Yunfan could not help but frown slightly as he spoke.

"I made the money from being a streamer!" Chu Qingxuan said while widening her eyes.

"Streamer?" Chu Yunfan was frowning even more now. Although he did not know much about that industry, he knew the theory whereby one would only gain rewards by doing favors.

Chu Qingxuan had only been streaming for a few days, yet she had made 50,000 coins? That did not make sense at all!

"You've only been a streamer for a few days. Where did you get that kind of money?!"

Chu Yunfan thought of something negative. Although he was not familiar with the industry, there were just too many rumors over the years. It was common for rich spectators to flirt with the streamers.

"Because someone gave me rewards. Brother, although I've only been a streamer for a few days, I have years of experience in video commentaries. There was a viewer who has been supporting me for a long time and gave me 100,000 coins when I started streaming. However, the platform took half as a fee. So I transferred all 50,000 to you!" Chu Qingxuan said.

"Is it a he or a she?" Chu Yunfan asked directly.

"It's a she!"

Chu Qingxuan showed her tongue and said, "Don't worry, brother. Your sister knows the bottom line. Sister Zhiqing has been my loyal fan since I started doing commentaries. It's just that I didn't know that she's rich!"

"Oh!" Chu Yunfan was only slightly relieved hearing what she said, but as he thought about it, he figured there was nothing to worry about. Although his sister had congenital gene defects, she had always been mature and sensible.

Other teenagers would rebel, but she did not at all. There was no reason for him to be concerned.

"Brother, I know that our family's money has basically been spent on my illness all these years. You've gotten too little support in what you want to do. In fact, you didn't get any support at all. Forget that I couldn't do anything to help in the past. Now I'll do all I can to help you. You're having your stream division test soon, right? You should see if you can buy a Body Refining Pill. By then, you'll definitely have the chance to get into the martial arts stream!" Chu Qingxuan said sincerely.

Chu Yunfan looked at his sister. He had thought she knew nothing all this time, but only now he realized that she actually knew everything. She had been wanting to help the family as well.

Suddenly, Chu Yunfan smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry. I'm a changed man now. There's no problem for me to get into the martial arts stream at all!"

As he spoke, Chu Yunfan transferred 150,000 coins to Chu Qingxuan directly.

"Brother, where did you get so much money?!" she asked in shock.

Although she knew that her brother had been working, how much could one make from part-time jobs? Even if he made some money, it would not be enough for him to compensate for his cultivation.

"Do you think you're the only one who is making money? I have my ways too!" Chu Yunfan said, "Our family's situation has been rather difficult these years. We didn't manage to give you any spending money. Take the 150,000 coins and spend it. You're a girl, so I'm sure there are many things that you want to buy!"

"Alright!"

Chu Qingxuan said nothing more after the initial surprise. She knew that her brother did everything responsibly.

She took a good look at Chu Yunfan and said, "I see that you've had a significant transformation recently. You must be at the peak of the Physical Stage now!"

Although she had noticed something over the past few days, she did not really observe him. She only just realized that her brother's transformation was truly extraordinary.

"You can tell?" Chu Yunfan was stunned.

"What's surprising about that? That's the basics for streamers like us. Although I've just become a streamer, I've done commentaries on videos for years, and I've seen many martial artists!" Chu Qingxuan explained, "You look very much like those martial artists who completed the cultivation of Blood Renewal, but your aura is much more powerful than theirs!"

Chu Qingxuan was happy that her brother had broken through Blood Renewal. She knew that her brother's recent dream had been to reach Blood Renewal to get into the martial arts stream.

Naturally, she was happy that his dream came true. It was just that she was secretly shocked. Although her brother hid his aura well, her observant eyes noticed that he might be several times stronger than most would be at that stage.

"Hahaha. Yes, I've just broken through recently. You don't have to worry about me. I can deal with it myself!" Chu Yunfan said, laughing out loud.

In reality, it was almost the end of the cultivation of the physical body when one arrived at Blood Renewal at the Physical Stage. Internal Observation actually did not have much effect on the physical body compared to Blood Renewal. It was just that it was a significant step toward mastering one's body in all aspects.

One could perform at 120% power compared to the initial 100%. That was why Internal Observation was more powerful than Blood Renewal.

Meanwhile, when one got to Qi Nourishment, not only could breathing True Energy impact the dantian and activate the qi sea, the power of one's limbs would elevate significantly once one wrapped True Energy around them.

In the end, Chu Yunfan decided not to tell his sister that he was making money to pay to treat her illness.

He wanted it to be a surprise.

"Alright, I'll be going out. Surf the network and see what catches your eye. Just buy anything you like. Your big brother will pay!"

Chu Yunfan patted Chu Qingxuan's tiny head and left the house.

When he arrived at Lu Qingxuan's company, he learned that she would be coming to welcome him herself.

Although it had only been two days, when Chu Yunfan saw her again, he felt as if she was a changed person. She was exuberant. She no longer looked like she was tense and forcing herself to look calm like she did two days ago.

The company too had undergone a great transformation. The entire building was quiet when he came there two days before, and there was nobody at all. Now, it had changed and everyone in the company seemed to have returned overnight.

The company was no longer facing bankruptcy, and the staff were in high spirits.

The deal was done, and the company's business, connections, and popularity would grow. To the staff, there was no better news than that.

"Master Chu, sorry to have kept you waiting!" Lu Qingxuan quickly said to him as she approached.

If she was only trying to butter him up to be calling him Master Chu Yunfan before, she was completely sincere now.

One could say that the young man before her saved her company with his hands. He was the man who revived her business.

"You look well, Director Lu. I supposed the deal is done?" Chu Yunfan asked. Naturally, he knew that it was done since he had received the money.

"Yes. All credit to you, Master Chu!" Lu Qingxuan said as gratitude filled her face, "We've completed the trade with the client. My father needed to pull some strings with them before. It was difficult to engage them. If we had failed, I could only apply for bankruptcy. You've helped us, Master Chu!"

"It's nothing. It was a win-win!" Chu Yunfan nodded slightly and said, "I suppose nobody is using the company's alchemy lab now?"

"No, no. It's been vacant. We've been waiting for you to use it, master. We've moved the herbs to the lab as well!" Lu Qingxuan said immediately.

The company's alchemists from before had been poached, so they were still trying to recruit replacements. Naturally, the alchemy lab was vacant. In reality, nobody would be using it if Chu Yunfan was not.

"Great. Let's go, then!" Chu Yunfan said.

Meanwhile, Lu Qingxuan's employees were shocked to see their boss leading the young man herself. They were curious about this man who made their boss act so respectful.

"Who exactly is that? Can he be a young master from a wealthy family?"

"How can it be? Our Director Lu is proud. It's impossible that she's willing to welcome someone herself, not even a young master from a big group!"

"I think I heard Director Lu called him Master Chu? Damn, can he be some alchemy expert?"

"He looks too young to be that!"

"Who knows? Maybe those alchemy experts might have some methods to retain their youth?!"

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Chapter 32: Stepping into Qi Nourishment

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

None of Lu Qingxuan's employees had seen Chu Yunfan before. Therefore, they thought he was an alchemy expert who had techniques to retain his youth. Although it sounded like a fantasy, it was much more acceptable than him being a real alchemy expert who was this young.

It was the second time Chu Yunfan had come to Lu Qingxuan's company's alchemy lab. There were still many herbs piled up inside. It was just that they were no longer the herbs for Body Refining Pills but Qi Nourishment Pills.

Chu Yunfan turned his head and said to Lu Qingxuan, "I've put you through such trouble!"

"It's no trouble at all. You helped me big time, so I've no idea how I should thank you yet!" Lu Qingxuan replied immediately.

She was usually indifferent when she talked to young masters from big groups and companies. She only spoke kindly to Chu Yunfan.

Within two short days, she felt as if she had gone through the ups and downs in life, all thanks to the young man before her. Compared to him saving her company, she merely helped him purchase herbs and lent him her alchemy lab. Was that really anything?

"Alright, I'm going to refine pills. Go ahead with your stuff. You can leave me to it!" Chu Yunfan said.

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything at all!" Lu Qingxuan said and turned around to leave the lab.

Chu Yunfan lit the fire in the alchemical furnace and began to refine the Qi Nourishment Pills.

He focused all of his attention, and the Alchemy Emperor's memories surged into his head like water.

Although he had never refined Qi Nourishment Pills, he looked as if he had done it hundreds to thousands of times as he grabbed the proper amount of herbs familiarly and tossed them into the furnace. Unlike many alchemists, he did not need any equipment to help him calculate the precise quantity of herbs.

Chu Yunfan refined five Qi Nourishment Pills simultaneously instead of one by one like most would do.

Everything seemed like it had all been prepared beforehand as he refined the Qi Nourishment Pills accordingly.

When the Alchemy Emperor had just gotten into alchemy, he had refined many Qi Nourishment Pills. No matter how talented a person was, nobody could master the skills without frequent practice.

When one had practiced the fundamentals of alchemy, even if they were to refine a medicinal pill that they had never seen or refined before, the success rate would exceed 90%.

One could say that the alchemical recipes merely had one root no matter how strange or variable they were when one had achieved what the Alchemy Emperor had. As soon as one mastered the basic skills, the success rate would naturally be high.

It was just like practicing sword fighting. No matter how fancy a sword technique was, it was just a combination of the basic techniques after all.

Two hours later, the batch of Qi Nourishment Pills was finally done.

Medicinal fragrance wafted through the entire alchemy lab, but it was soon sucked out by the exhaust fan.

Chu Yunfan used a specialized box for medicinal pills to pack the Qi Nourishment Pills.

The flourishing of alchemy was also a boon for the affiliate industries. When it came to medicinal pills, one should not store them carelessly to prevent the loss of efficacy.

Common medicinal pills like Qi Nourishment Pills and Body Refining Pills could be contained in regular sandalwood boxes because they were bought and used quickly and frequently.

On the other hand, the rather special medicinal pills would have to be stored in boxes made of warm jade. The box alone was expensive. Some custom-made warm jade boxes or bottles cost up to a million coins. It was ridiculous.

Naturally, medicinal pills that required such a box would cost at least tens to hundreds of millions of coins.

Meanwhile, the alchemists who could refine such medicinal pills would gain money and fame. They were like the great tycoons of the world.

As soon as the Qi Nourishment Pills were done, Chu Yunfan sat with his legs crossed and began cultivating. He could use the alchemy lab as a training room. It was normal for an alchemist to do so.

Chu Yunfan swallowed a Qi Nourishment Pill. He immediately felt the pill's effects like a stream spreading all over his body.

At that moment, he felt as if True Energy was blowing up a balloon in his body and it was growing at a stunning speed.

As his qi sea had yet to be activated, the extra True Energy he cultivated was actually stored in all the acupoints in his body.

At that moment, all the acupoints had activated as if they had been triggered.

Chu Yunfan cultivated with the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method immediately, slowly converting the energy in the Qi Nourishment Pill into True Energy.

The True Energy in his body was growing at a terrifying speed. The circulation of the Mighty Eternal Emperor Method was a few times faster than the Basic Energy Refinement Formula that he used in the past.

Therefore, the speed of the True Energy absorption was many times greater than it was previously.

It was close to noon when he opened his eyes again.

He could clearly feel that the True Energy in his body was 50% thicker, but that was not the limit. He knew that he could still absorb more True Energy in his body.

Meanwhile, he had yet to completely absorb the medicine.

In reality, the main cultivation of the Physical Stage was of the body, and the cultivation of Internal Energy was relatively low.

Nevertheless, it was the refinement of the physical body throughout the Physical Stage that allowed the True Energy to be contained in one's limbs and bones on a daily basis. If this happened to a regular person, their meridians would explode.

'I've stepped into Qi Nourishment now, but that's not enough. I'll need some time to get to the peak!' Chu Yunfan secretly thought to himself.

He had entered Qi Nourishment now and bid farewell to the refinement of the physical body. The current priority was to cultivate a mouthful of True Energy to impact his dantian and activate his qi sea in order to break through to the Qi Sea Stage.

"Fortunately, there's still time!" Chu Yunfan said.

He had already stepped into Qi Nourishment, so he could definitely get into the martial arts stream. With that complete, he was thinking of how to break through to the Qi Sea Stage, in order to get into the elite class of the martial arts stream.

Otherwise, the gap between him and others would grow.

Chu Yunfan proceeded to close his eyes as he considered this point. Suddenly, he heard a thud as the alchemy lab's door was opened.

A young man who looked like he was in his twenties and dressed in fancy clothes strode inside. Meanwhile, Lu Qingxuan followed behind him.

"Chu Zhiguo, I've told you that this is private property. I can sue you for trespassing!"

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