New Punch-in Reward

As the voice rang out, delight spread across Qin Hao's face. The first two punch-ins had already pleasantly surprised him. Though he could not actively call upon their rewards, they had provided him tremendous help and would offer the greatest possible assurance of his safety for some time to come.

Now that a new punch-in opportunity had arrived, Qin Hao was full of anticipation for the new reward.

Closing his eyes, Qin Hao saw the simple interface appear before him once more. The button that had previously been gray lit up at that moment. Without hesitation, Qin Hao willed it, completing the punch-in directly.

Punch-in successful

First cultivation punch-in. Apprentice level. Obtained: Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens!

As the punch-in was completed, a streak of light merged into Qin Hao's body. Qin Hao had some knowledge of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens. It too came from a novel world created by Fanqie Great God. It was a True God level cultivation method created by Crimsonbright in Swallowed Star, the foremost God-Demon Body Tempering method. It was widely circulated and the most difficult to cultivate, yet at the same stage, it could crush other God-Demon Body Tempering techniques. At the Xiantian Realm, one could condense two Supreme Stars.

To begin, one had to draw upon Taiyin and Taiyang power and condense them into a Taiyin Divine Mark and a Taiyang Divine Mark before the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens First Layer could be considered mastered. However, there was no Taiyin or Taiyang power in the world of Swallowed Star. Qin Hao did not know whether it could be cultivated here, or whether he could succeed in cultivating it.

As he considered this, Qin Hao entered his Sea of Consciousness and absorbed the contents of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens. The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens obtained through the punch-in was likewise a body-tempering technique, but it had been modified by the world of Swallowed Star. It was divided into nine layers, and beyond tempering the body, the most important function of each layer was to raise one's Gene Level.

Aside from the introduction to the technique, the contents Qin Hao saw now contained only the cultivation method for the first layer. The first layer was divided into nine stages, corresponding respectively to the tempering and guidance of Skin, Flesh, Bone, Tendon, Blood, Marrow, Acupoint, as well as the spirit, completing the advancement of one's Gene Level and Body Transformation.

Upon completing the first layer, Qin Hao's Gene Level would rise to three times its original level. Moreover, compared to the Nine Tribulations Scripture that helped Luo Feng cheat his way to power, the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens was more systematic to cultivate, had fewer restrictions, and was safer. There would be no constant Danger of Gene Collapse.

After carefully reviewing the contents of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens First Layer, Qin Hao directly entered a cultivation state. He closed his eyes and quickly settled into meditation, sensing the Cosmic Energy around him. Following the method of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens, he guided the Cosmic Energy into his body and began tempering his skin.

As the technique circulated, Qin Hao sensed the Cosmic Energy around him beginning to change. Half of the originally gentle energy became scorching hot, while the other half turned icy cold. The powers of ice and fire alternated continuously across his skin, like two hammers constantly tempering his body.

Around Qin Hao's body, Cosmic Energy gradually condensed into a tangible form. Half was crimson like flames, radiating intense heat, while the other half flowed like water. The two energies gathered continuously around Qin Hao, forming mysterious patterns across his skin.

The cultivation did not last long. An hour later, Qin Hao awoke from his cultivation state. In that short hour, he felt his body undergo another transformation, and his Body Strength rose further. The improvement to his Skin Toughness was especially noticeable.

Boom! Qin Hao threw a punch, and the force of his fist struck the wall directly, leaving a fist mark behind.

The power of that punch definitely reached the Advanced Warrior level. It might even be close to a Beginner War General.

The two boosts in strength had left Qin Hao somewhat unable to precisely control his power, and he could not make an entirely accurate judgment of his punch strength.

He rose lightly from the bed, changed into fresh clothes with ease, and walked out of his room.

"How did your cultivation go?"

The moment he stepped outside, Qin Hao saw his parents and younger sister in the living room, staring intently at him with anticipation in their eyes.

"I succeeded. I'll go to the Limitless Martial Arts Center in a while to test myself and get familiar with my strength. My strength has increased too much, and I can't fully control it yet."

"Hurry on, then. Breakfast is on the table. Eat some on the way, and come back early for dinner tonight."

Qin Hao took his breakfast and left home, heading toward the Limitless Martial Arts Center. There were not many people there today. Many of the trainees were third-year high school students, and with the Gaokao approaching, most of them had focused their energy on studying as they prepared for the final push.

Qin Hao entered the martial arts center without stopping in the trainee training area, instead heading upstairs to the floor where the instructors trained. No one stopped him, and he went straight upstairs. Rather than beginning his training, Qin Hao headed directly for the testing area.

Standing before the Punch Strength Machine, Qin Hao threw a punch. His powerful force burst forth and slammed into the target as the numbers began rising rapidly.

0...100...1000...3000...6000

8230 kg

The number finally stopped at 8,230 kilograms. Looking at it, Qin Hao was mildly surprised. Although he had some sense of his own strength, he had not expected it to truly surpass the Advanced Warrior level and directly reach the Beginner War General level.

After testing his strength, Qin Hao proceeded to test his speed and Neural Reaction Speed. His speed had also reached the Beginner War General level, and his Neural Reaction Speed had likewise reached the Beginner War General level, though it was only barely passing. The increase in strength had somewhat weakened Qin Hao's control over his power. Explosive force was not an issue, but his fine control had declined, and during the Neural Reflex Test, his movements kept becoming distorted.

After understanding his problem, Qin Hao went straight to the training area and took a Tang Dao mode saber from the weapon rack. He weighed it in his hand and found it somewhat too light. However, it was already the heaviest Extreme Shadow series saber in the martial arts center, weighing nearly two hundred jin.

Holding the saber, Qin Hao felt its weight and began training in the Basic Saber Technique. He was already extremely proficient in the Basic Saber Technique, but every move he executed now was exceptionally slow. Still, each strike carried tremendous power, continuously slicing through the surrounding air.

As he practiced the forms again and again, Qin Hao gradually began to master his increased strength, and the speed of his saber techniques steadily rose. The saber turned into an afterimage, shrouding the space around Qin Hao's body.

Qin Hao immersed himself completely in his saber technique and control over his strength. He had already possessed strong control over his physical power, and the unsteadiness brought about by the sudden increase in strength gradually faded with training. Qin Hao's saber technique also began to change. The Basic Saber Technique soon reached the realm of perfection, and his Control of the Saber continued to strengthen.

At that moment, Qin Hao felt that the saber in his hand had become an extension of his body. Every move was completely within his control. At that instant, he felt that his Saber Technique Realm had changed. He had likely entered the proficient level.

Outside the Limitless Martial Arts Center, Jiang Nian entered the building. After making a round through the trainee area, he headed directly toward the fourth floor. The moment he stepped onto the fourth floor, Jiang Nian heard the repeated sounds of a saber slashing through the air. Every strike cleaved the air apart with incredibly dense, rapid sounds.

"Neither the speed nor the power of those strikes is at the warrior level. Did someone from the headquarters come to inspect?"

As Jiang Nian thought this, he could not help quickening his pace. He did not dare neglect an inspection from headquarters in the slightest; it was directly tied to his future prospects.

However, when he entered the training grounds and saw the youth before him, Jiang Nian could not help but be stunned.