Resource Treasury

Upon returning to his rented apartment, the first thing Lin Feng did was take out a mid-grade Gene Repair Fluid and swallow it.

Unlike the faint blue fluorescence of the low-grade repair fluid, the mid-grade liquid was a rich azure, as if sprinkled with starlight. As the medicine went down his throat, it immediately transformed into a gentle yet powerful torrent of energy, surging through his limbs and internal organs, especially his injured right arm and the hidden internal injuries sustained from his clash with the Wolf Emperor.

A cool, comfortable sensation replaced the pain. He could clearly feel the fractured bone callus healing at an accelerated rate, his damaged meridians being gently nourished and widened, and the subtle bruises within his body dissipating at a visibly perceptible speed.

"As expected of mid-grade stuff, the effect is several times stronger than the low-grade!" Lin Feng praised inwardly. At this rate, he would recover to his peak condition, and perhaps even surpass it, within a day at most.

He didn't waste any time. While guiding the medicinal energy to repair his injuries, he submerged his consciousness into the System to check his current status.

[Host: Lin Feng]
[Realm: Martial Novice (Peak)]
[Strength: 385kg]
[Agility: 25m/s]
[Physique: Excellent (Meridian Patency 32%)]
[Spiritual Power: 31]
[Cultivation Technique: Basic Body Tempering Technique - Quenching Chapter (Perfect)]
[Martial Skill: Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Initial Chapter), Mastery: 28%]

His strength had directly broken through 385 kilograms! His agility had also reached 25 meters per second! These were already the stats of a peak Quasi-Martial Artist, just one step away from the formal Martial Artist realm (standard strength 500 kilograms)! His meridian patency had also increased to 32%, and the shackles that had plagued him for years were rapidly being broken.

The mastery of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade had soared to 28%, clearly showing the significant effects of the residual medicinal power from the Thunder Wolf Fruit and the insights gained from the life-or-death struggle.

"Not enough," Lin Feng's gaze was sharp. "In the finals of the Martial Arts Examination, all the geniuses in the province will gather. Someone like Zhao Feng is probably already a formal Martial Artist. I must be faster!"

His gaze fell upon the silver access card Lei Lie had given him. The Martial Arts Bureau's resource database... perhaps there was something he needed there.

The next morning, Lin Feng, his injuries almost completely healed, appeared before the Jiangnan City Martial Arts Bureau headquarters.

It was a magnificent ninety-nine-story building, shaped like a drawn sword piercing the sky, one of Jiangnan City's landmarks and a sacred place yearned for by countless martial artists.

Upon presenting his silver access card, the guards at the entrance immediately snapped to attention and respectfully directed him.

He first arrived at the "Advanced Training Area" located on the third basement level. The spiritual energy concentration here was slightly inferior to Thunder Listening Pavilion but far superior to the Beginner Training Rooms at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. It also featured an adjustable gravity environment.

He chose a training room labeled "1-5x Gravity." After activating one times gravity and familiarizing himself with the sudden increased pressure on his body, he directly adjusted it to two times gravity!

"Buzz!"

An invisible force instantly acted upon his entire body. His bones let out a faint creak, and his blood flow seemed to slow down. Ordinary Martial Novices would probably have trouble even standing steadily here.

But Lin Feng merely swayed slightly before steadying himself. The solid foundation laid by the perfect-grade Basic Body Tempering Technique - Quenching Chapter, along with the reinforcement of his body by the Thunder Wolf Fruit and the Gene Repair Fluid, allowed him to withstand it.

He began to cultivate Nine Heavens Thunder Blade. Under two times gravity, every movement became incredibly difficult, and the circulation of his Blood Essence was extremely sluggish. However, correspondingly, every successful execution brought far greater training effects than usual!

"Lightning Flash!"

"Thunderclap Break!"

Sweat quickly soaked through his clothes, but his eyes were bright, and he gritted his teeth, persevering. He could feel his strength being constantly tempered and solidified under the immense pressure, and his comprehension of the True Meaning of Thunder was slowly deepening through the arduous practice.

He trained for a full three hours, only leaving the gravity room exhausted when his spiritual power was largely depleted.

Next, using his access card, he entered the Martial Arts Bureau's "Internal Archives."

This was not the core vault storing profound cultivation techniques, but rather a vast database containing countless martial arts theories, the insights of our elders, Yao Beast encyclopedias, spiritual plant compendiums, geographical secrets, and even some basic, niche martial skills and techniques.

Lin Feng's goal was clear: to find resources that could provide a large amount of energy to aid the System's deductions, and any clues related to "thunder" that could enhance Nine Heavens Thunder Blade.

He browsed and memorized at lightning speed, like a sponge absorbing water, through the vast database. His high spiritual power of 31 points gave him an almost photographic memory.

[Discovered Comparative Analysis Report on Low-Grade Spiritual Plant Energy, record?]

[Discovered Preliminary Exploration of Thunder-Attribute Yao Beast Material Applications, record?]

[Discovered Ancient Thunder Talisman Patterns Study (Incomplete), record?]

The System continuously prompted him, recording useful information and categorizing it. While this knowledge itself couldn't directly improve his strength, it greatly broadened his horizons, giving him a clearer plan for future resource acquisition and utilization.

Suddenly, in a top-secret (partially accessible) document titled Secret Realm Fluctuation Monitoring Records (Jiangnan Region), he saw an inconspicuous piece of information:

"...Area C-734 (Southeast branch of the West Mountain Range), abnormal faint spiritual energy fluctuations detected recently, with a 7.3% similarity in frequency to known precursors of Secret Realm openings, accompanied by minor electromagnetic interference. Currently classified as a natural phenomenon, risk level: Low. Continuous observation underway."

Southeast branch of the West Mountain Range? Wasn't that near the area where Thunder Listening Pavilion was located?

Secret Realm? Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. After the spiritual energy resurgence, "Secret Realms," connecting to unknown spaces or ancient ruins, occasionally appeared worldwide. These often involved great danger but also contained astonishing opportunities!

Although the report classified it as a natural phenomenon with low risk, combined with his recent apprenticeship under Lei Lie and that peculiar "Lightning Attracting Wood," Lin Feng had a feeling there might be a connection.

He firmly memorized this piece of information.

In the "Basic Martial Skills Area" of the archives, he also found several less common basic thunder-attribute martial skills, considered by many to be useless, such as Electric Light Finger and Galloping Thunder Steps. These martial skills were not of high grade and were extremely difficult to cultivate, but for Lin Feng, they could serve as supplements to Nine Heavens Thunder Blade, or even as material for fusion and deduction through the System!

He unhesitatingly recorded the theoretical sections of all these martial skills.

By the time Lin Feng left the Martial Arts Bureau headquarters, night had fallen. Although he hadn't immediately obtained powerful cultivation techniques or resources, the knowledge in his mind and his future plans had become clearer and more substantial than ever before.

Returning home, he took another mid-grade Gene Repair Fluid, using it to repair the minor damage from his high-intensity training while organizing his day's gains.

"The gravity training room can be used regularly, greatly accelerating the mastery of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade and body tempering."

"There are now several potential options for energy sources needed for deducing Basic Body Tempering Technique and Nine Heavens Thunder Blade, which I need to find a way to acquire."

"That information about the suspected Secret Realm needs to be kept an eye on..."

"Several basic lightning-attribute martial arts can be attempted for comprehension, to see if they can be integrated into my own system."

A clear path to becoming stronger unfolded before him.

He glanced at the brand-new Beichen Martial University recommendation letter on the bedside table (automatically awarded to the simulated exam's Top Scholar) and casually set it aside.

Recommendation? That was no longer within his consideration.

His goal was to rely on absolute strength to defeat all geniuses on the highly anticipated Martial Arts Examination finals stage and claim the top spot!

Then, he would step onto the even broader Thunderous Path, as guided by his teacher, Lei Lie!

Lin Feng closed his eyes and focused on cultivating. Faint arcs of electricity flickered in the air around him, emitting a faint crackling sound.

A storm was brewing in the calm.