Zhou Leng

Chapter 1 Zhou Leng

Two suns, one large and one small, hung high in the western sky, casting their light across the Yangtze River.

On the north bank of the Yangtze River, Ru City lay outstretched.

At No. 8 High School, the red running tracks of the martial dao training ground encircled a patch of green turf where the students of Class 3, Grade 12 gathered.

"Check your timers, press start when you take off, and press it again once your true qi is exhausted... Ready... Circulate your qi... Run!"

At the martial dao committee member's command, ten students shot forward like sharp arrows, sprinting with all their might along ten separate lanes.

"Go!" shouted several students.

Zhou Leng warmed up alongside classmates on good terms with him, slowly approaching the starting line as part of the second group.

"They're all running pretty fast."

"Still, a qi-circulation run doesn't test speed; it tests true qi endurance. The stronger your true qi, the longer you can run while circulating it, and the higher your score."

"Xu Qingjin truly deserves to be our movement committee member, she'll probably be first out of the ten."

"Xu Qingjin's record for a sustained qi-circulation run broke four and a half minutes ages ago. What was it exactly?"

"Four minutes and thirty-two seconds," said Zhou Leng.

"If you hadn't run into a demon and injured your body, you'd probably be right around that speed by now," said Hu Yi.

Several students looked at Zhou Leng, their gazes carrying a hint of sympathy.

Zhou Leng looked down at the green wristband on his left wrist and shook his head. "I wouldn't reach that level."

Three minutes later, the students running the qi-circulation test gradually slowed down and held up their timers to call out their numbers.

"Hoo... Three minutes, twelve point nine seconds."

"Are you even trying, how did you not even break three and a half minutes?"

That student rolled his eyes at his friend, walked over panting, and handed the timer to Hu Yi on the very edge.

After that, the remaining qi-circulation students finished running one after another, called out their numbers, and the martial dao committee member recorded their times one by one.

"Four minutes and thirty-nine seconds," Xu Qingjin's crisp voice rang out.

"666..."

"First place is locked in."

A crowd of students gazed with envy at the school-uniformed girl with a slightly flushed face, dressed in a white short-sleeved top and blue shorts.

Her face, carrying a trace of baby fat, was full of smiles. Catfish-whisker bangs parted in two, and the ponytail behind her head was still swaying gently.

"Zhou Leng," Xu Qingjin walked over, holding out the timer in her right hand. "Don't push yourself too hard, your health is what matters."

Zhou Leng nodded and took the timer.

"Get ready," said Mo Hai, the martial dao committee member.

Zhou Leng and his classmates walked up to the starting line together, gently shaking out their legs and feet.

"...Circulate your qi..."

Zhou Leng took a deep breath, executing the Mystic Tide Art as true qi rose from his lower dantian and surged into both legs.

"Run!"

At the command, Zhou Leng pressed his timer and surged past the starting line.

His feet struck the ground with muffled thuds.

The sound of the wind whistled past his ears.

Zhou Leng was completely focused, his eyes clear, his face growing redder and redder as sweat slowly beaded on his forehead.

The rise and fall of Zhou Leng's chest grew more and more violent, his face flushed an even deeper red, until finally his form suddenly slowed and he pressed the timer.

He walked while panting heavily, gazing down at the timer.

Zhou Leng held up the timer and said, "Three minutes, nine seconds."

Zhou Leng left the track, his legs trembling slightly.

Mo Hai, the martial dao committee member, glanced at the record book in his hand and said, "Not bad, you improved by another two seconds!"

"Keep it up, Zhou Leng!" The gazes of Xu Qingjin and his classmates were warmer than the sunshine.

Zhou Leng nodded and walked slowly forward.

After calming his breathing, Zhou Leng stood motionless and closed his eyes.

Zhou Leng's consciousness sank slowly downward, finally reaching the qi ocean of the lower dantian, where he sensed about thirty percent of his true qi remained.

The true qi still lingered, but his body couldn't hold out.

Zhou Leng breathed in and out slowly, quickly settling his emotions.

Last week the doctor said that within six months at most he would fully recover.

Zhou Leng gently shook his left wrist, and the green wristband swayed along with the movement.

When the time comes, he could take off this green wristband.

This body of mine—the physical exam scores for military academy fall short, and the total score for martial arts university falls short. I just hope to get into Ru University Affiliated Martial Arts Academy. These last few days... I'll push for it one last time!

Zhou Leng looked out at the martial arts playground, his gaze resolute.

"My time was 3 minutes and 32 seconds." After saying that, Hu Yi walked over to the martial arts committee member's side to take a look at the logbook, then walked back with a smile.

"Your score improved by another two seconds, and your physical recovery is visible to the naked eye," Hu Yi encouraged.

Before long, Class 3 finished their running test.

Jingle bell, jingle bell...

The after-school bell rang.

The students chatted as they walked toward the classroom.

At that moment, the school broadcast sounded.

"...Wishing the senior students..."

"...Just like in previous years, the college entrance examination rewards set up by No. 8 High School this time..."

The broadcast had played repeatedly over the past month, and like most students, Zhou Leng couldn't muster any interest.

It had nothing to do with him.

"...Those who get admitted to Yunhua or Jinjing University will be rewarded with ten Qi-Nourishing Pills, three Origin-Replenishing Pills, and three Blood-Washing Pills..."

"...Those who get admitted to the Martial Arts Ten will be rewarded with three Qi-Nourishing Pills and one Origin-Replenishing Pill..."

"...At the same time, a Martial Examination Improvement Award is established. For every ten thousand places the city-wide ranking improves, one Qi-Nourishing Pill will be awarded..."

"...The one who improves the most and exceeds thirty thousand places will be the improvement champion, receiving an extra reward of one Origin-Replenishing Pill and a self-selected martial arts instructional video worth one thousand points of battle merit or contribution..."

"...The cultural and physical examinations have already ended. Next is the martial examination..."

Hu Yi smiled and said, "The principal and the others are calculating things so loudly it rattles. Even if someone's cultural and physical exam scores are terrible, and their martial examination is great, who could suddenly improve by thirty thousand places?"

"Maybe someone intentionally tanks the earlier exams just for this prize," Feng Wenhao said.

"Would anyone capable of score-manipulation in the college entrance examination lack these few elixirs? Going to a military academy or the top ten, which one isn't more valuable than these? Furthermore, the difficulty of manipulating scores like this is extraordinarily high. What if the score manipulation fails and they miss out on a military academy or the top ten—wouldn't their whole family regret it so much their intestines turn green?"

"That's true."

"This improvement champion award has never been claimed in past sessions. First the cultural exam, then the physical exam, and finally the martial exam. Those who are formidable in the martial exam are also very formidable in the physical tests; basically, the first two exams already account for three thousand places, so how are they supposed to advance another thirty thousand?"

"Then what if someone can improve by thirty thousand places?"

"Then the principal and the others would go crazy with joy. A thirty thousand place improvement in the martial examination—what does that mean? No. 8 High School's fame would explode, lifting its head in pride..."

The two chatted idly while Zhou Leng marched forward silently, calculating in his heart the price of each reward.

Qi-Nourishing Pills cost ten thousand each, and he had never eaten one since he was a child.

Origin-Replenishing Pills cost one hundred thousand each. He had eaten one once, to nurse an illness.

Blood-Washing Pills cost one hundred and twenty thousand each, and he had only ever seen them in the Martial Dao Mall.

"How many Qi-Nourishing Pills did your mom prepare for you?" Hu Yi asked Feng Wenhao.

"Starting from the second year of high school, one per month. Ten days before the martial examination, one every day, and tomorrow I'll take an Origin-Replenishing Pill."

"Tsk tsk, what a fat cat. My family only prepared three Qi-Nourishing Pills for the martial examination, purely trusting our luck..." Hu Yi glanced at the silent Zhou Leng, and hurriedly diverted the topic. "Uh, how is your true qi control? When it comes to true qi control, the two of us will never catch up to Zhou Leng in this lifetime..."

Students walked into the classroom one after another, and the martial arts committee member Mo Hai walked up to the podium.

"Next Monday is the last day of class, and next Friday is the martial examination. I've discussed it with the teacher and the class committee: this Saturday and Sunday, and next Tuesday through Thursday, every afternoon I will lead everyone in joint cultivation. Whoever wants to come, sign up with me."

"I'm coming, I'm coming..."

Some students shouted.

"One by one..."

Zhou Leng thought about it, and signed up as well.

After signing up, Zhou Leng carried his schoolbag and hauled a net bag containing three aluminum lunch boxes.

Hu Yi and Feng Wenhao each hauled four aluminum lunch boxes, and left the school together with Zhou Leng.

Walking to the fork in the road, the three of them separated.

Zhou Leng supported his schoolbag with his left hand, hauled his lunch boxes with his right hand, and looked at the roads.

One red and one blue path were located between the motor vehicle lane and the pedestrian sidewalk.

The red path was the fast-running track, and the blue path was the slow-running track.

Zhou Leng walked onto the slow-running track and started running.

Most intersections had pedestrian overpasses or underpasses specially set up for martial arts practitioners, so they hardly needed to wait for traffic lights along the entire way.

Whoosh...

A blue figure suddenly swept past from the red track, stirring up a gale that disrupted Zhou Leng's breathing rhythm.

Zhou Leng looked toward that person's back, but within a mere few seconds, that person was over a hundred meters away.

"Qi-Nourishing, Blood-Circulating, Body-Refining, Force-Generating. This guy moved over twenty-five meters a second, at least Body-Refining Stage, maybe even Force-Generating..."

Still in the Qi-Nourishing Stage, Zhou Leng gazed at the figure's back, his eyes glowing faintly.

Zhou Leng continued running, stopping at the entrance of Yulong Bay residential compound, climbed to the seventh floor, and walked toward 701.

The door to 702 was open, and the sound of a television news broadcast drifted from inside.

"...Our city's Martial Guard Bureau has smashed a Demon-Worshiping Cult stronghold... arrested demon minions..."

"You're back?" A man in his fifties walked to the doorway, his hair sparse, complexion reddish-brown, and expression dull.

"Uncle Li." Zhou Leng nodded and said.

"Accompany me for dinner in a little bit, I made too much stewed meat yesterday."

Zhou Leng fell silent for two seconds before saying, "I soaked mixed grains in my rice cooker, I've got food for tonight. Freeze it in the fridge, finish it over a few days."

"I'm cooking right now." Li Linhan glared at Zhou Leng, turning to walk toward the kitchen.

"Mn." Zhou Leng consented helplessly.

This Uncle Li was an old veteran who had retreated from the West Sea Demon City, winning two individual second-class merits, and also his father's old squad leader—they shared a life-and-death bond.

Half a year ago, when he himself encountered a demon and contracted a disease spell, the state provided free treatment, but the subsequent convalescence and recuperation had hollowed out the family savings.

In the end, Uncle Li transferred fifty thousand yuan to him.

Uncle Li claimed he had made too much stewed meat, but in truth it was just like before, he had made a meat medicinal diet.

He had smelled it last night already.

Zhou Leng pressed his thumb against the fingerprint lock, but the smart door lock gave no response.

Zhou Leng retrieved his key, opened the door, and entered.

Changing his shoes and walking into the living room, the house under the setting sun was empty.

So quiet it made one's heart panic.

Zhou Leng rarely came home this early.

Zhou Leng liked to come home a little later.

His gaze swept across the electronic photo album on the side cabinet by the television.

A woman sat holding a tiny child, while two men stood behind the chair.

The older man bore a five-tenths resemblance to Zhou Leng, and the younger man bore a three-tenths resemblance to the woman, youthful innocence still lingering on his face, his age comparable to Zhou Leng's present age..

The four of them smiled together.

Zhou Leng walked to the kitchen, changing the rice cooker's scheduled cooking time to tomorrow morning.

He entered the master bedroom's bathroom and stripped off his clothes.

Before long, the sound of rushing water drifted from the master bedroom's bathroom.

The sound of water ceased, and Zhou Leng, covered in water droplets, walked in front of the hazy mirror, slowly taking a deep breath and circulating his True Qi.

The skin across his entire body gave a gentle shudder, trails of water flowing down from the top of his head, drawing the water droplets on his body along the way, converging downward, and flowing to the soles of his feet.

Barely a few seconds passed before the water droplets on his body ran dry, his hair as clean and dry as new.

True Qi Minor Accomplishment, Qi reaching skin and muscle.

"Entry, Proficiency, Mastery, Minor Accomplishment, Great Accomplishment, Perfection. Only upon reaching the Perfection tier can one expel Qi to the skin and muscle, form a complete barrier covering the body, have one's entire body exhale like breath, shake off all water from the body, and blast through the entire house..."

Thinking to himself, Zhou Leng left the master bedroom, dressed in fresh clothes, took his phone and keys, and walked into the opposite apartment, 702.

"Uncle, I'm here."

Zhou Leng changed into slippers and scanned the interior.

With the same layout as his own home, it consisted of a living room, a master bedroom, a second bedroom, plus a bathroom and kitchen.

On one side of the wall hung an old-fashioned wood-grain-rimmed photo frame.

In the photo was a group portrait of Uncle Li's family of five.

Uncle Li, Aunt Li, the eldest brother, the second sister, and the third brother.

The television was still broadcasting the news.

"...After years of painstaking effort, Xiexie Medical University has researched a completely new external Body-Refining medicine..."

Zhou Leng stood outside the kitchen door as Li Linhan busied himself inside.

Li Linhan disliked others participating when he cooked, even if his left hand was not nimble.

Zhou Leng looked toward Li Linhan's stiff left arm and hand, wrapped in a glove, the characteristics of a prosthetic mechanical arm exceptionally clear.

This arm had been traded for a second-class merit.

Busy with his work, Li Linhan said, "Things have been a bit chaotic at the company lately, keep your distance."

"The young and vigorous faction still hasn't finished tossing about?"

"Some say at least half a year, nobody can say for sure. Back when the stalwart faction came into power, they carved off a massive chunk of meat from the veteran faction. Now with even less meat left, the young and vigorous faction's blades are very likely to slash down toward us and the branch companies."

"I've heard it too. They're saying they're going to raise the branch's remittance quota. Is that true?"

"I chatted with Old Liu and the others a few days ago. Everyone feels pretty much the same. The higher-ups are floating kites just to test the reaction from below."

"Looks like we're going to have to tighten our belts again. Let's just hope they don't cut the income of working stiffs like us."

Zhou Leng's frown furrowed and smoothed out again.

Aside from his regular studies and cultivation, Zhou Leng was a working student at Pioneer Corporation, butchering Demonic Beast carcasses.

He averaged about a thousand yuan a month.

With the government subsidy of a little over a thousand every month, Zhou Leng now pulled in an income of over two thousand yuan.

Prices had skyrocketed over the years, and inflation was exceptionally severe; even the cheapest pound of duck breast cost more than ten yuan. This income was more than enough if it was just for daily food and drink, but it fell far short when used for cultivation.

A single ordinary meat medicinal diet cost over a thousand yuan.

The cheapest pill, the Qi-Nourishing Pill, cost ten thousand per sphere.

So far he had only eaten meat medicinal diets at Uncle Li's house, and all of them were made from scraps scrounged from Pioneer Corporation.

The biggest problem was that after graduating from high school this month, the government would stop issuing subsidies next month.

"Coming," Li Linhan said, carrying a large casserole with both hands as he walked outward. Zhou Leng hurriedly stepped aside.

Li Linhan opened the pot lid, a faint smile appearing on his face as he said, "Time to eat."

Rich meaty and medicinal aromas mingled with a faint fishy stench, diffusing through the room along with thick white steam.

Zhou Leng's throat rolled as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then went to fetch the bowls and chopsticks.

Before long, the two of them sat beside the dining table.

One casserole of meat medicinal diet, one small basin of braised pork, one plate of blanched broccoli, one plate of stir-fried greens, and a rice cooker of grain rice.

"The Martial Examination is coming up soon, eat more. Until your Martial Examination ends, come here to eat a portion of meat medicinal diet every day."

Zhou Leng held his bowl, lowering his head slightly.

"Eat up!" Li Linhan picked up a large piece of braised pork and placed it on Zhou Leng's grain rice.

"Mhm."

Zhou Leng slowly took a deep breath.

Li Linhan picked up a piece of broccoli, chewing it slowly and thoroughly.

Zhou Leng picked up a piece of meat from the meat medicinal diet. The white surface of the meat bore black stripes, and he recognized it as demontic wolf meat, sending it toward Li Linhan's bowl.

Li Linhan's expression turned cold. He thrust out his chopsticks to block it, pushing it back as he said, "You finish it all by yourself. You're not leaving this door if you don't finish it."

"Uncle Li..." Zhou Leng said.

Li Linhan let out a light snort, tending to his own meal.

Zhou Leng silently pulled his chopsticks back and delivered it into his mouth.

The moment the demonic wolf meat entered his mouth, there was first a rich medicinal fragrance, followed by a churning and unusual meaty scent—somewhat like a combination of milky and woody notes.

Finally, there was a wisp of an elusive, fishy stink; the flavor was not heavy, but it lingered persistently.

Zhou Leng chewed in large bites.

Even after a night of stewing and being softened by medicine, it felt like uncooked beef tendon, impossible to chew through.

By the fourth piece, Zhou Leng's teeth felt sour and his jaws grew numb, forcing him to channel his Qi to aid his chewing.

He was simply too tired and switched to the braised pork and vegetables for a breather.

Halfway through the meal, sweat broke out all over Zhou Leng's body, just like eating mutton hot pot during the dog days of summer.

A faint smile emerged on Li Linhan's wrinkled, soy-sauce-colored face.

"Drink some soup. It's a pity we can only buy some scraps from Blood Qi Realm Demonic Beasts. You can't even dream of buying scraps from high-end fierce beasts and Dragons."

"It's already very good," Zhou Leng said, his mouth stuffed with meat, his words slurring.

"Tomorrow we're stewing beef. Oh right, the city hasn't been very peaceful lately either; try not to go out at night."

"Are there Demonic Beasts?" Zhou Leng asked.

"Word is that Innate Realm experts are fighting over some mysterious treasure, and they're playing pretty rough."

"What treasure?" Zhou Leng's eyes lit up.

"No news. They're keeping it under wraps."

"Are the Grandmasters stepping in?"

"Strangely enough, there haven't been any news of the Grandmasters for the past month or two. Who knows what they've gone off to do."

"Third Brother is about to promote to the Innate Realm, right?" Zhou Leng swept a sidelong glance over the photo of the five members of the Li family.

"Soon. That kid—ordinary as could be when he was little. Who would've thought he'd turn out to be the most promising one in the Li family? Innate... Heh, even I wouldn't dare dream of that."

The corners of Li Linhan's mouth refused to stay down.

"Don't go calling him ordinary. Aside from Zhang Xinglie, nobody in the nearby neighborhoods can steadily suppress Third Brother," Zhou Leng said.

"Zhang Xinglie... that kid is incredible, Third can't even compare to him. Your third brother's whole life has already hit the Innate ceiling, but that Zhang Xinglie has Grandmaster potential, the ancestral graves are smoking green smoke."

Zhou Leng nodded while eating.

"You're actually not weak either, you were just delayed by the demons," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng fell silent.

"On the path of Martial Dao, besides visible talent, there is also some invisible talent. I've led so many troops and seen so many kids, how could I not know?"

"You're praising me way too much," Zhou Leng said.

"It's not praise, it's... sigh, all these years, you grew up all by yourself, getting hammered and beaten raw into refined steel, you just lacked a chance. Right when you were about to amount to something, as a result—" Li Linhan picked up another piece of meat for Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng ate in silence.

"Right, Third mailed you some things, they'll arrive in the next couple of days."

Guessing it was something to help with his Martial Examination, Zhou Leng hurriedly said, "I don't want expensive things, at most I'll eat some meat medicinal diet, otherwise I won't come back."

"We'll talk about that when the time comes," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng felt conflicted inside.

Over the years, the Li family had helped him out plenty.

True, Uncle Li was an expert in the Force-Generating Stage of the Blood Qi Realm with state subsidies, martial artist bonuses, and income from the Pioneer Corporation; he wasn't short of that fifty-thousand loan.

Yet his body was covered in injuries and he needed to constantly take medicine, and third brother was also about to advance to Innate. Even with military academy training, the resources required still numbered in the tens of millions—it was a bottomless pit.

"Eat up quickly, cultivate properly once you're done," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng swept away the remaining food like a whirlwind, and a benevolent smile appeared on Li Linhan's face once more.

"I'm leaving," Zhou Leng said, walking toward home.

"Don't forget to circulate your energy to digest the meat medicinal diet," Li Linhan exhorted.

"Mn."

The unattended television was still broadcasting the news.

"...The demonic super-gravity cultivation inner armor jointly researched with the Demon Spirit World has achieved a brand-new breakthrough, raising the weight upper limit to 28 tons and breaking..."

Watching Zhou Leng close the door, Li Linhan finally returned to the dining table and sat down.

He gazed silently at the photo album for quite a while, turned off the television, slowly stood up, removed the mechanical prosthetic on his left arm, and sat cross-legged to circulate his energy and heal his injuries.

Zhou Leng entered the room, stripped off all his clothes, set a progressive tidal-sound alarm, and sat on the cushion in front of the sofa.

Hopes are high that the Mystic Tide Art can advance to the lesser accomplishment second heaven.

Zhou Leng sat cross-legged in meditation, eyes tightly closed, silently reciting the chants of the Mystic Tide Art.

Corresponding characters floated up before Zhou Leng's eyes, linking together into phrases and chapters.

Heart Script Like a Book.

"Tides engender hundun, transforming through the four seas. Rivers connect the nine regions, reaching right to the cinnabar lake. Water enters the heavenly river..."

The very instant he finished silently reciting the main text of the Mystic Tide Art, Zhou Leng's whole body trembled slightly, as if receiving a jolt.

The floating text before his eyes vanished, replaced instead by his own body's interior.

Flesh, blood, bones, sinews, qi, and the like resembled mist and water, floating before his eyes like a freehand traditional Chinese painting.

Inner Vision Like a Painting.

A surge of hot current stirred within his stomach, dispersing toward his whole body.

Zhou Leng breathed slowly, and from his lower dantian qi sea in his abdomen, a strand of true qi welled up, faintly carrying the rushing, babbling sound of ocean waves.

The Mystic Tide True Qi slowly traveled throughout his entire body along the meridians.

Before long, before Zhou Leng's eyes, the Mystic Tide True Qi spread across his whole body like deep blue lines.

The Mystic Tide True Qi gathered toward his stomach, guiding strands of hot air formed by the meat medicinal diet to slowly circulate according to the path of the Mystic Tide Art.

After circulating for one cycle, the heat of the meat medicinal diet and the Mystic Tide True Qi gradually merged.

Zhou Leng's skin flushed red, sweat breaking out all over his body.

Before long, his abdomen slowly bulged outward, resembling a balloon or a pregnant woman four or five months along.

Beneath the bulging skin, dense networks of fierce blue-red blood vessels crisscrossed menacingly.

Inside his stomach, the sound of the tide intensified.

A dozen seconds later, his abdomen slowly contracted, returning to normal.

Before long, his abdomen bulged out once more, then slowly retracted, repeating this motion incessantly.

Each time his abdomen bulged, the tidal sound of true qi increased by a fraction.

Forty-nine times, and his abdomen returned to stillness.

At this moment, the tidal sound of true qi roared in Zhou Leng's ears, like a wind-lashed coast.

The Mystic Tide Art, ordinary at first, stacked layer upon layer until the end, resembling a rampaging tsunami, fierce and unyielding.

Over ten seconds later, Zhou Leng slowly exhaled a breath.

A wisp of extremely faint white vapor flew out from his nose.

Zhou Leng opened his eyes, looked at his reddened skin and sweat-drenched body, and walked to the bathroom where he gave his body a shake, sending the water droplets sliding off.

Zhou Leng's expression held not the slightest trace of joy.

His Mystic Tide True Qi had strengthened just a tiny bit, but it still remained at the Minor Accomplishment, First Heaven.

Ever since he was injured by a demon half a year ago, he had not advanced an inch.