Body Tempering Skin Minor Accomplishment!

Zeng Fan entered the room, took out Spirit Stones from his Storage Ring, and returned to the center of the room. This time, as he unfolded the Fish Dragon Fist, the spiritual energy around him circulated ever faster. When the surrounding spiritual energy gradually thinned, Zeng Fan slowly drew in the spiritual energy from the Spirit Stones, and the amount he absorbed surged sharply.

As spiritual energy continuously flowed into him, Zeng Fan could clearly feel his Body Tempering Skin steadily advancing toward Minor Accomplishment.

"At this pace, the Body Tempering Skin will reach Minor Accomplishment in a few more days. Once I have some ability to protect myself, I'll go test my aptitude. By then, I should be able to receive those so-called Spirit Vein supplies."

Zeng Fan muttered to himself. He had heard that if someone possessed a cultivable Spirit Vein during testing, they could be received by the city lord and awarded a reward. The Profound Spirit Dynasty encouraged commoners to test their aptitudes. If one had a Yellow Vein or a Spirit Vein of even higher grade, not only would they receive a handsome reward, but their family would also be rewarded. To commoners, such rewards were exceedingly generous. Zeng Fan had paid for his previous test because it was not yet time for the aptitude testing held every three months, and the impatience in his heart had been like ants crawling all over him, unbearable enough that he could only pay for a test himself.

Zeng Fan understood clearly that these free Spirit Vein grade tests and rewards were, at their core, a means of selecting talent. After all, every organization needed fresh blood. It merely depended on whether the Profound Spirit Dynasty was recruiting for itself or selecting talent for those above it.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. In the rear courtyard of an inn in Jiuyuan City, a youth stood bare-chested, sweat pouring down like rain. As his body moved, a ripple slowly brewed within him...

This youth was none other than the diligently cultivating Zeng Fan. As the speed at which his body absorbed spiritual energy suddenly accelerated, Zeng Fan's body abruptly shuddered.

"Breakthrough! Body Tempering Skin Minor Accomplishment!"

Zeng Fan let out a long breath. With the constant acceleration provided by Spirit Stones over the past three days, he had finally reached the first level of the Body Tempering Realm. By mortal standards, Zeng Fan could now be considered a cultivator.

Zeng Fan curiously examined his own skin. Circulating spiritual energy, a faint glow spread over his palm. He took out a kitchen cleaver he had brought from the kitchen and chopped down hard!

Clang! The cleaver struck Zeng Fan's palm and actually rang with the sound of metal colliding. Looking closely, there was even a small chip in the blade.

"Is this the mark of Body Tempering Skin Minor Accomplishment?" By gathering spiritual energy over the skin, parts of the skin could become impervious to ordinary metal and iron. When the skin of the entire body reached this level, it would be Body Tempering Skin Great Accomplishment.

"Isn't this just the Golden Bell Shield?" Zeng Fan said with a dumbfounded laugh.

"Then tomorrow, it'll be time to test my aptitude. This cultivation speed really burns money." Zeng Fan looked at the ashes of Spirit Stones around him with a bitter smile. Nearly a hundred Spirit Stones had been used up in these three days. At this rate of cultivation, those in his Storage Ring would not even last a month.

"Methods, wealth, companions, and land—the four essentials of cultivation truly weren't a lie. Without money, who knows how much time would have to be ground away even in the Body Tempering Realm? I hope tomorrow's Spirit Vein reward gives me a pleasant surprise."

Returning to the room, Zeng Fan closed his eyes and meditated, slowly absorbing spiritual energy as he waited for daylight to arrive.

Early in the morning, Jiuyuan City's plaza was already packed with people. It was not that so many people wanted to test their Spirit Veins; everyone simply wanted to watch the excitement. People always had a keen interest in certain things~~~.

"How many Spirit Veins do you think there'll be this time? Last time, I remember there were only two Yellow Veins. I wonder how many this batch will have. Could there be a Profound Vein or even an Earth Vein? Hehe."

"I'm hoping for more this time. I bet that there'll be more than two Yellow Veins today, or one Profound Vein. I've already placed my wager. If there aren't any today, I'll lose my shirt."

The surrounding conversations reached Zeng Fan's ears as he walked slowly along, stirring something in his heart.

"Big brother, where did you place your wager? Could I go take a look?" Zeng Fan asked a passerby.

The passerby had been somewhat annoyed at having his conversation interrupted, but when he saw what Zeng Fan was asking about, he immediately smiled warmly. "You're interested in this too? It's around the corner at the street entrance. Come, come, come, I'll take you there!"

Zeng Fan naturally knew that the passerby would surely benefit from bringing him over, but he did not care much and followed him to the betting stall.

At the stall, a slightly plump man with two wisps of mustache at the corners of his mouth sat on the table in boredom. Seeing the passerby bring Zeng Fan over, he asked, "You want to bet on today's Spirit Veins?"

"Yes. How does the betting work?" Zeng Fan asked with a smile.

"You bet on the minimum number of Yellow Veins or Profound Veins that will appear today. We don't take bets on Earth Veins and above. If you win, you get double your stake. Or you can bet that a specific number of Yellow Veins or Profound Veins will definitely appear—the odds for that are higher! Five to one! Which one do you want to bet on?"

"I'll bet that at least one Profound Vein appears. One tael of gold," Zeng Fan said with a smile.

"One tael of gold!? Little brother, don't scare me. Our small stall can't handle stakes that large," the middle-aged man said in surprise.

"Then ten taels of silver. I'll use this Spirit Stone as collateral. If I win, you can pay me afterward. If not, I'll exchange the Spirit Stone for money and pay you later. I don't have silver on hand right now." Zeng Fan casually took out a Spirit Stone and placed it on the table.

The middle-aged man carefully accepted the Spirit Stone. After examining it a few times and confirming there was no problem, he cupped his fists toward Zeng Fan. "I failed to recognize a great man, little brother. Don't worry, this Spirit Stone can rest safely with me. If you win, the winnings are yours. If you lose, no matter—we'll consider it a chance for me to make a friend!"

"You're too courteous, shopkeeper. We'll settle it however it should be settled," Zeng Fan replied with a faint smile. He then headed toward the testing plaza.

Watching this, the middle-aged man seemed to understand something. "Never thought I'd encounter a Profound Vein today. Heh! Not bad luck. No more bets on Profound Veins today—I'd definitely lose money." He stroked his mustache and sighed.

The passerby's eyes lit up at those words. He looked at Zeng Fan's departing figure with both fear and envy. "Can I increase my bet now?"

"Get lost, get lost, get lost! I don't do losing business," the middle-aged man cursed with a laugh. He then ignored the passerby's endless muttering and turned his gaze toward the plaza.