Inventory

That evening, Jiang Yan began sorting through the welcome gifts left by Ma Shan and the others in his room.

First was Ma Shan, who brought five bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid.

The Spirit Gathering Liquid was entirely blue, a necessary aid for Qi Absorption by martial artists above the Xiantian level, generally boosting Qi absorption speed by about 50%.

But it had its limits—the higher one's realm, the weaker the effect. Still, for Jiang Yan, a mid-stage Xiantian martial artist, it was quite valuable.

Next was Lin Yuanshan, straightforward as ever, handing Jiang Yan a bank card with no mention of how much was on it.

The most generous was Shen Donglin. After all, he represented Southeast Province's stance toward Jiang Yan, so the gift couldn't be too shabby.

Just a Space Ring alone—though only one cubic meter—was already an extremely precious treasure for Jiang Yan at his current stage.

Space Rings had a price but no market; only Space Talent Users could craft them, and due to their scarcity, the number of Space Rings was also extremely rare.

In any case, Jiang Yan had never heard of anyone selling a Space Ring.

Some things were so precious that they were only "given," never "sold."

Gifts, not commodities.

Inside the Space Ring lay ten bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid, a Martial Artist Privilege Upgrade Card, and a Horizontal Saber.

The saber's hilt was pitch-black, its aura restrained, with a dark, subdued tone. The blade had no messy colors—just a monotonous silver-white that revealed a weapon's true appearance. A faint cold gleam flickered at the tip, giving off an aloof, keep-your-distance vibe.

At the base of the hilt, two small characters were engraved.

Ming Ke.

Jiang Yan drew the blade; it felt heavy in his hand.

Surprise flickered in his heart. Few sabers could give him this sense of weight anymore.

Take the Horizontal Saber he'd bought for a million before—it felt decent at first, but on closer inspection, it was too light, giving a flimsy sensation when swung.

But this Ming Ke was different. He didn't know what material the blade was forged from, but holding it, he could clearly feel the power it contained.

Yes, power—as if it lay quietly in a corner, yet still gave the oppressive illusion of crushing weight.

Undeniably a fine blade!

Jiang Yan praised it twice, unable to put it down, marveling at Southeast Province's generosity. Not only did they gift a Space Ring, but also such an excellent saber.

The problem of his weapon's quality falling short due to rapid strength growth was perfectly solved.

In fact, the saber wasn't a random choice.

When Jiang Yan first made his mark in the exam hall, those big shots had already started watching him.

Because Jiang Yan wielded the standard alloy saber for the College Entrance Exam, every time he used it, it felt like:

His strength was being held back by the blade.

Those in high positions were shrewd. Since Jiang Yan already showed potential to contend for the Top Scholar position, why not go with the flow and prepare a fine saber for him?

Truly smart people understood the relationship between investment and returns.

Jiang Yan's future was limitless!

This saber had been commissioned to the most famous master in Southeast Province as soon as Jiang Yan took first place in the first two rounds, only finished last night.

Jiang Yan looked at the fifteen bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid on the table and murmured softly, "I wonder how effective they are."

He gulped down a bottle of Spirit Gathering Liquid and sat on the bed to begin Qi Absorption.

The Geng Metal Mother Qi in his Dantian grew restless, far more active than usual, as if injected with adrenaline.

"It works."

System Log updated.

"You consume a bottle of Spirit Gathering Liquid. Your Qi gathering speed increases."

"You consume a bottle of Spirit Gathering Liquid. Your refining efficiency for Spirit Gathering Liquid slightly improves."

"You begin Qi Absorption. Your Qi Absorption technique slightly improves."

"You use 'Self-Created Breathing Technique' (unnamed). The Breathing Technique is slightly refined."

"You are absorbing Qi. The Geng Metal Mother Qi you absorb from Metal Origin becomes purer."

Heaven Rewards Diligence rewards every hardworking child.

By morning, the medicinal power in his body had completely dissipated.

Jiang Yan frowned at the remaining thirteen bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid on the table.

He had consumed two bottles in one night, fully refining and absorbing them—a remarkably fast pace.

"Shen Donglin said ten bottles would last until school starts. Now it looks like I'll be lucky if they last a week~"

Jiang Yan sighed helplessly.

Of course, fast absorption wasn't a bad thing—it only proved how powerful his talent was.

He could clearly feel the Geng Metal Mother Qi in his body growing thicker, a faint golden aura flowing between his fingers, far more active than before.

He had broken through to Xiantian not long ago and had barely developed the Geng Metal Mother Qi, only knowing how to crudely release its Metal Origin Qi for battle.

Sharpness and tenacity were the essence of Geng Metal Mother Qi. Whenever Jiang Yan used this power, both his offense and defense would be greatly enhanced.

A Third Rank Innate's use of Qi was still relatively crude, but upon reaching Fourth Rank Inner Gang, one could perfectly mobilize Qi, forming Gang Qi from it both on the body's surface and within.

Mother Qi could not be used directly in combat; it was akin to a source. Gang Qi was essentially homologous Qi produced by the Mother Qi, only more systematic and comprehensive.

Gang Qi would manifest all the attributes inherent to the Mother Qi.

At this stage, most of Qi's capabilities could be fully utilized, greatly boosting a martial artist's combat power.

The cultivation process for a martial artist at Third Rank Innate was actually about exploring, understanding, and strengthening their Qi.

There were countless types of Qi between heaven and earth, but a martial artist could only absorb Qi homologous to their own Mother Qi.

Jiang Yan downed another bottle of Spirit Gathering Liquid, and this time his absorption speed was even faster.

Two hours later, the medicinal power was nearly depleted, and the Geng Metal Mother Qi in his Dantian flourished vigorously.

It had only been four days since he broke through to Mid Innate, yet he was already faintly touching the threshold of Late Innate. Such an absurd cultivation speed would be impossible even for a young Peak Martial Saint.

After just over a month of cultivation, Jiang Yan had truly crushed all his peers—not only in combat power but also in realm!

A freak who could fight above his level, and his realm was still higher than yours—tell me, was there any chance of winning?

Entering the Combat Space, Jiang Yan immediately began fighting the Trickster without a word.

In the real world, Jiang Yan threw heavy punches, but in the Combat Space, Jiang Yan cowered and hesitated.

The Trickster, blessed with a miraculous talent, seemed capable of anything. Every time he killed Jiang Yan, it was like an elegant artistic performance, and Jiang Yan's death was the Trickster's perfect curtain call.

Jiang Yan grew even more excited.

"That's right, this feeling of dying over and over!"

Only through repeated deaths could he realize just how weak he still was.

You say you can fight above your level? Try it in the Combat Space.

"You have triggered Moment of Truth. You are immune to this death."

The Trickster unleashed a barrage of techniques.

"You were crushed to death by a meteor."

Endless meteors stirred up ripples across the sky. The Trickster strolled leisurely through the meteor shower, took off his Top Hat, and gave a slight bow to the empty "audience" as a curtain call.