Newborn Metamorphosis, From Nine to Eight

"For the next few days, you don't need to come to class for training. Just focus on transforming your Mortal Body."

Old Liang smiled with satisfaction. How could he not sense the surging vitality within Qin Shi?

It was like a budding branch, just waiting for a shower of sweet rain and the warmth of the sun, to grow vigorously upwards and reach for the sky.

"Unlike the smooth progress of breakthroughs in New Martial Arts, the path of Old Martial Arts breaks through the limits of the physical body. Each time is like welcoming a new life. Savor this wonderful feeling."

Hearing Old Liang's words, Qin Shi's eyes lit up.

The transformation from cultivating the Dragon Sinew was already a pleasant surprise.

He thought it would end there, but unexpectedly, there were follow-ups.

"It's like drawing a card with the mindset of getting at least a common item, only to suddenly get a golden flash... It's truly a good thing."

Qin Shi rubbed his hands in anticipation. It was worth all the hardship and suffering he had endured.

He had now broken through the ten-point mark in vitality. If he could gain another two or three points, his exam would be set at amateur level nine, which was practically a sure thing.

This meant he still had significant room for improvement before school started.

"However, the transformation of the Mortal Body, this second birth, also has its downsides. You need to be careful, Xiao Shi."

Old Liang suddenly changed the subject.

"What? If it's just about preserving my yang energy and not getting close to women, I think I can handle it!"

Qin Shi puffed out his chest, his expression righteous.

According to the traditional practices of the Old Martial Arts Faction, they would likely require their disciples to maintain their virginity and pure yang body.

For him, that wasn't a problem!

After all, Dongxia wasn't like his previous life. The internet was incredibly developed, with succubi lurking everywhere, disrupting one's Dao heart.

He knew that the children of workers on Old Factory Street were still at the stage of secretly watching adult videos and viewing masturbation as shameful. Compared to the lustful atmosphere of his previous life, which was like a flood and a fierce beast, this place could be considered to have simple folkways.

"That's not necessary. The Old Martial Arts Faction isn't about becoming a monk and observing such practices."

Old Liang shook his head.

"It's just that during the stage of new birth, your appetite will increase. Two boxes of Nutritional Paste daily might not be enough for you anymore.

After breaking through your limits, your body needs to replenish energy, and the more, the better.

Based on the current situation, at least four boxes of Nutritional Paste would be needed to satisfy..."

It's going to cost money?

Qin Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sharp pain.

His savings were decreasing by a stable 352 yuan every day!

Who could withstand that!

"The black market business on Old Factory Street isn't that big. Smuggled contraband and high-energy food leaked from official channels usually come from Yancheng.

Otherwise, I would have tried to get some for you.

During the new birth stage, the better you eat, the faster your vitality will increase."

Old Liang sighed. He hadn't saved much money over the years.

He used to think that one person eating was enough for the whole family, and all his salary was spent.

Then, he had the idea to take Qin Shi as his final disciple, and now he was stretched thin everywhere.

It was truly like picking up a child to raise, forced to earn money for diapers.

"It's just a few boxes of Nutritional Paste, Master Liang. You don't need to worry. I can afford it."

Qin Shi had no intention of shamelessly relying on his master any longer. Old Liang had already subsidized him quite a bit.

It was bad enough that as a disciple, he hadn't shown much filial piety or given gifts. Now, he was emptying his master's coffers.

It would be a laughingstock if word got out!

After leaving No. 9 Vocational Middle School, Qin Shi didn't go to the Midnight Palace. He directly asked Xie Yucheng to help him request leave.

Then, with a tearful heart, he spent over a thousand yuan to purchase twelve boxes of Longxiang Ji Nutritional Paste.

Returning to his shack, he sat on his bedroom bed and began to activate [Muscle Memory].

One-click entry into the Grasping Qi Sensation and circulation of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle training mode!

Huu! Haa!

The warm stream of Qi circulated within his body, traveling through flesh, skin, and membranes, and between his limbs and bones.

As Qin Shi's abdominal breathing became more intense, his bedroom sounded like a bellows being worked, whirring and humming.

The youngest, Qin Lan, cooking outside the shed, looked worried.

"Second Brother, what are you doing in the room? It feels like you're going to tear the roof off."

Every forty minutes Qin Shi completed a Qi circulation, his internal energy was completely depleted, and every cell screamed with intense hunger.

He was like a starving ghost who hadn't eaten in days, grabbing a box of Nutritional Paste and wolfing it down.

What a terrible texture, what a bland taste, he didn't care at all.

He just wanted to fill his bottomless stomach!

In less than two minutes, the box of high-calorie Nutritional Paste was gone.

The extremely concentrated carbohydrates didn't provide Qin Shi with much satiety.

"Still hungry..."

He opened another box of Nutritional Paste and continued to feast, as if the sticky substance that even dogs wouldn't eat was some kind of delicacy.

After eating six boxes in one go, the hunger that had been constantly assaulting his brain finally disappeared.

"So sleepy."

After eating his fill, Qin Shi felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. He pushed open the door, told the youngest, Qin Lan, and went back to his bedroom to fall asleep.

[Intermediate Achievement - Deep Sleep (5/30)]

The next morning, he slowly opened his eyes, ignoring the floating text information on his retinas.

After a quick wash, he continued to practice, and then replenished his body's missing energy with Nutritional Paste.

"Is this the newborn stage? Like a newborn baby, all I do is eat and sleep, like instinct."

Qin Shi was immersed in the process of his Mortal Body's transformation. His flesh and blood seemed full of vitality, and in the Internal Vision state, they shimmered with a soft glow.

The red and white colors of his limbs and torso became more and more intense, shining brightly, like high-power spotlights, almost blinding.

Only organs like the brain, heart, and lungs were slightly dimmer, clearly inferior.

He summoned the Monument panel, and the data updated and refreshed--

[Anchor: Qin Shi]

[Growth Stage: Embryo]

[Progress: 0.011%]

[Monuments: Deep Sleep (Intermediate), Muscle Memory (Intermediate), Overgrowth (Beginner)]

[Skills: Combat Rewind, Internal Vision]

"No wonder the Old Martial Arts Faction dreamed of breaking through the limits of the body. After only one day, I've gained a little vitality.

And this happened without doing anything, just eating and sleeping."

Qin Shi marveled at the transformation that came with breaking through limits, it was like a sublimation of essence, making one incredibly addicted.

He stared intently at himself in the mirror, and the lines of data that jumped out revealed the results.

Old Martial Arts Cultivation Method Level 2 (5/30)

Old Martial Arts Fighting Style Level 1 (18/20)

Flesh 10.5 → 11.2

Spirit 10.1 → 10.9

"The feedback from such a significant increase is indeed worth the pain of several Burning Sinews."

Old Liang had underestimated the amount of Nutritional Paste Qin Shi would need during his newborn stage. Perhaps due to the boost from [Overgrowth], he had a better absorption and digestion ability than similar creatures.

He had to consume six boxes of Nutritional Paste every day to meet his normal metabolic needs.

"This transformation will probably last for four days... which means I'll have to spend over two thousand yuan more."

Seeing his wallet shrink, Qin Shi couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.

Even if he worked two jobs, it would be difficult to cover the ever-increasing expenses.

Who said hard work leads to wealth...

Qin Shi gritted his teeth. He couldn't possibly work four jobs, could he?

Even if his vitality broke the ten-point mark, he couldn't be squeezed like this!

"The money my eldest sister left isn't enough to spend."

Pushing the thought of getting rich quick to the back of his mind, Qin Shi continued his monotonous routine of wolfing down Nutritional Paste and then sleeping.

Five days passed in total. Qin Lan, who was cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking at home, began to suspect that her second brother had suffered a heartbreak after a failed confession and was now wallowing in misery.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Her eyes gradually became determined, and she prepared to shoulder the burden of supporting the family alone.

Thump! An extremely dull, heavy sound echoed out!

It was like a wooden mallet striking a large drum, making eardrums buzz!

"Is there an earthquake?"

Qin Lan's eyes widened. She quickly put down her brush, paper, and practice questions, then ran towards Qin Shi's bedroom.

The wooden door creaked loudly from the airflow before slamming onto the ground with a "bang."

"Second Brother..."

Qin Lan's mouth hung open in surprise. Qin Shi, bare-chested, was enveloped in white mist – the rolling heat vapor formed by his evaporating sweat.

The scene was like a special effect from an Old Era movie, depicting a protagonist mastering a divine skill.

"Vitality has reached its limit."

Qin Shi, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, breathed calmly. White streams of Qi, one long and one short, expanded and contracted at his nostrils like tiny snakes.

The significant progress in his Old Martial Arts cultivation method made him more proficient at grasping Qi Sensation and completing the cycle. Each Lesser Heavenly Cycle he ran released immense heat from his body.

At first glance, he resembled a human furnace!

Old Martial Arts Cultivation Method Level 2 (14/30)
Old Martial Arts Fighting Style Level 2 (9/30)
Physique 14.7 → 15.1
Spirit 14.5 → 14.9

"Physique and Spirit combined form Vitality. I've already broken through fifteen points."

"The gains from breaking through the physical limit are too immense, it feels like a dream."

Qin Shi was both surprised and delighted. He had never imagined that developing Vitality would be so easy.

In just a few days, he was approaching the passing score for Amateur Level 8!

"If I reach Level 8, the score bonus will be enough for me to get into top universities like Hengda University and Keda University."

Qin Shi suppressed his excitement and slowly reined in the boiling, surging Qi Sensation heat flow.

The abundant vitality contained within his Mortal Body gradually receded, like boiling water cooling down and settling back into his flesh and blood.

He clearly sensed that his Strength had increased significantly, and his senses were sharper.

His entire body's physical strength seemed to have undergone a leap in enhancement!

"I remember Old Liang said the minimum requirement for the Hundred Forms Momentum Cultivation is twenty points of Vitality."

Qin Shi opened his five fingers, recalling the four profound imagery of "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain" in his mind:

"I'm not far from that step either."

ps: During the recommendation period, active reading is needed. I'm begging for monthly votes~