[Basic Achievement—Super Sensory Perception] [Description: It was said that in ancient times, a scientific team had conducted research and confirmed that the brains of living organisms could sense magnetic fields and react strongly to them. They named this phenomenon "Super Sensory Perception." It was a sixth sense beyond sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—a drifting fragment of the subconscious, and the sharp judgment of intuition.] [Traits: You will receive information through channels beyond your normal senses. There is a very low chance you will sense things that are about to happen, and your sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch will be slightly enhanced.] [Advancement Path: Evade danger three times, or try to resolve it, and you may be awarded the lucky badge "Disaster Always One Step Behind Me."]
Returning the spoon to his youngest sibling, Qin Lan, Qin Shi's gaze seemed somewhat unfocused, as if he were still immersed in that strange sensation.
The experience of a Stand User activating stopped time, slowing the flow of the world around him, was both unfamiliar and fascinating!
"I unlocked another new achievement. Is it because I followed Old Liang in comprehending Hundred Forms Cultivating Momentum yesterday?
"Between getting started with the Spirit Cultivation Technique and fighting in the mental space every night through Combat Rewind, the training my mental strength gets is no less than what my body gets."
Sitting at the table and smelling the aroma of porridge simmering through the room, Qin Shi pondered:
"This new achievement seems like a kind of sixth sense—predicting danger and reacting quickly.
"But its advancement requirements are a bit unreasonable. Three dangerous situations?
"I work, tutor, take part-time jobs, and train every day. My schedule's packed.
"Besides, public safety in Hengzhou is so good that even Old Factory Street barely sees a handful of serious incidents in a whole year..."
"Bro, did you sleep badly last night?"
Qin Lan ladled two steaming bowls of coarse-grain porridge and set them in front of Qin Shi, worry showing in her eyes.
She thought her big brother had been pushing himself too hard lately, carrying far too much pressure.
She couldn't help worrying:
"Bro, forget about the computer. You should take a few days off.
"I'll buy some groceries tonight and cook you something delicious!"
Looking at his youngest sibling, who was wagging her tail like a little cat, Qin Shi smiled.
"Request denied! Your big brother's in peak condition, bursting with fighting power, and ready to break through to Great Perfection at the twelfth layer of Qi Cultivation!
"Just wait until school starts. Then you'll see what they mean by New No. 1 Middle School's fastest level-up legend.
"Watch your big brother crush the Elite Class kids until their hearts are shattered!"
Qin Lan giggled foolishly.
"Of course! My big brother's super-duper strong! Plenty of the top students in the Metropolitan Area got their Life Force by taking drugs and getting injections. How could they compare with you?"
Qin Shi habitually ruffled his youngest sibling's hair, as if he were relieving stress by petting a dog in his previous life.
"That's right. Your big brother's Natural Body Refining is Perfect Foundation Building. I'm guaranteed to crush those weaklings who take pills. Those Elite Class students who are supposedly at the peak of the late stage of half-step Great Perfection at the twelfth layer of Qi Cultivation? One punch each!"
He and his youngest sibling had loved hunting down books at street stalls since they were little, especially online fiction from the Old Era. They were always on the same wavelength.
"Bro, then do your best! Protagonists like us usually rise from Outer Sect Servants, dominate our peers, and slap those arrogant Inner Sect True Disciples in the face!"
Qin Lan raised a little fist and waved it energetically, as if cheering him on.
For the Worker's Children of Old Factory Street, New No. 1 Middle School in the Metropolitan Area was certainly worthy of being called a Great Sect Branch Academy.
If you could move up from Hongzhi Class to Elite Class, that was like advancing from the outer sect to the inner sect.
And if you stood out academically and won a scholarship, you'd be a remarkable True Disciple Seedling.
"If you get into a First-class Sect like Hengzhou University or the University of Science and Technology, then become one of the Top Ten True Disciples, you won't have to worry about finding a good job after graduation."
Qin Shi seriously considered how high his Life Force needed to get to ensure he passed the cutoff and received an admission offer from Qiguang Hengda University or Jiakai Keda University.
Above Level 6—around 45 points—should be enough!
He reached a conclusion.
Then he thought it over some more.
He currently had sixteen points. If he kept training hard every day, practicing techniques and cultivating his body during the day, then practicing combat and cultivating his mind at night...
And with all the Nutritional Paste he could eat, plus the occasional high-energy food cans he could snag from Lin Yunqing...
He'd probably break through the twenty-point mark in about six days.
"That's kind of slow."
If anyone else heard Qin Shi's thoughts, they'd be grinding their teeth in anger.
Who measured a single-digit increase in Life Force in days?
Unless you were some rich kid from the Imperial Capital or Haizhou, with deep pockets, expert teachers, and everything you could want.
Otherwise, even the fastest progress was measured in months.
"If I can break through another of the Seven Great Limits of the Physical Body and undergo another transformation, the forty-five points of Life Force required for Amateur Level 6 Dan won't seem so far away."
Qin Shi inhaled his food like a storm and polished off three big bowls of coarse-grain porridge.
He was about to head out to find Old Liang and further consolidate his training.
For now, his goal was limited to Hengzhou University and the University of Science and Technology.
The Four Great National Universities, far away across endless light-years and an immeasurable sea of stars, were the top Super Sects of the present age.
They were too far away. He couldn't even imagine going there.
"If I could get into one of the Four Great National Universities, forget the Elite Class at New No. 1 Middle School—even Lin Yunqing, who's studying at Qiguang Hengda University, would have to show me respect!
"After all, the Four Great National Universities are Holy Land Factions in the Ancient Central Continent. They're teeming with geniuses and their True Disciples are as plentiful as raindrops. You have to reach the level of a Daozi or Saintess before you're entitled to look down on others."
Qin Shi sighed, wiped his mouth, and left a little pocket money for his youngest sibling.
"Old Qin! Check out these solid pecs I just built!"
Qin Shi hadn't even made it out of the alley when he ran into Zhou Ning, whose frame had grown by a full two sizes.
In just a few short weeks, Classmate Xiao Zhou, once a skinny, dark-skinned kid, had become a bulky man with muscle beneath a layer of fat.
He'd even shaved his hair into the short buzz cut commonly seen at Silver Horse Gym.
Qin Shi frowned.
"Xiao Zhou, why's your head so pointy?"
He knew his close friend Zhou Ning had recently been taking lessons from Coach Luo and had apparently been making excellent progress.
Aunt Zhou and Uncle Zhou had been telling everyone that their son was improving by leaps and bounds and could easily get into a second-rate school.
But it had been several days since Qin Shi last saw him, and Zhou Ning had changed so much.
Qin Shi couldn't help wondering: Was the head coach at Silver Horse Gym really that good?
"Don't talk nonsense! It's called 'Dragon Raises Head'!"
Zhou Ning grinned.
"Old Qin, you have no idea. After just one week of classes, Coach Luo secretly told me I had amazing talent!
"He even put together a custom training plan to adjust my muscle structure. He guaranteed I'd see results in four or five days and that my Big Three Lifts would shoot up!"
As he spoke, Zhou Ning deliberately rolled up his sleeve. His well-defined biceps bulged, and his upper arm looked as if it had instantly filled with blood, showing off its astonishing explosive power.
"Did he try to sell you protein powder or supplements or anything?"
Qin Shi furrowed his brows even deeper.
The reason Old Martial Arts could squeeze out one's potential and raise Life Force in a short time was that it wagered everything—including one's life.
If you couldn't break through the Seven Great Limits of the Physical Body, you'd pay a brutal price in backlash.
The way Zhou Ning was training didn't even count as New Martial Arts.
How could he be progressing so quickly?
"Coach Luo's a top-ranked trainer. Why would he do the kind of sales pitches those scammers make?"
Zhou Ning shook his head.
"But he does recommend different packages to students who do especially well in training. Things like 'Nine Dragons Integration,' 'One Head Muscle Special Reinforcement,' and 'Big Three Lifts Manly Man Creation Plan.'"
Qin Shi's mouth twitched, his expression turning strange.
The Big Three Lifts were at least normal: bench press, squat, and deadlift.
But what the hell was a one-head muscle?
And Nine Dragons Integration was even more outrageous!
The whole thing had gone off the rails!
"Which one did you choose?"
Qin Shi asked.
"I kind of wanted to choose One Head Muscle Special Reinforcement, but Coach Luo thought I was too young to handle it.
"So he recommended Nine Dragons Integration instead. He knows a big pharmaceutical company over in Smoke City and gets the products straight from the manufacturer. They're running a promotion right now, so I can try the first course for free."
Zhou Ning answered honestly.
"What does 'Nine Dragons' mean?"
Qin Shi didn't understand.
"Coach Luo said it's the nine newest drugs they've developed. The names are hard to remember—stuff like 'Xisilon' and 'Kanglilong.' I couldn't keep them straight."
Zhou Ning scratched his head and chuckled.
"Old Qin, I just got my Life Force tested the day before yesterday. It's already gone up by half a point! So I thought I'd tell you. Want to sign up for a package together? We can see how it goes first. It won't cost anything."
The more Qin Shi heard, the more wrong it sounded.
"Coach Luo said you're talented. What exactly is your talent?"
Zhou Ning puffed out his chest and spat out three words:
"Drug Resistance!"
Then he added:
"Other people can only get eight injections in three days. I can get twelve every day!"
Crap! My best friend was going to mutate into a muscle freak!
The veins on Qin Shi's forehead throbbed.
This wasn't Life Force Development. It sounded like they were making super soldiers!
A hundred injections a day, and everyone could become a Martial God, huh?
Before you continue