The clamor and shock on the training ground seemed to have been shut away in another world.
Li Yuan followed a Deacon Disciple with a respectful expression, passing through layer upon layer of courtyards toward the depths of the martial academy. Everywhere they went, whether apprentices training hard or instructors passing by, all cast complicated, unreadable looks his way—admiration, awe, curiosity, and even a trace of barely perceptible envy.
The Class A Room area was a world apart from the dilapidated, simple Class C Room.
The paths paved with bluestone were clean and dust-free. Verdant pines and cypresses grew on either side, and the air was filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance instead of the stench of sweat and mildew. Small, independent courtyards with green-tiled roofs were scattered about in an orderly fashion, tranquil and solemn.
The Deacon Disciple stopped before a courtyard bearing a plaque that read "Class A One." He pushed open the half-shut gate and stepped aside respectfully. "Senior Brother Li, this is your residence. Your meals will be delivered to the courtyard each day, and your medicinal bath will be prepared on time as well. If you need anything, just give us the word."
Li Yuan gave a slight nod and stepped inside.
The courtyard was not large, but it had everything one could need. There was a spacious, brightly lit bedroom, with tables, chairs, a bed, and cabinets all made of fine hardwood, and a soft, thick cotton mattress laid on the bed. There was a small meditation room for sitting in meditation and practicing. There was even a small training area furnished with stone weights, wooden dummies, and other equipment.
It was utterly different from the dark, damp Class C Room Seven, where four people had been crammed together.
"In the martial academy, strength reigns supreme." Li Yuan silently repeated the words to himself. He wasn't particularly excited by any of this; it simply felt as it should. He had earned these privileges with his fists.
After explaining the necessary details, the Deacon Disciple bowed and withdrew, gently closing the gate behind him.
Only Li Yuan remained in the courtyard.
He took a deep breath. He could feel that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here seemed a little denser than outside. It didn't do much for him, but the surroundings were certainly pleasant.
He first entered the bedroom, his gaze falling on the table. A large food box had already been set there. When he lifted the lid, a rich aroma of meat and blood rushed toward him.
Gone was the watery soup and Fierce Beast offal, all bones, from the Class C Room. The food box held a large bowl of lustrous, plump spiritual rice. Beside it sat a big pot of "Crimson Stripe Beef," stewed until tender and a tempting reddish-brown, its thick broth rich with the scent of blood. There was even a small dish of crisp spiritual vegetables to cut through the richness.
"The Crimson Stripe Ox is one of the finest low-level Fierce Beasts. The blood and energy in its flesh far surpasses that of the Tusked Boar..." A note of satisfaction flashed through Li Yuan's eyes. This was the kind of "fuel" that suited his status and needs now!
He didn't hold back in the slightest. Sitting down, he devoured the meal like a whirlwind. The meat was tender and springy, melting in his mouth as its surging blood and energy burst across his palate. As it reached his stomach, the "Crimson Sun" began to circulate of its own accord, and its efficient "smelting" power kicked in. It rapidly transformed the pure essence of the flesh into rolling Crimson Sun Qi and Blood, replenishing the tiny amount he had expended during the daytime test and steadily, firmly increasing his total reserves.
When he finished eating, warmth filled his stomach and he felt more energetic than ever.
After a short rest, the sky began to darken. Movement sounded outside the courtyard gate once more. Two servant disciples carried in a bathtub nearly twice the size of the one in the Class C Room, made entirely of some kind of heat-resistant wood. Steam rose from the tub, and the medicinal fragrance was rich.
"Senior Brother Li, your medicinal bath is ready."
"Just put it in the meditation room," Li Yuan said coolly.
The servant disciples placed the tub where he had asked, then respectfully withdrew.
Li Yuan entered the meditation room and closed the door. As he looked at the tub of dark brown medicinal liquid, nearly as black as ink, he could feel medicinal power surging within it—ten times stronger than that of the Class C Room's bath. Once again, the "Crimson Sun" inside him sent out a clear, intense yearning.
He removed his clothes and stepped into the tub.
The hot, almost scalding medicinal liquid enveloped his whole body. Threads of pure medicinal power, like countless tiny snakes, tried to burrow into his pores.
But this time, Li Yuan was no longer content with absorbing it passively.
With a thought, the "Crimson Sun" deep in his sea of qi began to spin at full speed!
A powerful suction force erupted around him!
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
The medicinal liquid in the tub actually formed a whirlpool before his eyes! The concentrated medicinal power, previously distributed evenly throughout the liquid, was violently torn apart by that force, drawn together, and sent surging madly toward Li Yuan's body!
"Smelting"—at full power!
The searing Crimson Sun Power swept through his body, instantly capturing, purifying, and refining the incoming medicinal power! The miscellaneous herbal components were mercilessly stripped away and burned up, leaving only the most essential energy, the kind that could nourish his body and strengthen his Qi and Blood. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, it poured into his meridians and merged with the tiny "Crimson Sun" within him!
Boom!
A warm current far more powerful than the one he had gained from devouring Crimson Stripe Beef, yet gentler and more enduring, exploded through his body! It surged on without end!
His Crimson Sun Qi and Blood grew denser at an unprecedented rate! His arms, chest, abdomen, back... nourished by this pure medicinal power, the skin and muscles across his whole body felt the barrier he had just broken through loosen once again, allowing them to strengthen more deeply. Even the muscle fibers slightly depleted by his full-force punches that day seemed to sigh in relief as they were rapidly repaired and strengthened.
Efficiency! This was the efficiency he needed!
Li Yuan closed his eyes and circulated the "Crimson Sun" with all his might, greedily absorbing this hard-won, high-quality resource.
The color of the medicinal liquid in the tub faded at an astonishing speed. From dark brown to light brown, then murky, and finally almost clear...
About half an hour later, Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes. The light in them was restrained, yet they seemed ever brighter and deeper.
He stood up, feeling the surging strength ready to burst from within him, and the "Crimson Sun" in his sea of qi, which seemed to have grown a little more solid. At last, the corner of his mouth curled into a carefree smile.
This was the cultivation speed he deserved!
The struggles in the Class C Room and the infighting at the bottom of the martial academy were all in the past.
From today onward, in this Class A Room One, he would be like a hidden dragon entering the sea, climbing toward the heights of the martial path at a speed unlike anything before!
Through the window of the meditation room, his gaze turned toward the deep night sky beyond the courtyard.
The Li Family, the Netherworld Cult... were you ready?
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