Fifty Martial Merit Points in hand.
A hint of a smile appeared on Chen Yan's face.
Martial Merit Points were very useful.
He gently rubbed the Martial Merit Badge to the right, and the text on it changed.
[High Grade A-Class Basic Body Tempering Breathing Technique (Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon), one hour of Origin Crystal visualization: 1 point]
[High Grade B-Class Basic Qi and Blood Cultivation Method (Nine Suns Art), one hour of Origin Crystal visualization: 0.7 points]
[Martial Grade A-Class Body Tempering Breathing Technique (Blazing Sun Dragon Control Art), one hour of Origin Crystal visualization: 100 points]
This was the merchandise list. Chen Yan rubbed the badge to the right again, and the list changed once more, now showing nothing but weapons.
After a quick look through, Chen Yan lingered over two items.
[Martial Grade A-Class Blood Qi Martial Technique (Hundred Spears Dark Stab), one hour of Origin Crystal visualization: 100 points]
This was a Blood Qi Martial Technique, and Chen Yan wanted to learn it.
And from the description, it seemed to suit his Yin Zhe Qi and Blood very well.
He lacked a Blood Qi Martial Technique.
He couldn't afford it yet, so he would just keep earning.
Aside from [Hundred Spears Dark Stab], Chen Yan had his eye on a second item.
[Earth Vein Level Class C Refining Body Tempering, one hour: 1,000]
That was the price for Refining Body Tempering. According to Luo Puxin, a single tempering session was enough to help Chen Yan grow two Patterns.
This was a Martial Grade tempering opportunity.
In this world, treasures were generally classified into grades.
Mortal Grade, High Grade, Martial Grade, Earth Vein Level, Azure Sky Level, and Morning Star Level.
Each grade was further divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D.
The Red-haired Ganoderma Chen Yan had used before, for example, was a Mortal Grade B-Class Treasure Medicine.
So this Earth Vein Level Class C tempering opportunity was very important.
And Chen Yan also had the Saint Breaking Tree!
If he could get his body tempered, he would grow incredibly fast!
After thinking it over and over, Chen Yan slipped the Martial Merit Badge into his pocket.
Earn Martial Merit Points!
He wanted to grow stronger.
Beneath the moonlit sky,
Chen Yan sprinted through the desolate outskirts like a horse freed from its reins. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, scattering silver flecks across the ground, while his body stirred a rustling chorus all around him.
With [Crimson Gang Body Tempering Canon] constantly active, he breathed in and out pale-red White Mist.
[Saint Breaking Realm: Level 3 (50/75)]
[Saint Breaking Fruits:
Strength: (88/100)
Blood: (26/100)
Technique: (32/100)
Physique: (100/100)]
On the Saint Breaking Tree, a [Physique] Character Saint Breaking Fruit had ripened. Chen Yan swallowed it in one bite, and his body immediately rang with a series of cracking sounds.
His skin grew a little tauter and more resilient.
On his chest, Chen Yan had already condensed one solid Strength Stripe, with another at 0.9. The rest of his Muscle, Bone, and Skin Patterns had also reached forty percent.
The Breathing Technique tempered Muscle, Bone, Skin, and Strength. According to Luo Puxin, everyone condensed their Patterns in a different order.
For instance, Wu Chuhua had first condensed Skin Stripes, followed by Strength Stripes.
Because of the Saint Breaking Tree, Chen Yan had first condensed Strength Stripes. After that, faint Patterns appeared together across his Muscle, Bone, and Skin.
This showed that the strengthening of Chen Yan's physique was uneven: his physical strength far exceeded his body's toughness.
Chen Yan needed to pay more attention to the toughness of his Muscle, Bone, and Skin. He had to make sure he could take a hit as well as dish one out.
Then there were the realms.
The Body Tempering Path was no weak path. Its first realm was the Seventy-two Patterns Extreme Forging Realm, its second the Unity Realm, and its third the Origin.
As for Qi and Blood, its realms were the Five Viscera, Hundred Meridians, Golden Body, and Origin.
That was right: the third realm of Body Tempering and the fourth realm of Qi and Blood shared the same name.
But they were completely different in essence.
One meant that the physical body had reached the Origin; the other meant that Qi and Blood had reached the Origin.
Those who reached the Origin were absolute powerhouses, capable of suppressing an entire province.
The Origin was also known as the Martial Dao Grandmaster. There were only a few in all of Qin Prefecture, and Yunmeng City had none.
According to Luo Puxin, once Body Tempering reached Thirty-two Patterns, it could already rival a Qi and Blood Martial Artist who had just entered the Hundred Meridians Realm.
When a Hardening Martial Artist reached Seventy-two Patterns, that was equivalent to the peak of the Hundred Meridians Realm for a Qi and Blood Martial Artist.
One Body Tempering realm was worth two Qi and Blood realms. It was no weak path.
And it seemed that some people had even forged more than seventy-two Patterns in the Extreme Forging Realm.
Of course, most people couldn't even reach seventy-two Patterns and had to advance to Unity instead.
There was no right or wrong; it all depended on the state of one's body.
Thinking this, Chen Yan raced through the darkness. By the time the sun rose in the east, he had returned to First High School.
When the cafeteria staff pushed a cart of food up to Chen Yan's courtyard, a handsome young man with his shirt off was throwing punches across the sunlit campus, drenched in sweat.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Chen Yan's fists cut through the air. His form wound and coiled like a horned dragon, strong yet supple, with a powerful, sweeping force.
"He's so diligent."
The young cafeteria worker murmured shyly, cheeks flushed, as she carried the meal made with exquisite beast meat into the Living Room.
Chen Yan rinsed his face under the tap, thanked her, and began to eat.
Within the Saint Breaking Realm, he swallowed a [Strength] Character Saint Breaking Fruit, and his second Strength Stripe fully solidified.
A faint vibration suddenly came from his pocket. It was the Martial Merit Badge.
Chen Yan saw that the entry saying he had to condense a new Pattern within a week had disappeared.
Had it sensed that?
Chen Yan was surprised. The Martial Merit Badge was peculiar. It was only a simple iron badge, yet the images on it could change.
The original cultivation task had changed, too:
[Condense three solid Patterns within a week. Reward: 200 Martial Merit Points.]
The entry about assassinating Ye Yong had also disappeared that morning. What surprised Chen Yan was that killing Ye Yong had originally been worth fifty Martial Merit Points, but he had instead received two hundred.
Chen Yan now had two hundred and fifty Martial Merit Points.
One hour of visualization for [Hundred Spears Dark Stab] cost one hundred Martial Merit Points. Chen Yan planned to save up enough for twelve hours before going.
Carefully feeling the strength coursing through him, Chen Yan took a deep breath.
A surging power slammed around inside his body. Chen Yan clenched his fists, unable to hide the veins swelling along them.
The feeling of fatigue slowly faded, and his drowsiness eased as well.
"Chen Yan lives in this courtyard, right? He's so handsome and so diligent."
The young woman among the two staff members spoke with flushed cheeks, sounding terribly shy.
Beside her, the middle-aged man accompanying her chided her in a low voice:
"Stop dreaming. Everyone who lives here is a martial arts prodigy with a high status. Why would they ever be interested in ordinary people like us?"
The young woman froze. Her blush faded as she remembered the difference in their status.
At the same time,
Yu Zhiwen approached the courtyard where Chen Yan lived, looking hesitant.
At the request of our many readers, we're now offering a VIP Member Ad-Free Function.
Click to view.
"Chen Yan, could you come out for a moment?"
Yu Zhiwen pressed her lips together and glanced at a round-faced girl standing beneath a distant tree. The girl had her hands clasped and watched Yu Zhiwen with eager anticipation.
Chen Yan stepped out, and a flicker passed through Yu Zhiwen's eyes.
She gave Chen Yan a careful look. He really was handsome, and he had a great air about him. Taking the pink letter from her pocket, Yu Zhiwen spoke softly:
"This is for you."
Chen Yan froze. A love letter?
He remained where he was and didn't take it.
"Sorry, I'm not thinking about that right now."
Yu Zhiwen froze, then began to say:
"It's not from me, it's from—"
"Yeah, whoever it's from, I'm not interested." Chen Yan smiled, gentle as ever.
Yu Zhiwen gazed quietly at Chen Yan, wanting to say something, but he had already gone back inside.
Yu Zhiwen stood there dazed for a while, then awkwardly returned to the girl beneath the tree and shook her head.
"Ah..." the girl muttered, full of disappointment.
Yu Zhiwen said nothing. Chen Yan hadn't even asked who it was from before rejecting her outright.
In other words, even if she, Yu Zhiwen, had been the one giving it to him, he would still have rejected her.
For some reason, she felt terribly conflicted.
Without meaning to, she thought again of what Xia Tong had said.
Teacher Xia Tong must be full of regret.
An hour later,
"Chen Yan, are you going to the Breeding Area?"
Gao Yuan appeared at the entrance to the Small Courtyard. He had heard that Chen Yan had endured five hours in the Blood Sensing Chamber yesterday to awaken, and he admired him greatly.
Going to the Blood Sensing Chamber without having awakened was like an ordinary person entering an eighty-degree sauna. Lasting even a minute would count as impressive.
"I am."
Chen Yan stepped out of his room. He had just spent a while cultivating the [Chaos Abyss Art], and had gained a little insight into hiding his Yin Zhe.
The Breeding Area held Ancient Beasts raised by the Chu Family. Chen Yan needed real combat experience.
That was also what he had arranged with Gao Yuan.
Chen Yan and Gao Yuan left.
Two boys arrived: Zhang Qingsi and Li Shaowu.
"Chen Yan isn't here," Zhang Qingsi said in annoyance.
"It's fine. Since the instructor paid me, I'll take care of this for you." Li Shaowu patted Zhang Qingsi's shoulder with a grin.
"The longer you stay in the Breeding Area, the more points you'll earn: two for every extra hour. This is a walkie-talkie. If you're in danger, speak into it. After calling for help ten times, you'll be eliminated from the Town Martial Class."
In front of the Breeding Area, Second High School's Vice Principal, Zhuang Xihang, looked at Chen Yan earnestly and handed him a walkie-talkie.
"Every Ancient Beast has a fake right eye. Collect the fake eyes after killing them; each one is worth a certain number of points. Once you pluck one out, those points are yours."
As he spoke, Zhuang Xihang handed two cloth bags to Gao Yuan and Chen Yan.
Chen Yan took his bag, but Gao Yuan scratched his head.
"Teacher, I don't need one. I can't fight Ancient Beasts. I'm just here to stay as long as I can. Carrying a bag would be a hassle."
Zhuang Xihang nodded.
Every student earned two points for each hour they spent in Qingshan. They were all just getting started, and many didn't plan to hunt Ancient Beasts.
Then Zhuang Xihang turned to Chen Yan.
"Kill them if you can, but don't force a fight."
"Okay."
Chen Yan nodded and looked toward the Inner Qingshan, enclosed by an iron fence.
Though they called it the Breeding Area, it was really just the Inner Qingshan. The Ancient Beasts inside had been selected, and all were below the Five Viscera Realm. The farther in one went, the stronger the beasts became.
Other students from the Town Martial Class were heading up the mountain nearby.
"We meet again, Chen Yan."
Wu Chuqi and Wu Chuhua were about to enter the Breeding Area. Wu Chuqi looked at Chen Yan, and Chen Yan gave him a slight nod.
Wu Chuqi smiled. Wu Chuhua, however, kept his head lowered and went straight inside.
"Wu Chuqi is really strong. I heard he killed ten Ancient Beasts yesterday."
Gao Yuan sighed with admiration beside him.
"The county's Heavenly Prides are the real deal."
Just then, another group of students came over. Their leader spoke to Chen Yan:
"You're Chen Yan from Green Mountain Town, right? I'm Li Qingyuan from Zhangni Township. Want to head up together?"
Before Chen Yan could answer, Li Qingyuan smiled. "We're all students who came in from the townships, and we're starting from a weaker foundation, so we need to help one another.
"The students from the county schools look down on us, too. All the more reason for us to help each other out and earn some points."
Chen Yan understood. The students from the three high schools in Luoshan County had acted just as indifferent when they saw him.
So they had formed factions long ago.
Chen Yan noticed that Yu Zhiwen was also in Li Qingyuan's group. When she saw him looking her way, she lowered her head.
"Chen Yan, Li Qingyuan is really strong. He's ranked tenth. Among the students from the townships, only you and Li Qingyuan have your own courtyards."
Gao Yuan smiled beside him. He even greeted Li Qingyuan, clearly having known him for some time.
"No thanks."
Chen Yan explained that Luo Puxin had suggested he come to the Breeding Area and try fighting an Ancient Beast.
If he teamed up with other people and spent the whole time avoiding Ancient Beasts, what was the point?
Seeing Chen Yan refuse, Li Qingyuan didn't get angry. He smiled and said:
"I know you're a genius. You're probably thinking you can handle an Ancient Beast by yourself. That's what I thought at first, too.
"But fighting is dangerous. What we need right now is to earn points first, then get stronger."
As Li Qingyuan spoke, Gao Yuan nodded.
"No thanks. I'll try on my own first. If it doesn't work out, I'll join you." Chen Yan smiled. The other man had meant well, so he gave him a straightforward answer.
"Sure, that works too. If you run into trouble, join us, and we'll get stronger together." Li Qingyuan smiled warmly.
Chen Yan glanced at Gao Yuan and saw that he looked hesitant, so he said:
"Gao Yuan, go team up with them first."
Hearing Chen Yan say that, Gao Yuan could only nod.
After Chen Yan left, someone in Li Qingyuan's group grumbled:
"Does he think he's so amazing just because he beat Wu Chuhua?
"Brother Qingyuan is ranked tenth, and Wu Chuhua is only twentieth."
Li Qingyuan turned to the speaker and said:
"I don't agree with that. Don't you think you're impressive? Nobody thinks they're worthless. I'm the same. Chen Yan has the right to try this on his own."
Li Qingyuan remained mild in his manner:
"Of course, he has the right to fail, too. That has nothing to do with you or me."
Everyone nodded, admiring Li Qingyuan.
They'd faced all kinds of contempt since joining the Town Martial Class. It was Li Qingyuan who had formed a faction and united them into one.
Within the group, Yu Zhiwen turned to the round-faced girl beside her:
"Why not go after Li Qingyuan instead? He's dependable, and he's even stronger than Chen Yan."
The round-faced girl was still trapped in the shadow of Chen Yan's rejection. She mumbled:
"But Chen Yan's handsome."
Yu Zhiwen fell silent. He really was handsome. How had she never noticed before?
Can't find the book by title? Try searching by the author instead; maybe it's just been renamed!
Before you continue