Progress

The Forest Goddess Temple was very relaxed and did not strictly restrict its members' movements.

That was especially true for low-level members who had yet to reach the Planetary Level. They had only one requirement: train hard and reach the Planetary Level as soon as possible.

Before long, someone took Guen and the others to find their own quarters.

Many of the buildings in the sprawling palace complex stood empty.

Guen found an unoccupied palace and moved in. Inside, aside from a table, chairs, and a bed, there was no extra furniture. One wall was lined with shelves packed with books and scrolls.

Guen casually picked up a book.

Will and Transcendence.

"During training, will is often overlooked. Yet to transcend and become a Planetary Level Warrior, will is an indispensable factor. When will and the physical body become one, a warrior can overcome the obstacle and achieve the Planetary Level. This book mainly explains several methods and techniques for strengthening one's will..."

Guen glanced through a few pages, then put it down.

He browsed the shelves and found that there was more than one book on transcending to the Planetary Level. They summarized the paths to that level from various angles, including the mind, the physical body, and combat techniques.

Besides those, the shelves held many special Secret Methods, as well as various martial arts, such as Guiding Techniques and blade techniques. They had all been casually placed on the shelves.

With Guen's current eye for such things, he could easily judge that any one of these Secret Methods would be a tremendous help to a Warrior below the Planetary Level.

Guen also noticed that these Secret Methods mostly referred to realms as Apprentice Level and Planetary Level, rather than using the Aoyu Empire's term, Super Tier.

But the methods of transcending to the Planetary Level held little appeal for Guen. He already knew how to reach that level.

"Moto, scan these books and find the ones that are useful to me." Looking at the dazzling array of books and scrolls, Guen couldn't be bothered to search through them one by one, so he simply told Moto to scan them.

A blue light shone from the Smart Computer. Guen only needed to point it at the books and flip through them quickly.

"Master, these seventeen volumes will be useful to you. Two contain training Secret Methods, and fifteen cover the humanities and geography. The rest are no better than the Secret Methods in my database." Moto recorded the relevant information and sent it to Guen.

"Mm." The result was exactly what Guen had expected.

Although Mercedes had once come from the universe, her background was still far inferior to the legacy of Tucha Planet.

"Moto, should I take the Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid or the Green Marrow first?"

"Master, take the Green Marrow. Its effects are only a pale imitation of the Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid, so it can't compare. However, it contains a great deal of Life Energy and can be taken while training to speed up your progress. But using Dragon Blood and Green Marrow together would be wasteful. They're best used separately."

Guen thought it over briefly, then agreed.

If outsiders knew that Green Marrow was only being used to support his training, they would probably be beside themselves.

Only the Forest Goddess Temple could produce this kind of treasure, and it wasn't easy for other factions to obtain.

Even Dragon Blood was extremely difficult for other factions to replicate.

But that didn't mean these things were common even within the Goddess Temple.

There was one portion of Green Marrow every ten years, and five portions of Dragon Blood every ten years.

And only those below the Planetary Level were eligible.

But Guen had something better in the Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid, so he wasn't too concerned.

Guen took out the Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid. The tiny bottle, only as big as his thumb, held the reward for the Second Stage. Guen was the only one to receive it in this trial.

He pulled out the stopper. A faint, fishy smell wafted out, and just one breath of it sent every cell in his body into a frenzy.

Guen tilted his head back and drank the entire bottle. A special, pure energy immediately exploded inside him.

He felt every cell in his body renewing itself. It was as if he were a bamboo shoot, growing at astonishing speed.

Layer upon layer of scabs formed across his skin, the traces left behind by his body's rapid transformation.

"Hmph."

Guen gave a snort, shattering the layers of scabs and revealing a smooth, gleaming body as flawless as porcelain.

Even the fairest and most beautiful girl would have felt ashamed standing before Guen.

Guen threw a punch, and a sonic boom rang through the air.

"Apprentice Level 8, just like that." Guen couldn't help but marvel.

"Master, now is the best time to take the Green Marrow," Moto reminded him.

Guen nodded and picked up the Green Marrow.

The bottle of Green Marrow was bigger, and its fragrance was pleasant, as if he were standing in a forest. He drank it in one gulp, and warmth and comfort spread through his entire body.

Compared to the Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid, the energy in the Green Marrow was gentler.

Guen immediately began using the Guiding Technique. Streams of Cosmic Energy were drawn toward him, and every cell greedily absorbed both the Cosmic Energy and the Life Energy in the Green Marrow.

With every breath, Guen grew stronger.

When Guen finally stopped, every cell had absorbed its fill of Cosmic Energy, and his strength had reached the peak of Level 8.

Moreover, under the influence of the Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid, Guen felt that he didn't even need Dragon Blood. His cells were incredibly resilient, and with just two or three more proper training sessions, he could reach Apprentice Level 9.

"Only half a year, and I've made such enormous progress."

Guen couldn't help marveling again.

Half a year ago, he had been a Level 7 Warrior with a Force Multiplier of 3.5, and a Ninth-rank Ferocious Beast had been his goal.

Now, his Force Multiplier had reached nine, and his level was already close to that of a Ninth-rank Warrior.

If the Vajra Ape appeared before him now, it would be the one fleeing for its life.

His Body Movement Technique, boxing, weapons, and realm had all improved in just half a year. Such progress was simply unbelievable.

Back when he had first met Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack had been a Level 7 Warrior. It had taken him more than ten years to advance to Level 8.

And who knew how long he'd trained before that?

Yet Guen had done it with ease.

"This is only one outpost on Tucha Planet for studying the natives, and it's already brought me such tremendous progress. If I became a Core Member on Tucha Planet, the benefits would be..."

Even reaching the Universe Level, which his parents had always hoped for, might not be difficult.

His father, Kolong, and his mother, Ina, had always longed most to return to their homeland.

And that might require reaching the Universe Level.

Before this, Guen had thought he'd be doing well if he could become a Star Level Warrior like Mercedes. But now, it seemed his potential might be far greater.

"I should stop for now. I need to make a trip to Beast Canyon."

It was tempting to train straight through to Level 9, but Guen was more eager to try the Meteor Light Blade and see how powerful Flame Slash was—the move that even the intelligence inside the volcano had valued so highly.

Besides, he had made great progress in both boxing and Body Movement Technique. He had to test them out to really enjoy it.

The volcano interior had been a trial. Guen had been pushed to the point of sweating profusely and exhaustion. That was different from a fight where he could cut loose.

The Forest Goddess Temple's territory was vast. One couldn't leave before reaching the Planetary Level, but places like Beast Canyon and the Forest Assembly were available for training.

The Forest Assembly was an annual event held by the Barbarian Tribe. Many powerful members of the tribe would gather to spar and compare their skills. As a member of the Goddess Temple, Guen could take part too, but the event wasn't coming up yet. So Beast Canyon, which was open year-round and contained beasts of all levels, suited him better.

As soon as Guen stepped out of his palace, he saw Uncle Jack standing at the entrance.

"Uncle, what are you doing here?" Guen relaxed and smiled.

"I never imagined that the red-haired kid Guen from back then would achieve something that even I would admire. First place in the trial! I took part in three trials, but this is the first time I've ever seen someone come in first." Uncle Jack was genuinely impressed.

"Of course, I came here to ask you not to misunderstand Setti. The ambush by the Imperial Council in Starlight Forest left the people from Double Moon Town dead or badly injured. That's why Setti didn't dare tell you what was really going on. He was afraid you'd get dragged into it and be harmed."

Guen snorted. "But we've already been dragged into it, and he's still hiding things. He really doesn't see us as his own people. If Chen and I hadn't been there, he might not even have made it to the final trial. I'll ask you just one thing, Uncle Jack: did you deliberately bring those people from Double Moon Town there?"

Uncle Jack replied, "Though I'd known Setti for a long time and worked for him, we meant no harm. We were only trying to keep a low profile. I took part three times, and each time I only gathered information for Setti so he could pass in one go. We were afraid of drawing attention and causing trouble. Who knew His Majesty would act so directly and even provoke the Vajra Ape?"

"Fine. Setti and I only met once, so I don't care what he thinks. But if he ever harms you, I won't let him get away with it. As for the Imperial Council, I'll deal with them too—not for his sake, but for the people from Double Moon Town." Guen spoke firmly.

Uncle Jack and the people from Double Moon Town had treated him well. Guen couldn't just stand by; he would definitely avenge them.

As for Setti, Guen's opinion of him had truly changed only after Setti endured Mercedes' pressure to bring Uncle Jack along.

Mercedes was the foremost person in the Aoyu Empire. Hadn't the Planetary Level members of the Imperial Council been forced to stay meekly silent even after she chewed them out?

That was what had softened Guen's feelings a little.

"All right, Uncle. I've got something to do. We'll talk later." Guen nodded to Uncle Jack and headed for Beast Canyon.