"Come on, let me try that secret technique." Pagliu polished off the hot pot, meat and broth alike, in a few swift gulps, then flipped over to the other side and beckoned Chen Rui with an easygoing wave.
"Watch out!" After easily defeating Gangke last time, Chen Rui was eager to give it a try himself. Without hesitation, he opened his palm and shouted, "Aurora Blast!"
A huge sphere of white light shot from his palm at high speed. Pagliu's eyes lit up. He neither dodged nor stepped aside, simply swiping his left hand through the air. The Aurora Blast was caught as easily as if it were a solid object. Then he clenched his fist, and with a soft pop, the enormous ball of light vanished without a trace.
Chen Rui had known the Aurora Blast probably wouldn't do Pagliu any harm, but he hadn't expected it to be child's play in the dragon's hands. He secretly activated Analytical Eye, and sure enough, the Poison Dragon's overall strength was listed as "Unable to determine."
Yet Pagliu, who had easily dispelled the Aurora Blast, looked at the hand that had crushed it with surprise. Several tiny cuts had appeared on his tough skin, and green blood was seeping out.
"I wasn't quite ready just now, but that attack of yours is unusual. It isn't a simple attack based purely on strength or magic. Its destructive power is far greater than either, and it actually managed to pierce my defenses." Pagliu seemed to recall something, and his expression grew grave. "Chen Rui, your strength is growing quickly. I'm beginning to truly believe that Grandmaster Inheritance story. In my opinion, that Grandmaster Wukong was definitely more than just an alchemy grandmaster. His own combat strength may well have reached the demigod level or even higher!"
Chen Rui secretly shook his head. Demigod? He'd long since transcended the Three Realms and was beyond the Five Elements—assuming this Grandmaster really existed.
After hearing Chen Rui explain that the "Grandmaster Inheritance" could continue to awaken, Pagliu's eyes lit up. "This kind of inheritance is a little like the awakening of royal bloodlines. The further it develops, the more powerful it becomes. Your strength is probably about equal to that of a newly advanced Mid-tier Demon, or perhaps a little weaker."
When Chen Rui heard that he was only at the level of a Mid-tier Demon, he looked disappointed. Seeing his expression, Pagliu couldn't help getting annoyed. "You should be satisfied! You're basically born with the strength of a Mid-tier Demon, and you're human, with the power of an inheritance on top of that. Your potential far surpasses that of ordinary demons—even the royals can't compare with you! Hmph, of course, that doesn't include us Dragons. Dragon children have at least Demon King-level strength from birth."
Chen Rui curled his lip dismissively. So what if they're Demon King-level? It takes them over a thousand years to reach adulthood, and their birth rate is pitifully low. Still, by Pagliu's reckoning, his own level was already quite high, and his future looked especially bright.
Pagliu pondered for a moment, then poured cold water over him. "Although your strength barely meets the minimum standard for a Mid-tier Demon, your combat experience and techniques are a complete mess. You can't bring out the strength you should have. You might be able to bully a Low-tier Demon, but if you run into a Mid-tier Demon with equal strength, you'll lose for sure. If you want to master your strength and improve your combat ability quickly, you'll need some serious special training."
The Poison Dragon's original strength had been on par with the Devil Emperor level among demons, placing him among the mightiest. Because he had been sealed and his power damaged, he could use only the fighting strength of a Great Devil King at most. Even so, Chen Rui was no match for him.
Chen Rui nodded, determination shining in his eyes. In any world, strength was paramount. Though he had temporarily settled down in Darkmoon City, his situation was far from secure. Allen considered him a mortal enemy, Joseph's strength was unfathomable, and he might face even more powerful enemies in the future. Without strength, he could only let others carve him up as they pleased.
Intelligence could bring temporary success, but no matter how clever a scheme was, it was useless in the face of overwhelming power. Strength was the foundation of survival. Now that the Super System had given him the perfect opportunity, he had to seize it through his own efforts!
Only by combining wisdom with strength could one follow the true path.
Chen Rui's determination pleased Pagliu. Though he had signed the Symbiotic Contract out of necessity, and might even have been tricked into it, the Poison Dragon's thinking had begun to change. This human carried a powerful ancient inheritance, and his potential was limitless. If one day he became powerful enough to fight alongside Pagliu, he would be a true partner.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Damn you, Pagliu! You actually attacked me by surprise!"
The Poison Dragon's sly laughter rang out. "You act all innocent, but where's that cunning of yours now? Did you think a fight meant standing still until both sides were ready? Any move that can take down your opponent is the best technique. What does it matter whether it's a sneak attack? Don't worry, though. I'll keep my strength at the Mid-tier Demon level. I won't kill you!"
"Ow! You said you wouldn't hit me in the face!"
"You actually went for the jewels! Are all Dragons this despicable?"
"..."
The Poison Dragon's training style was simple. He had no use for flashy moves or posturing; he focused only on what worked. As long as you protected yourself, the harsher and more effective the attack, the better.
After being knocked down by Pagliu countless times, Chen Rui, battered and bruised, began to wonder if the Poison Dragon was deliberately taking his frustrations out on him. He lodged a strong protest, but Pagliu didn't care in the slightest and continued his thoroughly enjoyable work as a coach—which, naturally, was enjoyable because someone else was suffering.
"Show some guts! The more afraid you are, the faster you'll die!"
"Keep your center of gravity steady!"
"Don't just rely on your eyes! Use your instincts to judge!"
"..."
After being pummeled again and again, Chen Rui, a complete novice at hand-to-hand combat, made remarkable progress. The Gang Realm was the first and most basic Star Meridian Point, focused on cultivating the "body," much like the "marrow cleansing" of initial evolution. But this marrow cleansing was only a passive transformation. What he needed was to further temper and strengthen his body while truly mastering his own power.
Although Chen Rui had tremendous power within him, he couldn't control it. His fight with Gangke had relied solely on the power of his ultimate move, Aurora Blast. Now, under the intense pressure of Pagliu's training, that immense power began to spread through his limbs and body like silk being drawn from a cocoon. He could clearly feel the flow of Star Power.
Star Power circulated throughout the body with the Gang Realm as its center, flowing in an endless cycle. As long as he mastered its rhythm, he would be able to wield it at will.
The discovery filled Chen Rui with excitement. The pain in his body seemed to fade, and his focus grew sharper and sharper. Pagliu didn't know about the human trait called the "Star Body," and was secretly amazed. The intensity of the training he'd imposed was already close to the limit of Chen Rui's current strength. Yet this human's stamina and recovery were far beyond his expectations. He was still fighting fiercely, and his comprehension and rate of improvement were astonishing. The strength of his defense and counterattacks even seemed to be increasing.
There was another strange thing. When facing an enemy of a higher level, one would usually be suppressed by the difference in rank and unable to use one's full strength. The Poison Dragon had secretly raised his power to the high-tier level, but this rule seemed to have no effect on Chen Rui.
The Poison Dragon showed even less mercy, knocking Chen Rui to the ground again and again, while the smile in his eyes grew wider. As Pagliu's future partner, the stronger this guy is, the better. He's definitely got a promising future!
Only when the human was sprawled on the ground and unable to get up did Pagliu end the special training. Though Chen Rui was in a wretched state, he had gained a great deal. The Star Power in his body had gradually changed from a passive response into active, spontaneous movement. Even his experience points, which had remained unchanged all this time, had finally budged: they had reached 1%. This was a good start, and it seemed the special training would have to continue.
But as they left, the Poison Dragon's smug expression, which plainly said, "That was a very satisfying beating," made Chen Rui grit his teeth.
On the way back, he remembered that he'd been so focused on the training that he'd forgotten to learn Dragon Language Inscription. But he hadn't yet comprehended the inscription from last time anyway, so he could leave it for later. Today's gains were already more than enough to be exciting.
The "Star Body's" recovery trait had been on full display. That was the main reason he'd been able to endure half a day of training with the Poison Dragon, though the dragon hadn't truly gone all out either. By the time the Triangle Rhino reached Darkmoon City, Chen Rui's injuries had almost completely healed.
When he returned to the laboratory, he was surprised to find Athena and Alice waiting for him.
Hadn't Athena left two days ago? Right, today was the day he was supposed to take the "antidote." Why was Alice here too? Had she found out about the "poison" from Athena?
Chen Rui's injuries had mostly healed by then, but the bruises on his face hadn't completely faded, and his clothes were filthy. The moment Athena saw him, she flew into a rage. "Chen Rui, who did this? I'll go kill him for you!"
You wouldn't stand a chance against him... Chen Rui muttered inwardly. Seeing how angry Athena was warmed his heart. He shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I just had a little fall."
"Don't lie to me. How could a fall leave you looking like this?" Athena thought of something, and her anger flared even hotter. "Did Allen send someone to do this? That despicable coward who only knows how to scheme behind people's backs! I've never liked him. I'm going to beat him up and avenge you!"
"Wait!" Chen Rui hurriedly stopped Athena. "Don't go! It had nothing to do with him!"
"Why have you become so timid that you can't even tell the truth?" Athena was about to scold Chen Rui for being a coward, but then she remembered the intelligence and courage he'd shown when facing the Poison Dragon, and fell silent. Allen was no match for the Poison Dragon, so there had to be more to the story.
"There's a saying among us humans: 'Be patient in small matters, lest you ruin great plans.' We can't let a moment's impulse affect the bigger picture. If you get into a major conflict with Allen now, it'll put the Eldest Princess in an even more difficult position." Chen Rui could only try to persuade the violent woman by appealing to the bigger picture. He took the opportunity to pin the blame on Allen, too. One more accusation against him wouldn't make much difference; after all, Allen and Chen Rui were already sworn enemies.
At that, Athena's anger gradually subsided. Alice, who had been acting like a curious little girl, nodded vigorously in agreement, but asked, "Chen Rui, if you're so clever, why are you taking part in tomorrow's Aerial Competition?"
"Tomorrow? The Aerial Competition?" Chen Rui was startled. "How did I end up taking part? Who told you that?"
Before you continue