Further Optimization

Outside Jiangnan Base City, a train roared along the tracks. It was a dedicated line connecting the Base City to the Eight Satellite Cities.

Chen Yuan and Qin Zhan were aboard this train, heading for their destination, Jinling City.

Jinling City was one of Jiangnan Base City's Eight Satellite Cities, and it was also where "Chen Yuan" had lived from childhood to adulthood.

"Yuan, is your body really all right? Why were you in such a hurry to leave the hospital?" Qin Zhan finally asked the question he had been holding in all the way.

Today was September 21. It had only been ten days since Chen Yuan was hospitalized.

Qin Zhan had originally planned to rent a place near the hospital for a few months. Before he had even found one, Chen Yuan had handled his own discharge procedures early that morning.

The moment he left the hospital, he bought a ticket for the nearest train and boarded immediately. He moved so quickly that even Qin Zhan, a War General Level Martial Artist, was caught off guard.

"Uncle Qin, didn't I get checked before leaving the hospital? My injuries have fully healed, and I'm in excellent health." Chen Yuan smiled reassuringly at Qin Zhan. "I know my own condition. Even the doctor didn't object to my discharge, so you don't need to worry anymore."

Qin Zhan nodded helplessly. "I know. It's just that you recovered far too quickly. I'm worried some hidden injury hasn't healed properly."

"Don't worry. With current examination methods, what hidden injury could go undetected?" Chen Yuan said. "Since I'm healthy again, why can't I leave the hospital? If I keep staying there, my martial arts might start deteriorating."

Hearing that, Qin Zhan's expression turned serious. "Have you really decided? Are you going to keep practicing martial arts from now on?"

"Of course." Chen Yuan nodded and sighed. "Not only do I want to become a Warrior, I also want to become a War General, a War God, and even surpass War Gods. I want to explore the vast, boundless universe. Only then will this life have been worth living."

Qin Zhan had not expected Chen Yuan's ambitions to be so lofty. Unable to discourage his junior, he could only nod in agreement. "It's good that you have such grand goals. Then strive toward them."

After a pause, he cautioned, "But on the road ahead, remember not to aim too high. Keeping your feet on the ground is the safest course."

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Qin." Chen Yuan smiled.

Qin Zhan said nothing more. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest, while Chen Yuan stared out the window in a daze. The train crossed vast farmlands. Outside lay the Base City's food cultivation zones, which filled the areas between the Eight Satellite Cities and the main urban district. The grain produced there was enough to feed all 200 million residents of Jiangnan City.

Only after leaving the hospital and seeing those endless fields did Chen Yuan feel a faint sense of reality. He took a deep breath, certain that he had truly come to this world.

As time passed, the scenery outside changed as well. The farmlands vanished, replaced by towering buildings.

Jinling City had arrived.

Chen Yuan and Qin Zhan got off the train, left the station, and took a taxi home.

Mirror Lake Residential District was located in the heart of Jinling City. It was unquestionably the city's finest residential district and also the headquarters of the Limit Dojo in Jinling City.

The entrance to the district was extremely spacious, with many fully armed soldiers standing guard.

Taxis were not allowed inside. The driver could only drop them off at the entrance. Qin Zhan paid the fare, and the two entered the district under the taxi driver's envious gaze.

They soon arrived at a fork in the road. Qin Zhan had reached his home, so he turned to Chen Yuan and said, "Your injuries have just healed. You should go back and rest properly. I won't disturb you any longer."

After a pause, he continued, "Um... come to my house for lunch in a couple of days. Consider it a welcome-home meal."

When Chen Yuan nodded, Qin Zhan waved to him and headed toward the row-house area beside the fork. Qin Zhan's home was there.

Chen Yuan's home was farther in. He continued down the path and, after a while, arrived at his home in this world.

Building 136 of Mirror Lake Residential District was a detached villa covering more than eight hundred square meters. It was also the inheritance his father, Chen Ji, had left him.

Although he already knew about it from his memories, seeing such a large villa still made Chen Yuan, who had lived in a tiny one-room apartment in his previous life, feel somewhat unaccustomed.

The Chen Yuan from his memories had long been used to living in such a place, but for the transmigrated Chen Yuan, this was his first time living in such a large house.

Shaking his head, Chen Yuan mocked himself for being overly sentimental. What was there to be unaccustomed to about living in a villa?

Once he rose to prominence, he could simply buy an entire planet as his territory.

After steadying himself, Chen Yuan entered the villa.

With his past memories, Chen Yuan was quite familiar with the villa's interior. He first set down his luggage, then took a shower and changed into clean, loose home clothes before heading to the audiovisual room on the second floor.

He turned on the computer, entered the website, verified his fingerprint, and logged into Limit Home.

At once, an enormous holographic screen appeared on the wall of the audiovisual room, displaying the Limit Home page and Chen Yuan's personal information.

Name: Chen Yuan

Gender: Male

Address: Jiangnan Base City, Huaxia Nation

Martial Artist ID Number: 426123207706010023

Level: Warrior Level (Beginner)

Contribution Points: 0

Currency Balance: 935,400 Huaxia Coin

"Only 930,000..." Chen Yuan stroked his chin as he looked at the balance.

He knew that Limit Home's internal network was linked to all his bank cards, so the balance displayed here was effectively all the assets he could use.

As for the villa, villas in Mirror Lake Residential District were sold at a steep discount to those qualified to live there. Chen Ji had obtained it that way, but the downside was that it could only be lived in, not bought or sold.

So although Chen Yuan had become the head of the household, he could not sell the villa for cash.

"930,000 is a little too little. I can't even afford a decent manual, much less weapons and combat suits." Chen Yuan pondered for a moment. "Looks like I should try that first..."

As Chen Yuan lightly tapped the keyboard with both hands, several manual titles appeared on the screen.

Essence Tempering Posture, Thirty-Six Bone Forging Forms, Blood Strengthening Technique, Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound Breathing Method...

There were around a dozen manuals in total. They had appeared after Chen Yuan searched for manuals that could improve aptitude, and they were all extremely cheap. Most cost only two or three thousand each, while the most expensive was merely thirteen thousand.

"They're cheap anyway. I'll buy them all." Chen Yuan selected every manual and paid. After spending 87,000 yuan, he unlocked the electronic versions of those manuals.

Chen Yuan opened one of the manuals, swept his eyes over it, then turned to the next page. He repeated the process over and over.

In about half an hour, he had finished reading every manual.

"Fortunately, the system only needs the information. I only need to read the manuals, not understand their contents." Chen Yuan rubbed his brow and opened the search page. "Next are the materials on the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic and the Marrow Cleansing Classic."

"Hm? These materials are very comprehensive, and they're actually all free."

About ten minutes later, Chen Yuan closed Limit Home and opened the panel.

"System, optimize the Thirty-Six Bone Forging Forms. Optimization direction: improve aptitude and shorten cultivation time. Use the descriptions of the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic and Marrow Cleansing Classic as templates, abandon universality, and optimize solely for me."

"Optimization task established. Current optimization target: Thirty-Six Bone Forging Forms. Optimization direction: improve aptitude, shorten cultivation time, abandon universality, and optimize according to the host's condition. Estimated Kill Points required: 1. Establish optimization task?"

"It really only takes 1 Kill Point." Chen Yuan's eyes gleamed.

"These manuals for improving aptitude are all rated E by the system, while Five Hearts Toward Heaven is rated D. E-rank costs 1 point, D-rank costs 2 points. Would C-rank cost 3 points or 4 points?"

Chen Yuan guessed it was most likely the latter.

"I'll think about that later. Right now..." Chen Yuan looked at the panel. "System, confirm the establishment of the optimization task."

"Optimization task established. Optimization time: 1 hour."

"Mm, the lower the level of the technique being optimized, the shorter the time required." Chen Yuan looked at the remaining optimization time and nodded to himself. "I've learned another piece of information about the system."

An hour passed quickly.

"Optimization task complete. The secret art 'Thirty-Six Bone Forging Forms' has been optimized into 'Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic.' (Click to expand details.)"

Chen Yuan opened the information on the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic.

Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic: Cultivation-type secret art, rated C. It possesses the ability to alter one's innate physique, cleanse the marrow, and purify the spirit. After cultivating this secret art, the following effects will occur:

First, improve physical aptitude and increase the efficiency of absorbing cosmic energy.

Second, improve comprehension and increase the efficiency of mastering "combat-type secret arts."

Third, increase Brain Domain Width. Depending on proficiency in the secret art, Brain Domain Width can be increased by 1 to 3 points.