Dad's Secret

Dinner ended.

In his own quiet room, Zhang Fusheng silently practiced Tiger Roar Fist, while simultaneously activating Spring Thunder Technique to vibrate his muscles and bones, drawing massive amounts of Mysterious Factor into his body to complete one circulation after another.

"Does the form of the Spiritual Realm need to be fixed?"

"Living souls. Where can I find living souls?"

He was somewhat troubled.

His second senior sister said that living souls from farmed planets were sold at least in medium-sized cities, and they were expensive. The cheapest and lowest quality living souls cost at least two to three hundred thousand.

As for the most expensive ones?

They were in the nine digits.

"The physical body is a raft. Without sufficient physical cultivation, I can't unleash the full potential of the Spiritual Realm."

Practicing Tiger Roar Fist over and over, Zhang Fusheng's mental will captured the massive amounts of Mysterious Factor, forcibly suppressing it into his body.

His body was rapidly strengthening, his skin being tempered to Perfection, bit by bit.

Fist finished, wind stopped.

Third Refinement Perfection, with a strength of 3,200 jin.

"Not enough."

"Far from enough."

Zhang Fusheng silently assessed his current state: only one true Spiritual Realm of a soul, Third Refinement Perfection cultivation.

In terms of techniques, Tiger Roar Fist at Perfection, Spring Thunder Technique at Minor Perfection, the second form, Newly Dead Form, the third form, Giant Form, and the seventh form, Scattered Bones Form.

"The Newly Dead Form is for concealment, the Giant Form expands and amplifies my strength, as for the Scattered Bones Form..."

He slowly turned into dense white bones. This was not the true Scattered Bones Form, but merely a 'prelude'.

According to the Seventy-two Snow Mountain Sutra of Great Sun Illumination, and the complete Dense White Bone Contemplation, The seventh form, Scattered Bones Form, has textual evidence.

[Sparse, overgrown grass entwines the bones; scattered in this place, hard to find. Claws and hair separated, filling the wilderness; skulls rotten at the tips.]

The scattered bone form is when even the bones are scattered, gone!

Zhang Fusheng clasped his hands together and sighed.

The dense white bones collapsed into dust. He was still there, just without form.

The so-called Scattered Bones Form should be called the [True Soul Form]!

A semi-transparent figure slowly floated up.

"What a peculiar experience. I clearly disintegrated my form, yet I could still sense my heart beating and blood flowing. I still had 3,200 jin of strength."

Zhang Fusheng looked at his semi-transparent hand:

"At the same time, I can fly, and even pass through solid objects."

"In this form, I have only gained the characteristics of a 'soul', but my body is actually still here."

He marveled. The Eight Forms of Body and Spirit were indeed one more powerful and bizarre than the last. Relying on countless instances of entering demonic states and going mad, and by breaking through to Perfection, He had skipped the fourth, fifth, and sixth forms of body and spirit, directly achieving the Scattered Bones Form.

"If the Scattered Bones Form is like this, what power does the eighth form, named [Ancient Tomb Form], possess?"

He re-aggregated into white bones, the bones grew flesh, and he transformed back into a human.

"In my normal state, relying on Tiger Roar Fist, I should be invincible in the Third Refinement. The Fourth Refinement might be a bit difficult, lacking over a thousand jin of strength."

"If I include the Newly Dead Form and the Giant Form, especially the latter with its triple strength amplification, in terms of pure power, I can rival a Sixth Refinement Martial Artist!"

Zhang Fusheng licked his lips.

"And if I use the Scattered Bones Form, with its ability to switch between tangible and intangible at will, I estimate I can fight against Eighth or Ninth Refinement Martial Artists. Any higher... I probably won't be able to break their defense."

After scattering, only a void form remains.

This form can be illusory or tangible, purely controlled by one's will.

In other words, Zhang Fusheng can use the intangible form when defending and the tangible form when punching!

"In the intangible state, even a Twelfth Refinement Martial Artist cannot harm me. They only have brute force."

"It's a pity, that's all."

Zhang Fusheng felt a bit regretful. The Twelfth Refinement couldn't harm him, and he couldn't harm the Twelfth Refinement either.

Even if he used the Spiritual Realm, unless he risked severe injury or even collapse to forcibly bring the Spiritual Realm into reality, he could at most trap the enemy and could not cause substantial damage.

"The only methods I know of that can injure or even kill within the Spiritual Realm are the Five Thunders Art and the soul. The former requires a Martial Arts Master to truly unleash its effect, so I can only pursue the path of the soul."

Zhang Fusheng licked his lips. What was this, refining his own spiritual world into a Ten Thousand Souls Banner?

"My moral bottom line is still too high."

He muttered to himself.

Otherwise, with my current abilities, killing people and stealing their souls would be incredibly simple.

The entire Jiangzhou City has a population of over ten million.

Zhang Fusheng shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"Below Ninth Refinement, I can kill. Above Ninth Refinement, they can't do anything to me."

"If I encounter a 'non-human' Martial Arts Master, I'll either bluff my way through or run!"

Zhang Fusheng had a clear understanding of his own capabilities.

Ding-a-ling!

His phone vibrated slightly.

"Dad, what's up?" he answered, asking with a chuckle, then his voice rose an octave: "Coming to Jiang University? Now??"

Zhang Fusheng furrowed his brow:

"Dad, didn't you tell Sister Xixi that Jiangzhou City isn't very peaceful right now?"

Sister Xixi, Zhang Xiaoxi, his cousin, the daughter of his Uncle Zhang Wentao.

"I did."

Zhang Wentao said helplessly:

"They don't really believe it, but I think it's fine. It's District Three, not the Lower-Level Districts. Just make sure you don't take your Sister Xixi down to the Lower-Level Districts."

Zhang Fusheng felt a headache coming on:

"So what is Sister Xixi coming here for?"

His dad replied:

"Your Sister Xixi is going to participate in some competition in the provincial capital. She's using Jiang University's external recruitment quota. She needs to sign some documents at Jiang University and will come to see you while she's here."

"What documents?"

Zhang Fusheng frowned:

"I've been getting along really well with a teacher at Jiang University recently. If possible, I'll ask them to send the documents to Longzhou City for Sister Xixi to sign."

On the other end of the phone, his dad clearly paused:

"Really? In just a few days, you've become so capable, kid?"

"Why would I lie to you? I won't hide it from you. The School Master of the Martial Arts Academy thinks I have great potential and has taken me in as a disciple."

His dad sounded suspicious:

"Who would be so short-sighted? Can that School Master be a good person? Don't let it turn out to be a scam..."

Before he could finish, his mom's fierce roar came from the other end of the phone, followed by his dad's yelp of pain.

"Zhang Wentao, what do you mean by that! What do you mean short-sighted? What's wrong with our son? Tell me, what's wrong?"

"Teacher Zhou, that's not what I meant."

"I think that's exactly what you meant! I fell when we were skiing just now, and you didn't come to help me, you just laughed. You laughed! Laughed! Laughed!"

Listening to the commotion on the phone, Zhang Fusheng couldn't help but smile.

It's good.

After a while.

Accompanied by panting, his dad picked up the phone again:

"It's about the cooperation contract for the external recruits, and such. If they can really send it to Longzhou City, son, why don't you... go there yourself?"

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow, knowing his dad was still worried.

Longzhou City.

"It has been quite a while since I saw Uncle and the others. I'll ask. If it's possible, I'll go tomorrow with the Jiang University teacher and the documents."

Zhang Fusheng already had plans to go to Longzhou City. After all, Chen Nuanyu's mother was there, so he had to go eventually.

Perhaps he could take her along?

"Alright, I'll let your Uncle and the others know. Oh, right..."

His dad added:

"Didn't I give you Uncle Yu's number?"

Uncle Yu, his dad's old friend who was well-informed and knew about Daoism's movements.

"Yes, what about it?"

"If you go to Longzhou City, mention it to Uncle Yu and have him help you confirm the train schedule."

His dad said calmly:

"Haven't you seen the news? A train encountered a terrorist attack yesterday. Uncle Yu is particularly well-informed about these matters."

He emphasized the word "well-informed," adding:

"The train Uncle Yu picked will definitely be fine."

Zhang Fusheng was silent for a moment:

"This terrorist attack, it wasn't Uncle Yu who initiated it, was it?"

Old Zhang coughed violently:

"You brat, what are you thinking? Uncle Yu used to work in a special department, one that specifically investigated things like terrorist attacks and evil cults."

Zhang Fusheng's heart stirred, the Investigation Bureau??

He smiled and asked tentatively:

"Dad, you even have friends like that? Why didn't you introduce me before, keeping them hidden?"

Doctor Zhang spoke helplessly:

"That's not exactly a good line of work, it's very dangerous, and I rarely interact with Old Yu. Alright, just call him directly. He held you when you were a child."

"Mhm, mhm, mhm." Zhang Fusheng put on a fake smile—he didn't remember this person at all?

He had reincarnated with his memories, born with knowledge, and remembered his infant years clearly!

Dad had secrets.

But it was normal, everyone had secrets, big or small.

Listening to his mother nag after taking the call, he hung up.

After thinking for a moment, he opened Feixun, found the phone number his dad had sent, and dialed it.

"Hello, Uncle Yu? It's Zhang Fusheng."

"Oh! Fusheng!" A hearty laugh came from the other end of the phone: "Old Zhang hasn't stopped praising you!"

Zhang Fusheng smiled in agreement:

"It's like this, Uncle Yu."

He roughly explained the situation, and the man on the other end of the phone nodded decisively:

"No problem, when do you plan to leave?"

"Um, tomorrow?"

"Okay, let me see. Tomorrow afternoon, 5:40 PM, departing from the East Train Station to Longzhou City, arriving at 7 PM."

"Alright, Uncle Yu." Zhang Fusheng chuckled: "When I get back, I'll have to visit and thank you."

He was interested in making contact with the Investigation Bureau.

"No problem, but don't go back to the lower-level districts. I'll come find you for dinner then!"

After a few polite words, the call ended.

"Uncle Yu," Zhang Fusheng rubbed his chin. His dad, and this Uncle Yu, both seemed to be convinced that the evil cult's actions would only exist in the lower-level districts and wouldn't spread elsewhere.

Interesting.

Zhang Fusheng opened his phone, found Sister Xixi's number, and after thinking about it, decided against it.

He called Chen Nuanyu instead.

After a while.

The call connected, and a slightly trembling voice came from the other end.

"It's me."

"Old Yu, is this Wentao's child?" the woman asked curiously in the cramped room.

"Mm."

Old Yu took a drag from his cigarette:

"This kid has potential. He got into a good university, too bad it's not the Martial Arts Department. Thankfully, it's not the Martial Arts Department."

He sighed:

"It's better to live a plain life."

The woman stroked her smooth chin:

"Old Zhang is really something. He just doesn't want us to meet his little nephew, tsk, guarding us like we're ghosts."

"I understand. After all, he finally settled down. Since we're in Jiangzhou City now, once everything is over, I'll definitely go see sister-in-law. I was the one who set them up back then!"

Saying that, Old Yu extinguished his cigarette butt:

"I heard there's a vanguard team from the Investigation Bureau that's come down?"

"Yes," the woman nodded. "They're probably preparing to cast the net? Three years, three years, and another three years, we'll be able to go home soon."

She stretched:

"Being an undercover agent isn't easy. You've already been promoted to [Manager], and if this continues, I really won't be able to get out."

Old Yu grinned:

"It's just that my rank is still too low. Be careful lately. If the cult ultimately decides to use this city's lower-level districts as a breeding ground, you'll have to notify my eldest nephew to run. Run quickly."

The woman nodded gently and tidied her Daoist robe.