Mindset Improvement and Rewards Secured

"Hiss!"

The Slender Willow Sword pierced into Li Ping's skull, but although Feng Qingmo had shifted his body at the last second, his left arm was still sliced off by Li Ping's long saber, and even half of his left ear was gone.

The entire long street blurred for a moment before vanishing completely.

On the empty, silver alloy stage of the virtual arena.

Li Ping looked at Feng Qingmo with a complex expression: "I lost!"

"Teacher Li was merely caught off guard; if we were to go again, I might not necessarily win," Feng Qingmo said, bowing his head slightly. "Besides, the combat environment Teacher Li chose was more advantageous for me..."

The wind had played no small part in his victory.

"A loss is a loss!" Li Ping waved his hand. "I'm not so petty that I can't accept defeat..."

Though he spoke with nonchalance, he felt a lingering sense of disappointment in his heart, thinking to himself: It's been several years since I last fought against monsters... Perhaps I should head to the Wilderness Zone more often to sharpen my skills...

He looked up at Feng Qingmo: "It's strange, your footwork and swordsmanship are on par with mine in terms of realm, yet your execution is just a cut above. That is why, despite my superior strength, I still ended up losing to you..."

"I don't quite understand it either," Feng Qingmo shook his head. "Perhaps it is because of the Wind-Washing Sword; when the sword technique and footwork are combined, the effect seems to stack..."

Li Ping nodded and raised his hand to terminate the virtual battle.

Li Ping's office.

"Chief!" Li Ping stood at attention, holding the phone to his ear.

"...Yes, I tested him personally just now. Force level 2.7, footwork at the Perfect level, and swordsmanship at the Consummate level!"

"Oh? You even sparred with him?" Jia Yi's voice came through the receiver with a faint smile.

"Yes... and I lost!" Li Ping paused before admitting the result of the duel.

"Oh?" Jia Yi's voice carried a hint of surprise, then he said, "Li Ping, it's been several years since you last entered the Wilderness Zone, hasn't it?"

"Yes, Chief," Li Ping replied.

"It seems the burden I've placed on you is a bit too heavy, leaving you with too little time to cultivate... I will make some adjustments so you have more time to train. You reached the Intermediate Wargod level years ago, yet you are still far from the Advanced Wargod level..."

"Thank you, Chief!" A look of joy appeared on Li Ping's face; the heavy administrative duties of the training camp had indeed cut into his cultivation time.

"Mm, tell Feng Qingmo that what I promised will be delivered before midnight! I hope he continues to work hard... That will be all."

"Yes, goodbye, Chief."

After hanging up, Li Ping looked at Feng Qingmo and said, "With your hearing, you must have heard the Chief's words, so I won't repeat them... Go on, head back and prepare to receive your reward."

"Thank you, Teacher Li!" Feng Qingmo bowed slightly before turning to leave.

Watching Feng Qingmo's retreating figure, a thought couldn't help but drift through Li Ping's mind: Perhaps in a year or two, I won't even be his match in reality...

Returning to his residence, Feng Qingmo took a shower, brewed a cup of tea, and sat on the second-floor balcony, letting his body fully relax.

During his seven days of training in the Wilderness Zone, he had to keep his nerves taut at all times, even while sleeping, keeping a sliver of spiritual energy alert to his surroundings.

This was the disadvantage of walking the wilderness alone—having no teammates.

After returning, he had fought another match with Li Ping; although it was in a virtual space, the mental toll was just as significant.

In this relaxed state, as a gentle breeze blew by, his mind seemed to undergo a sublimation, and he drifted into a state between waking and sleeping.

He did not realize that his state of mind and willpower were improving at an astonishing speed.

This state lasted until he was startled awake by a knocking sound from downstairs.

"Hm, I actually fell asleep?" He stood up and stretched, his joints popping with a series of soft "clicks."

He felt his mind exceptionally clear and his entire body refreshed.

With a sweep of his spiritual energy, he leaped directly from the second-floor balcony.

"Mr. Feng Qingmo, this is your delivery," the courier, startled by Feng Qingmo's sudden descent from above, took a step back. "I need you to verify with your fingerprint."

He pushed a large alloy case forward. Feng Qingmo reached out to verify, and the lid popped open with a "snap," revealing a smaller case inside.

"This is your item, Mr. Feng Qingmo. It requires both a fingerprint and an iris scan to unlock."

He looked at Feng Qingmo with a hint of envy; one could only imagine how precious the contents were to require an alloy case of this grade.

"Right, thank you." Feng Qingmo picked up the case and waited for the courier to leave before turning back into the house.

He went to the basement training room and locked the door behind him.

After verifying his fingerprint and iris, the alloy case popped open with a "click," revealing a full set of combat gear, including tactical boots.

Beside them lay a long sword in its scabbard, and next to the sword was a box measuring 10 centimeters on each side.

Setting the combat gear and sword aside, he picked up the box and opened it gently. Inside lay a ganoderma that looked like a purple crystal.

"Is this the 'Purple Crystal Ganoderma'?" Feng Qingmo picked it up; inside the slightly translucent fungus, some liquid could be seen.

There was also a note in the box. A sweep of his spiritual energy revealed the instructions for using the Purple Crystal Ganoderma.

"So the outer shell really is crystal, just artificially synthesized, though it does look quite high-end... I just need to drink the liquid inside!"

"My current punching force is about 11,000 kilograms, just a bit above the threshold of a Junior Warrior. After consuming the Purple Crystal Ganoderma, I should be able to reach the Intermediate Warrior level, and my spiritual energy should reach the level of a Junior Wargod..."

A thought drifted through his mind, and he immediately raised the purple crystal, twisting off the cap on its side. A refreshing fragrance instantly permeated the cultivation room; just inhaling a single breath felt as invigorating as having just finished a session of genetic energy cultivation.

"Truly miraculous..." He tilted the crystal slightly. The purple liquid inside was quite viscous, and as he poured it out, every last drop flowed into his mouth.

The refreshing liquid began to spread rapidly throughout his entire body the moment it entered his stomach. There was no sensation at first, but as it began to diffuse, a chilling cold started to permeate his whole frame.

"It really is just like the manual said—it's freezing!"

The icy sensation grew colder and colder, to the point where he felt as if he were being frozen stiff. Every cell in his body was desperately absorbing the abundant energy carried within that chill, causing his physical fitness to climb steadily.

This was countless times faster than his usual cultivation speed.

To combat this intense cold, the muscles all over his body twitched incessantly, his heart rate accelerated, and veins bulged visibly across his skin from time to time...